By Choekyi Lhamo
DHARAMSHALA, Apr. 14: Belgian Federal MP, Samuel Cogolati, a parliamentarian for the Ecolo-Goren Party, issued a public statement in support for a ranking Tibetan religious figure, the 11th Panchen Lama Gedhun Choekyi Nyima. On Apr. 8, he urged the Belgian Foreign Ministry to send a strong message to Beijing for the immediate release of the second-highest figure in Tibetan Buddhism.
“Tibet continues to be rated as the second least free country in the world, after Syria. Tibetans say that it is easier to go to heaven than to get a passport from Chinese government. Tibet has been under iron-fist control of China for over six decades. The repressive nature of the rule is best exemplified by the case of Panchen Lama. He has not been seen for a quarter of a century,” read the public statement. MP Cogolati has been a strong supporter of the Tibetan people.
The representative of the Office of Tibet in Brussels, Tashi Phuntsok, has met the MP several times over the last months. He was also invited as the key-note speaker during the recent 10thMarch anniversary in Brussels. MP Cogolati also succeeded in getting his government to issue a statement on the matter of succession of Tibetan leader, His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
The timely statement by the Belgian MP comes ahead of the 25th anniversary of 11th Panchen Lama which falls on 25th April whereby Gedhun Choekyi Nyima will turn 31 years old. The statement furthered the argument of his unique plight, “His enforced disappearance case was registered in 1995 with the UN Working Group on Enforced Involuntary Disappearance. It is one of the oldest continuing cases of enforced disappearance in the world. And he is one of the world’s longest-serving political prisoners and the youngest one at that.”
Chinese officials kidnapped the Panchen Lama at the young age of 6 in 1995. More than two decades later, Tibetans continue to demand the Panchen Lama to be released and returned to the people of Tibet. China claims that his whereabouts are kept undisclosed to protect him. No one has been allowed to visit him since his disappearance.
2 Responses
As a Tibetan I wish to say thank you to Belgian Federal MP Samuel Cogolati for his courageous stand on Gaydhun Choekyi Nyima’s case. They say , you are a strong supporter of the Tibetan people. But as His Holiness The Dalai Lama would have raised the bar of your support to the Tibetans as supporter for Justice who dare to selflessly-stand by the truth. At a time this , when killer virus like COVID-19 is riding across the world like a lion gone crazy , we TIBETANS have all the more reasons to be concerned and worried about the 11th Panchen Lama’s life ; least China may make the COVID-19 a reason to cause a threat and an excuse for Gaydhun Choekyi Nyima’s life and its safety . This is a dangerous time for his life and wellbeing .
I thank the Belgian MP for his support to release the Panchen Rinpoche. However we need the Belgian Govt to officially call for the Panchen Lama’s release. And we need the EU, UK, USA, Japan, India & other democratic governments to jointly call for the release of the Panchen Lama. The Chinese Govt will only listen to a united coalition of governments.