BEIJING: A child who disappeared 25 years ago after being appointed as a Tibetan Buddhist leader by the Dalai Lama is now living a "normal life" after graduating from university, China said on Tuesday (May 19) following US calls to reveal his location.
The Dalai Lama, who lives in exile in India and enjoys a wide global following, in May 1995 identified Gedhun Choekyi Nyima as the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama, the second most senior figure in Tibetan Buddhism's largest school.
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The six-year-old boy was taken into custody three days later and has not been seen since, with human rights groups calling him the world's youngest political prisoner.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday demanded that China "immediately" reveal his whereabouts.
READ: Pompeo demands China reveal Panchen Lama whereabouts 'immediately'
"Tibetan Buddhists, like members of all faith communities, must be able to select, educate and venerate their religious leaders according to their traditions and without government interference," Pompeo said in a statement.
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China's foreign ministry said Gedhun Choekyi Nyima had received "national compulsory education" before entering university, and that he and his family "don't wish for outsiders to interfere in their normal lives", in a rare statemenRead More – Source
BEIJING: A child who disappeared 25 years ago after being appointed as a Tibetan Buddhist leader by the Dalai Lama is now living a "normal life" after graduating from university, China said on Tuesday (May 19) following US calls to reveal his location.
The Dalai Lama, who lives in exile in India and enjoys a wide global following, in May 1995 identified Gedhun Choekyi Nyima as the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama, the second most senior figure in Tibetan Buddhism's largest school.
Advertisement
Advertisement
The six-year-old boy was taken into custody three days later and has not been seen since, with human rights groups calling him the world's youngest political prisoner.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday demanded that China "immediately" reveal his whereabouts.
READ: Pompeo demands China reveal Panchen Lama whereabouts 'immediately'
"Tibetan Buddhists, like members of all faith communities, must be able to select, educate and venerate their religious leaders according to their traditions and without government interference," Pompeo said in a statement.
Advertisement
Advertisement
China's foreign ministry said Gedhun Choekyi Nyima had received "national compulsory education" before entering university, and that he and his family "don't wish for outsiders to interfere in their normal lives", in a rare statemenRead More – Source
