US EditionHow Beijing’s 1995 Disappearance of the Panchen Lama Enabled Crimes Against Humanity
- On May 17, 1995, Chinese authorities abducted six-year-old Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, recognized by the Dalai Lama as the 11th Panchen Lama, and his family in Tibet.
- The abduction occurred amid Chinese government efforts to control the selection of Tibetan Buddhist leaders and suppress Tibetan religious and cultural traditions.
- Following the disappearance, China appointed Gyaltsen Norbu, whose family is connected to the Chinese Communist Party, as Panchen Lama, a decision widely rejected by Tibetan Buddhists and human rights groups.
- Human Rights Watch and international parliamentarians have criticized China for enforced disappearance, political reeducation of monks, and cultural assimilation policies amounting to serious human rights violations.
- The 30-year enforced disappearance of the Panchen Lama symbolizes broader religious repression in Tibet, prompting calls for China to release Nyima and for international pressure to uphold Tibetan rights.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Thirty years ago, the young man identified as the 11th Panchen Lama, the second most important figure of Tibetan Buddhism, disappeared
30 years ago, China let a then six-year-old disappear in order to better control Tibet. An expert explains what is behind it.
HRW urges China to release 11th Panchen Lama, calls on ‘concerned parties’ to assert Tibetan rights
Human Rights Watch on Thursday urged China to free the 11th Panchen Lama, Gendun Choki Nyima, and his parents, who were removed from public view in 1995 and have remained missing ever since. As the 30th anniversary of their disappearance approaches on Saturday, human rights advocates have intensified pressure on Beijing to end decades of secrecy and take accountability for the Panchen Lama and his family. There is still some doubt over whether N…
On May 17 the anniversary of the abduction by the Chinese authorities of the child designated as reincarnation of the second Tibetan authority is celebrated. A story that the imminent ninetieth birthday of the Dalai Lama relates to the concerns about interference in the succession. Meanwhile, Tibet Radio was born in exile, to fill the void left by the chipusury of programs in Tibetan language of Radio Free Asia and Voice of America.
US Secretary of State Rubio Demands Immediate Release of 11th Panchen Lama on 30th Anniversary of Abduction
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday demanded the immediate release of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama, who was abducted by Chinese authorities 30 years ago at the age of six. “Gedhun Choekyi Nyima was only six years old when Chinese authorities abducted him 30 years ago. The Panchen Lama should be released immediately,” Rubio stated in a post on X, highlighting the long-standing issue of the Panchen Lama’s enforced disappeara…
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