US asks China about whereabouts of Tibetan spiritual leader Panchen Lama 29 years after disappearance

The United States has called on China to immediately uncover the whereabouts of Tibetan spiritual leader Panchen Lama, who disappeared in a remote Himalayan region 29 years ago. The Panchen Lama is one of the most important religious figures in Tibetan Buddhism, after the Dalai Lama himself.

The 11th Panchen Lama Gedun Cheki Nyima was born on April 25, 1989 in Tibet. At the age of six, he was recognized by the Dalai Lama as the reincarnation of his predecessor, the Panchen Lama. However, just three days after this recognition, Chinese authorities announced that they had taken away his children and their parents. Since then, the Panchen Lama has not been seen.

“Today marks 29 years since the People’s Republic of China abducted the 11th Panchen Lama, one of the most important figures in Tibetan Buddhism, at the age of six. Gedun Chokyi Nyima remains missing. and has not been seen in public since that day,” a press statement from US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said here on Friday.

The statement, titled “Commemorating 29 Years since the Disappearance of the Panchen Lama,” further stated that “the Chinese government has denied members of the Tibetan community access to this important religious figure, and instead “We continue to promote the representative of our choice.” It was on May 14, 1995, under the rule of the Central Tibetan Administration, the Tibetan government in exile in India, that the Dalai Lama officially announced Gedun Chokyi Nyima as the 11th Panchen Lama. He was accepted as the 11th generation on May 17, 1995. According to the newspaper, he was held by the Chinese along with his entire family, making him the world’s youngest political prisoner at the age of six.

A State Department statement said the United States supports the human rights of Tibetans and the exercise of those rights related to their unique religious, cultural, and linguistic identity, adding, “Tibetans are members of all religious communities and Similarly, they should have the ability to choose.” They educate and revere their own leaders, such as the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama, according to their own beliefs, without government intervention. “We call on the Chinese authorities to immediately explain the whereabouts and well-being of Mr. Gedun Chokyi Nyima and obtain his permission to fully exercise human rights in line with China’s international commitments.” added.

A statement from the Central Tibetan Administration on Friday also called on the Chinese government to “provide reliable information regarding the safety and whereabouts of the Panchen Lama,” adding, “China must ensure that the Panchen Lama, his parents, and Chandrel Rinpoche They should be released from captivity immediately and unconditionally.” ” he added. The 11th Panchen Lama was given the official name Jetsun Tenzin Gedung Teshi Trinli Phuntsok Pal Sangpo. After Gedun Chokyi Nyima’s abduction, Chinese authorities appointed another boy, Gyaltsen Norbu, as the 11th Panchen Lama. Gyaltsen Norbu is forced to serve Beijing as a spokesperson for the ruling Chinese Communist Party.

(With input from agency)