Today Gendun Cheokyi Nyima, who was named as the Panchen Lama aged five, turns eighteen years of age.

For thirteen years he has been held captive by the Chinese authorities who rejected his selection and replaced him with their own “Lama”.

It’s more than likely that you haven’t heard of this person unless you were reading this blog when I mentioned him before but he is (and remains) the world’s youngest political prisoner.

This statement was released from Tashi Lhunpo Monastery :

We wish a very Happy 16th Birthday to Gendun Choekyi Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama on 25th April 2005. We cannot celebrate the day with him, as he is not with us. No one even knows where the Chinese government is holding him.

In 1995, due to the conflict in recognizing the reincarnation of the 11th Panchen Lama, conflict has emerged in the history of Tibetan and Chinese relations. In spite of the commencement of fragile contacts between Tibetan government in exile and Beijing, which took the form of official visits by delegations of Tibetan government in exile during the past ten years, the situation inside Tibet has changed very little.

Despite constant appeals and condemnations from Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, Tibetans (both inside and outside Tibet) and government and non-governmental organizations around the world, there has been no positive reply from the Chinese Government. The issue of Tibet and the His Holiness the Panchen Lama is still neglected and the Chinese regime constantly tries to divert the attention of international community away from it.

The question of the Panchen Lama remains – and will remain – the most difficult problem between Tibet and China, he international community, in its concern for the welfare of a nation and its people, cannot ignore this situation.

It has become crystal clear that violation of the freedom of religion, human rights and freedom for children in Tibet continues, in spite of the false appearance of a good image presented by the Chinese government. The improper handling of the Panchen Lama issue by the Chinese government has aroused doubt and suspicion in the minds of Tibetans and friends of the Tibetan people from all around the world.

We wish H.H The Panchen Lama, Gendun Choekyi Nyima, a long life and pray that a solution will be found to the problems between the Tibetan people and the Chinese government. We pray for a Free Tibet, which can be held up as an example to the whole world as a zone of peace.

Learn more about this issue at or light a butter lamp online here.