Central Tibetan Administration Releases Book on Panchen Lama on International Human Rights Day/ENG

2015. december 10./CTA/TibetPress

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Press Release:

The Department of Information and International Relations, Central Tibetan Administration released a book entitled “The Panchen Lama Lineage: How Reincarnation is being Reinvented as a Political Tool”, today on International Human Rights Day. The book is an update of its 1995 booklet on the Panchen Lama. Click here to download.

The book documents events surrounding the disappearance of the 11th Panchen Lama, condemnations by governments, parliaments and coverage by the world media. Insightful analysis by prominent China watchers and human rights defenders on the issue are also included in the book.

Twenty years ago, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima was recognized by His Holiness the Dalai Lama as the reincarnation of Tibet’s 11th Panchen Lama. Within three days of the announcement, he was abducted making him one of the youngest political prisoners in the world.

The enforced disappearance of the 11th Panchen Lama remains the most prominent case of human rights abuse during the entire 65 years of Tibet’s occupation by the Communist China. Even after 20 years, no significant progress has been made in this case and Chinese leadership has continuously refused to reveal any information about him or his family’s whereabouts.

In Tibet, Tibetans are arrested arbitrarily, detained and sentenced to imprisonment under guise of different name tags, such as “separatist”, “leaking state secrets”, and “Dalai Clique”. A simple act of peaceful demonstrations against the denial of basic rights brings more arrests, prison sentencing and torture. (At least 30 known Tibetans have died as a result of torture during detention, and more than 40 Tibetans have been sentenced to imprisonment for 10 years and more, since 2008.) Due to which, Tibetans of all ages and walks of life across the Tibetan plateau have resorted to tragic acts of self-immolation protest in the last few years. Since 2009, 142 Tibetans have self-immolated in Tibet.

This book is especially useful for those who have no or little knowledge about the enforced disappearance of the 11th Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima and events surrounding his disappearance.