Co-President Councillor of States Tiana Moser, Co-President National Councillor Fabian Molina, Co-President National Councillor Nicolas Walder, Co-President National Councillor Nik Gugger, and Vice-President Councillor of States Maya Graf.
Geneva: Observing the 30 Years of Enforced Disappearance of the 11th Panchen Lama Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the Swiss Parliamentarians from the Swiss Parliamentary Group for Tibet have called on the Swiss Government (Federal Council) to urge China for the immediate release of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima and his family members.
In their strongly worded statement, the Parliamentarians have condemned the Chinese government for abducting the then-six-year-old boy Gedun Choekyi Nyima and his family on 17 May 1995.
Nicolas Walder, Co-President of the Parliamentary Group for Tibet, explains, “The goals of the PRC are obvious: through these massive propaganda shows with the “official” Panchen Lama, the communist authorities of the PRC want to demonstrate pseudo-religious freedom in Tibet.’ The Parliamentarians have further underscored that “the real goal of the PRC is to pave the way for the future appointment of the successor to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama according to the rules of the PRC by strictly controlling the reincarnations of Tibetan Buddhist personalities.”
“The Chinese state’s interference in this religious process is an unacceptable suppression of religious freedom,” concluded Co-President of the Group Fabian Molina. The Joint statement on behalf of the group was issued by Co-President Councillor of States Tiana Moser, Co-President National Councillor Nik Gugger, Co-President National Councillor Fabian Molina, Co-President National Councillor Nicolas Walder and Vice-President Councillor of States Maya Graf.
In their statement, the parliamentarians have appealed to the Chinese government to:
- report on the whereabouts of Gendun Choeki Nyima and his parents
- refrain from interfering in the process of finding Buddhist reincarnations
- guarantee Tibetans in Tibet their full cultural rights to freedom of religion and education in the Tibetan language
They have further called on the Swiss Government:
- that it demands the free exercise of fundamental human rights in accordance with international standards, to which the PRC is also committed, in all contacts with representatives of the People’s Republic of China
- that the Presidency of the UN Human Rights Council be used to ensure that Swiss human rights policy, which is enshrined in the Swiss Constitution, also leads to clear condemnation of violations of human rights standards by the PRC
- that it calls on the PRC in particular to immediately end the massive human rights violations against Tibetan Buddhists and their religious leaders, including violent disappearances, arrests, physical abuse and prolonged detention of monks, nuns and other persons without trial on the basis of their religious beliefs;
- that it urges the authorities of the People’s Republic of China to immediately release Gedhun Choekyi Nyima and his family
Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the Tibet Bureau Geneva, Thinlay Chukki, has welcomed the strongly worded statement issued by the Swiss Parliamentarians and noted that, “three decades of enforced disappearance of any individual is a gross violation of human rights and dignity. In this case of 11th Panchen Lama, Gedun Choekyi Nyima, it is not just an individual person’s violation, but also the right of the Tibetan people to choose their own religious leader and worship. This not only undermines the religious traditions and practices of Tibetan Buddhists but is also discriminatory against the Tibetans based on their religious beliefs. This contravenes the international human rights laws, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and United Nations Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances. The Chinese government should release of 11th Panchen Lama, Gedun Choekyi Nyima and his family as a first step towards respecting and enforcing international laws.”
