Monks, youth activists on day-long hunger strike for 11th Panchen Lama in India’s IT city

Phayul[Monday, April 25, 2011 14:17]
BANGALORE, April 25: Panchen Student Volunteers of Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, Bylakuppe and Regional Tibetan Youth Congress, Bangalore organize a hunger strike to mark the 22nd birthday of His Holiness the 11th Panchen Lama Gedhun Choekyi Nyima at South Indian city of Bangalore.
BANGALORE, April 25: Panchen Student Volunteers of Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, Bylakuppe and Regional Tibetan Youth Congress, Bangalore organize a hunger strike to mark the 22nd birthday of His Holiness the 11th Panchen Lama Gedhun Choekyi Nyima at South Indian city of Bangalore.
BANGALORE, April 25: Tibetans on Monday embarked on a day-long hunger strike at Banappa Park here in the city to mark the 22nd birthday of His Holiness the 11th Panchen Lama, in an event organized by the Panchen Student Volunteers of the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery and the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress, Bangalore.
“We take this opportunity today to urge Tibetans, Tibet support groups as well as truth and freedom loving people of this world to continue to maintain pressure on the Chinese government on the Panchen Lama issue and to appeal for independent bodies to be allowed to meet the Panchen Lama and verify his well-being,” the Panchen Student Volunteers and Regional Tibetan Youth Congress, Bangalore said in a joint statement.

Nearly 60 monks from the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, along with 100 Tibetan students and residents in the city of Bangalore participated in the day-long protest -- which will be followed by a candle light vigil in the evening.

The protesters called for the release of the 11th Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, his parents and family, as well as Chadrel Rinpoche, head of the Search Committee for the 11th Panchen Lama, and other political prisoners of Tibet.

They highlighted also the worsening situation in Ngaba County of Tibet, and sought support from the international community to put pressure on the Chinese government to end the oppression of monks of Kirti Monastery and the people of Ngaba.

“Chinese authorities continue to claim that the people under Chinese rule enjoy democratic and religious freedoms. But this has been proved wrong in the recent days as news from Ngaba County bring to light the growing crisis there,” Tenzin Dawa, President of the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress, said.

In addition, the very fact that the Chinese authorities have detained the 11th Panchen Lama for16 long years, since the time he was only six years old, refusing to provide any verifiable information of his health, well-being and whereabouts is proof enough of China's continued violation of the basic human rights of people under its rule, said Thargey, a member of the Panchen Student Volunteers of the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery.

The Panchen Student Volunteers are young monks belonging to a batch of the school at the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery -- the seat of the Panchen Lamas -- and committed to creating awareness about the Panchen Lama issue.

“The birthday of the 11th Panchen Lama is an auspicious and joyous occasion not only for Tibetans everywhere, but for truth-loving people everywhere in the world,” the Panchen Student Volunteers said in a statement. “However, our worries and concerns are even greater today as we now face a crisis with the world in the dark about whether the 11th Panchen lama is even alive or not,” they added.

The 11th Panchen Lama, Gendhun Choekyi Nyima, was born on 25th April,1989 at Lhari county in Tibet. In May 14, 1995, His Holiness the Dalai Lama -- in keeping with the special historical and spiritual relationship shared by the lineage of the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama -- announced the then six-year-old Gendhun Choekyi Nyima as the reincarnation of the 10th Panchen Lama.

Three days later, the six-year-old Gendhun Choekyi Nyima, his parents and family, and Chadrel Rinpoche, Abbot of the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in Tibet as well as the head of the search committee for the 11th Panchen Lama, were arrested by Chinese authorities along with other important members of the search committee.

Tibetans and supporters of the Panchen Lama issue will also hold a candle-light vigil in the evening and pray for the release and safety of the missing Panchen Lama, his parents and family, and other political prisoners of Tibet.

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