Tibetan leaders urge China to allow international group to meet detained Panchen Lama

DHARAMSHALA - On the occasion of 21st birthday of the Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama, the Tibetan leaders-living-in exile here on Sunday urged the Chinese Government to show him to the international community and let it meet him.

Tibetans across the world today celebrated the birthday of the Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama, who has been under the Chinese detention since he was six-year-old. He and his family were apprehended shortly after the Dalai Lama declared him to be the reincarnated 11th Panchen Lama of Tibet in May 1995.

Tibetan ministers in-exile, Parliamentarians and the Speaker of Parliament gathered at Tsuglagkhang Buddhist temple in Dharamsala town to commemorate the day.

“Today is the 21st birth anniversary of the young Panchen Lama who is still unknown whereabouts (sic) so this is the official celebrations of his birthday… this function is organised by the Central Committee of Panchen Lama who is based in south India and the Speaker of Parliament also appeals to China to show Panchen Lama to the International Community and let the International Community meet him,” said Karma Yeshi, a member of Tibetan Parliament in-exile.

The Dalai Lama, with thousands of Tibetans, is living in Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh), which is also the headquarter of the Tibetan government-in-exile.

He fled Tibet in 1959 after an abortive uprising against Chinese rule. (ANI)