Dharamshala: On Monday, 17 May, Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in Bylakuppe, South India, the exile seat of the Panchen Lama, marked the grim anniversary of China’s abduction of the Panchen Lama, Tibet’s second-highest spiritual figure, 26 years ago.
In a solemn ceremony, monks of the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery displayed a large portrait of His Eminence the 11th Panchen Lama at the monastery courtyard, and with folded hands, offered prayers for long life and immediate release of the Panchen Lama, his family members, and Chadrel Rinpoche from Chinese captive.
In the evening, some monks took part in lighting hundreds of butter lamps, while younger monks held a candlelight vigil and prayer session all in the hope that their religious leader would be safe from sufferings and freed from the Chinese custody.
Venerable Zeekgyab Rinpoche, the Abbot of the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, took part in a virtual book launch event organized by the Central Tibetan Administration at 7 pm IST. In his address at the event, Rinpoche welcomed the book launch and appreciated the CTA’s initiatives in advocating for the release of the 11th Panchen Lama Gedhun Choekyi Nyima.
He lamented that “China’s abduction of the Panchen Lama lacks any rational reason and that it is for the sole purpose of meeting its political agendas and motives.” Rinpoche prayed for the immediate release of the Panchen Lama along with his family members and Chadrel Rinpoche.
On 14 May 1995, His Holiness the Great 14th Dalai Lama publicly recognized the six-year-old Gedhun Choekyi Nyima as the reincarnation of the 10th Panchen Lama. Three days later the young Panchen Lama, his family, and Chadrel Rinpoche, who was heading the Search Committee for the reincarnated Panchen Lama, were all placed under detention. The Chinese authorities also arrested and sentenced a number of Tibetans involved in the search for the Panchen Lama. Since then, for the last 26 years, the Chinese government has turned a deaf ear to the numerous calls from the international community including, the UN and foreign governments, to release him and his family.
To this day, the Chinese government continues to detain and isolate the 11th Panchen Lama Gedhun Choekyi Nyima from the rest of the world.
– Filed by UN, EU and Human Rights Desk/DIIR