Geneva: The UN experts have received unsatisfactory and insufficient response from China on the whereabouts of Panchen Lama Gendun Choekyi Nyima yet again.
The UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) expressed that the response received from China about the XIth Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, was “not considered sufficient”. The enforced disappearance of Panchen Gedhun Choekyi Nyima “will remain under the consideration”, added the experts in its communication dated 18 November 2019.
When asked about the fate of Panchen Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) in its 119th session held in September this year, China has responded the experts with the usual practice of unverifiable and insufficient information. In addition to the usual standard reply stating that Panchen Choekyi Nyima has “received free compulsory education”, this time, China has added that “he went to university”, and “currently he has found a job”. However, on the whereabouts of Panchen Gedhun Choekyi Nyima and his family, China has remained silent yet again.
The last response that the UN Working Group has received from China was in May 2013, in which China said Panchen Gedhun Choekyi Nyima has “received a tertiary education”.
The Enforced disappearance of Panchen Gedhun Choekyi Nyima “will remain under the consideration”, added the experts in its communication.
The Tibet Bureau, Geneva and the UN and Human Rights Desk of Department of Information and International Relations are constantly monitoring and following up on the case of the Panchen Lama’s enforced disappearance. Next year will be the 25th anniversary of Panchen Lama Gedhun Choekyi Nyima’s disappearance. He was merely 6 years of age when the Chinese government abducted him and his entire family and even to this day their whereabouts are unknown. Despite repeated calls by the UN experts and international community China has refused to divulge any information on this.
Filed by Tibet Bureau, Geneva