The members of the Tibet Support Group organised a protest action in front of the Chinese Embassy in Vilnius

 London: On 17 May, on the 29th anniversary of the abduction of the Panchen Lama, members of the Tibet Support Group organised a protest action in front of the Chinese Embassy in Vilnius. The protesters demanded that Lithuanian and European politicians pay attention to human rights problems in Tibet.

On this day in 1995, six-year-old Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, who had been proclaimed as the incarnation of the XI Panchen Lama just three days earlier, was kidnapped and forcibly disappeared by the Chinese government. Robertas Mažeika, a member of the Tibet Support Group, stressed that China must be pressured to reveal the whereabouts of the recognised Panchen Lama. He also noted that in response to the deteriorating situation in the region, Tibetan communities and representatives in Lithuania and abroad are calling on present and future Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to sign a pledge to support Tibet.

Vytis Vydūnas, head of Tibet House and a lecturer at Vilnius University, admitted that the question of the Dalai Lama’s successor may seem exotic to the Lithuanian public, but noted that it is a cultural aspect of global significance. “Tibetans are our natural allies. The Uighurs are our natural allies, just as the Chinese regime is an ally of the monstrous and inhuman regime that is currently in Russia. We must support the Tibetan struggle,” said Mr. Vydūnas.

The picketers carried Tibetan and Lithuanian flags, and placards reflecting the demands of the action read “Free Panchen Lama”, “Respect human rights in Tibet”, “Stop cultural genocide of Tibetans: close colonial boarding schools!” and more. They also chanted “Free Tibet”.

The national broadcaster LRT produced a TV report and distributed information about the event on its website, lrt.lt.

-Report filed by Office of Tibet, London