Rights Group, International Campaign for Tibet,organized a protest in front of the Chinese Embassy in Brussels demanding therelease of Panchen Lama and his family abducted by Beijing.

Panchen Lama was the prominent head of the Gelugpa sect, one of the major sectsin Tibetan Buddhism and was abducted by the Chinese authorities when he wasonly a child and has been missing for 27 years.

The protests were organized from 1100 to 1200hrs in Brussels. Protestorscarried posters asking about his whereabouts and calling him as world’syoungest political prisoner.

Around 40 Tibetans showed up in the protests andchanted slogans against China. They said that despite China’s efforts, theabducted Lama will not be erased from the hearts of Tibetans.

On the occasion of the 33rd birthday of the 11th Panchen Lama Gedhun ChoekyiNyima, the department of information and international relations of the CentralTibetan Administration has also issued a statement demanding the release ofPanchen Lama and his family.

After the death of the 10th Panchen Lama, Dalai Lama and his search party (inTibet) started searching for the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama and finallyon May 14, 1995, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, a 6-year-old boy in Tibet was recognizedas the 11th Panchen Lama, reported Tibet Rights Collective.

This selected reincarnation was also approved by Chadrel Rinpoche, who was notonly a close disciple of the late 10th Panchen Lama but was also the Khenpo(abbot) of Tashi Lhunpo Monastery (the monastic seat of the Panchen Lama).However, things turned worst when the 6-year-old boy and his family werekidnapped on May 17.

For nearly 27 years, Tibetans have not seen their 11th Panchen Lama pictures.The Chinese officials have only given words to the world that Gedhun ChoekyiNyima and his family are doing well, reported Tibet Rights Collective.

Last Panchen Lama, the 10th Panchen Lama stayedback in the region after the revolt broke out between Tibet and Chineseofficials. While he was in the region, he submitted a 70,000-word petition tothe Chinese Communist Party (CCP) which led to his arrest.

Dalai Lama, another head of the Gelugpa sect, tookshelter in India and garnered international support, and made the people of theworld aware of the atrocious acts that were happening in Chinese occupiedTibet. (ANI)