The youngest political prisoner in the world has now been in detention for 22 years. Born on April 25 1989 in Central Tibet, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima was six years old when he was recognised by His Holiness the Dalai Lama as the 11th Panchen Lama, one of the most important religious figures in Tibet. Weeks later, on May 17, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima and his family were removed from their home by the Chinese authorities. Their whereabouts have remained unknown to the general public ever since.
To mark the anniversary, The Regional Tibetan Youth Congress (RTYC), the Tibetan Women’s Association (TWA), and the Student’s for a Free Tibet (SFT) performed a skit in Mcleod Ganj’s main square, commemorating the arrest of the 11th Panchen Lama.
“Through this skit, we call on the Chinese government to disclose the condition and whereabouts of the Panchen Lama. We also call on the international community and world leaders to support for the Panchen Lama’s release,” the group said in their statement.
The TWA’s central and regional chapters also organised a peaceful rally from Mcleod Ganj to lower Dharamshala, and demanded that the Chinese government release Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, who, if alive, is now 28 years old and the longest serving political prisoner in history.
In honour of this date, the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights released a special report entitled Inevitable Imprisonment: Arbitrary Detention and its Effects on the Exercise of Universal Rights in Tibet. It states that Article 34 of the Chinese constitution gives “all citizens of the People’s Republic of China who have reached the age of 18 the right to religious belief, education and profession,” and thus renders the detainment of the 11th Panchen Lama unconstitutional.
Human rights organisations agree that Gedhun Choekyi Nyima must be released immediately and unconditionally, but so far the Chinese government has not released any information on the matter.
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