Why Are Swiss Lawmakers Condemning China on the 30th Anniversary of the Panchen Lama's Disappearance?

Geneva, May 17 (NationPress) Members of the Swiss Parliamentary Group for Tibet have voiced their strong disapproval of the Chinese authorities on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the 11th Panchen Lama's disappearance.

In a forceful statement, the parliamentarians criticized the Chinese government for the abduction of Gedun Choekyi Nyima, who was just six years old at the time, along with his family on May 17, 1995.

The Swiss lawmakers urged the Swiss government, specifically the Federal Council, to press China for the immediate release of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima and his family.

According to Nicolas Walder, Co-President of the Parliamentary Group for Tibet, “The objectives of the PRC are clear: through these extensive propaganda initiatives featuring the 'official' Panchen Lama, the communist regime aims to showcase a facade of religious freedom in Tibet.”

The parliamentarians further called on the Chinese government to disclose the current situation of Gedun Choekyi Nyima and his parents, cease interference in the identification of Buddhist reincarnations, and assure Tibetans in Tibet their complete cultural rights, including freedom of religion and education in the Tibetan language.

Walder added, “The ultimate aim of the PRC is to facilitate the future selection of the successor to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, strictly controlling the reincarnations of Tibetan Buddhist figures.”

The lawmakers also urged their government to demand an end to the significant human rights abuses faced by Tibetan Buddhists and their spiritual leaders, which include violent disappearances, arrests, physical mistreatment, and prolonged detention without trial based on their religious beliefs.

Thinlay Chukki from the Tibet Bureau in Geneva stated, “Three decades of forced disappearance of any individual is a severe violation of human rights and dignity. In the case of the 11th Panchen Lama Gedun Choekyi Nyima, it represents not just a personal violation, but also the right of the Tibetan people to choose their religious leader and practice their faith.” She welcomed the statement from the Swiss parliamentarians.

Furthermore, she emphasized, “This situation violates international human rights laws, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the United Nations Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances. The Chinese government must release the 11th Panchen Lama Gedun Choekyi Nyima and his family as a preliminary step towards honoring and enforcing international laws.”