Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], April 27 (ANI): The Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR) of the Central Tibetan Administration has launched a month-long awareness initiative honouring the 36th birthday of Tibet’s 11th Panchen Lama, Jetsun Tenzin Gedhun Yeshi Trinley Phuntsok Pal Sangpo, commonly known as Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, who was forcibly taken along with his family by Chinese authorities at the age of six in 1995, as reported by the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA).
This awareness initiative, running from April 25, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima’s birthday, to May 17, which marks the 30th anniversary of his forced disappearance, aims to raise urgent awareness about the unprecedented three-decade absence of the 11th Panchen Lama.
The CTA states that this public engagement effort is intended to urge the international community to compel the Chinese government to provide verifiable information regarding his current condition and whereabouts.
The program began with a lecture entitled “Legacy of the 10th Panchen Lama and the Circumstances Surrounding the Enforced Disappearance of the 11th Panchen Lama,” presented by Tsewang Topla, Senior Lecturer at Sarah College.
The opening event took place at the Tibet Museum’s Auditorium on Friday, April 25 with around 20 attendees from Dharamshala, primarily comprising Central Tibetan Administration staff and a few media representatives, according to the CTA.
Tsewang Topla’s discussion on the legacy of the 10th Panchen Lama is crucial, as understanding the significant influence of the 10th Panchen Lama is vital to comprehend the extent of the Chinese Communist Party’s actions in abducting the 11th Panchen Lama at the tender age of six, thus hindering him from continuing his predecessor’s essential work in maintaining and promoting Tibetan cultural identity, as cited by the CTA report.
During the month, weekly activities will be organised, featuring expert discussions every Friday at The Tibet Museum and documentary screenings every Wednesday at the Tibet Museum auditorium, as highlighted by the CTA report.
The awareness program will conclude with an elocution contest on May 17 at the Tibetan Children’s Village School in Upper Dharamshala, with participants from five different Tibetan schools in the Dharamshala area presenting speeches on various topics related to the legacy of the 10th Panchen Lama and the enforced disappearance of the 11th Panchen Lama, as noted in the CTA report.
Given the worsening human rights conditions in Tibet, which have seen increased restrictions on religious practices, language, and cultural expression, “we must intensify our efforts to secure the release of the 11th Panchen Lama and protect the sanctity of Tibet’s spiritual traditions,” as stated by the CTA report. (ANI)
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