German MP Michael Brand Urges Chinese Government to Release the 11th Panchen Lama
Dharamshala: Marking 30 years since the disappearance of the 11th Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, German MP Michael Brand, Chairman of the Tibet Parliamentary Group in the Bundestag, has issued a statement urging the Chinese government to release the 11th Panchen Lama and provide information about his well-being.
MP Brand condemned the abduction of the then-six-year-old boy in 1995 by Chinese authorities, calling it not only a crime against a child but also a symbol of the regime’s deep fear of Tibetan Buddhism. He described the act as “a crime out of fear,” emphasising that the Chinese Communist Party is afraid of peaceful ideas like Tibetan culture and religion, which continue to inspire people despite decades of repression.
He noted that the government in Beijing has tried to erase the traditional Tibetan religious process by imposing its own hand-picked replacement for the Panchen Lama—an act widely rejected by Tibetans. According to MP Brand, this is a deliberate attempt to control the future of Tibetan Buddhism and its leadership.
“Nothing can be considered credible,” he said, “about what the communist regime is trying to communicate to Tibet and to the world about the 11th Panchen Lama.”
MP Brand stressed that the fate of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima—now 36 years old—is not a matter of state secrecy but a matter of justice. He called on China to disclose his whereabouts and condition, adding that the continued censorship and manipulation of this case only underscore Beijing’s disregard for its international human rights obligations.
He concluded with a call to the international community to remain united in condemning this act and to intensify pressure on China for the Panchen Lama’s release. Brand affirmed his belief that the Chinese government will ultimately fail in its attempt to suppress the faith and cultural identity of the Tibetan people through “force, brutality, and barbarism.”
