May 23, 2025: The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) has concluded a powerful month-long Panchen Lama Awareness Program, aimed at educating the Tibetan community and rallying international solidarity on the 30th anniversary of the enforced disappearance of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama.
Launched on April 25, his 36th birthday, the campaign ran until May 17, 2025, marking three decades since the Panchen Lama—recognized at age six—was abducted by Chinese authorities. Despite China’s claims that he is living a “normal life,” independent access to verify his well-being has been consistently denied.
The awareness program included community events, public outreach, and global advocacy efforts pressing for transparency about the Panchen Lama’s whereabouts. The Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR) of the CTA spearheaded the initiative.
International political leaders voiced strong support:
- In the European Parliament, seven MEPs from four political groups raised urgent questions to the EU’s High Representative, emphasizing the need for action.
- In Germany, Bundestag member Michael Brand called the abduction “a crime out of fear.”
- In Italy, Senator Andrea De Priamo criticized the Chinese government’s appointment of a substitute Panchen Lama as illegitimate.
- Swiss Parliamentarians urged their government to push China for the release of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima and his family.
- In Taiwan, Tian Chiu-Chin and members of the Taiwan Parliament Group for Tibet condemned the ongoing repression in Tibet and reaffirmed support for the Tibetan cause.
The campaign succeeded in reigniting global attention on one of the world’s longest-standing cases of enforced disappearance and underscored the continued international demand for justice and accountability.
The CTA concluded by urging the global community to intensify pressure on the Chinese government to provide credible proof of the Panchen Lama’s safety and ensure his immediate release.