Contact is taking a holiday!

Contact is taking a break after 25 years of bringing you news of Tibet and Tibetan issues. We are celebrating our 25 years by bringing you the story of Contact and the people who have made it happen, and our archive is still there for you to access at any time, and below you can read the story of Contact, how it came into being and the wonderful reflections of the people who have made it happen over the years.

When and how Contact will re-emerge and evolve will be determined by those who become involved.

Marking 31 Years Since the Panchen Lama’s Disappearance

May 20, 2026;

Press Statement

Tommy Pigott, Spokesperson, The U.S. Department of State (.gov), 18 May 2026

Yesterday was the 31st anniversary of the disappearance of the Tibetan religious leader known as the Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima.  Days after the Dalai Lama recognised this child as an important future Tibetan Buddhist leader, Chinese authorities disappeared him and his family.  He was six years old.

Chinese authorities should immediately release Gedhun Choekyi Nyima and his family and stop persecuting Tibetans or others in China for their religious beliefs.

The United States supports religious freedom for Tibetans, and the freedom to preserve their unique cultural and linguistic identity.

Tibetan Buddhists, like members of all religious communities, should have the ability to freely select their own leaders – like the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama – according to their beliefs and without party-state interference.

 

 

Related posts:

  1. Press Statement: Marking 29 Years Since the Panchen Lama’s Disappearance
  2. 28 Years Since the Enforced Disappearance of Tibet’s Panchen Lama by the Chinese Government
  3. China Breaks Years of Silence Over the Panchen Lama
  4. “Let World Know Where He Is”: US To China On Panchen Lama’s Disappearance
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