Zurich [Switzerland], May 19 : Over 200 Tibetans and human rights advocates gathered in Zurich on Saturday to mark the 30th anniversary of the enforced disappearance of the 11th Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima.
The event, held on May 17, 2025, was organised as part of a global appeal for justice and accountability, according to a report by the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA).
The CTA stated that the gathering highlighted the ongoing human rights crisis in Tibet and underscored one of the most serious and prolonged cases of religious persecution in modern history.
Despite three decades of appeals from the United Nations, governments, and international human rights organisations, the Chinese authorities have continued to withhold credible information about the Panchen Lama's status and whereabouts, the CTA said.
The event was co-hosted by the Tibetan Youth Association in Europe (TYAE) and the Swiss Tibetan Women's Association. It began with welcoming remarks from the organisers, followed by the Tibetan national anthem and a moment of silence to honour those who have lost their lives for the Tibetan cause and the families they left behind.
According to the Central Tibetan Administration, Pasang Dolma Youdutsang, Co-President of the Tibetan Women's Association, delivered a powerful appeal urging the international community to hold the Chinese government accountable and demand transparency. The petition, expressing the unified concerns of the Tibetan people, was formally handed over to the Chinese Embassy through its security staff.
In his speech, Karma Gahler, Co-President of TYAE, said the disappearance of the Panchen Lama symbolises the broader issue of religious and cultural oppression in Tibet. He stated, "The global community's ongoing insistence on learning the truth about the Panchen Rinpoche demonstrates that he has not been forgotten."
As reported by the CTA, the gathering in Zurich formed part of a global movement aimed at increasing pressure on the Chinese government to disclose the whereabouts and well-being of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima. Recognised by the 14th Dalai Lama as the 11th Panchen Lama at the age of six, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima was taken into custody by Chinese authorities just days later. He has remained missing since May 17, 1995.
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