by Ashwani Sharma - Indian express, 4th December, 95

SHIMLA Dec 3: The International Human Rights Commission (IHRC), whose intervention has been sought by Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama into disappearance od six-year old Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the real Panchen Lama, is understood to have referred the issue to its committee on rights of children.

Giving this information to ENS over telephone, Mr Tempa Tsering, who is in charge of the Department of Information and International Relations of the Tibetan Government-in-exile, said the Tibetan community was receiving world-wide support to resist Chinese move to install a rival Panchen Lama. The United States of America(USA) has also denounced the Chinese's interference in religious affairs of Tibetans. Two hundred French human rights activists have already passed resolution to declare Nyima as youngest prisoner of Conscience.

At Mcleodganj near Dharamsala, the seat of Dalai Lama, around 400 Tibetans, monks,nuns and members of the community observed a one-day token fast and held prayers for the safety and well-being of the missing Panchen Lama. They carried placards to denounce the Chinese action of nominating tenth Panchen Lama. "The token fast was also aimed at expressing whole Tibetan community's faith in reincarnation of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, who was recognised by the Dalai Lama on May 14 last, and also to pray for his safety," said Tempa Tsering.

The Tibetan Government-in-exile spokesman said although exact reports about taking of Gyaltsen Norbu to Shigatse from Lhasa on December 1 last for final ceremony had not yet been received but information, received from different channels did confirm it. The ceremony was performed secretly because of sporadic demonstrations and protests in curfew -bound towns of Lhasa, Shigatse and Chamdo.

In Shimla, the Tibetan Welfare Officer, Mr Tashi Norbo, said the Dalai Lama had a historical right to nominate Panchen Lama and "We all Tibetans here were very much concerned about the health and safety of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, whose whereabouts are not known.". He said Tibetans here were planning to organise some sort of demonstrations and protests but most of them were away to other parts. Mr Norbo said Tibetans had been holding special prayers for the safety of the Panchen Lama.

Mr Tempa Tsering said an immediate concern of the entire Tibetan community was the safety of the boy, who had not been seen since july last. "His whereabouts are not known to any one and there are a lot of apprehension about his safety," he said when asked about disappearance of the child.

The Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama according to Mr. Tsering had urged the International Human Rights Commission to trace the missing Panchen Lama and free him. "The Dalai Lama fears that the boy under detention was been tortured by the Chinese Authorities," he said.

He said Tibetans' concern for the safety of the Panchen Lama was heightened by China's shrill denunciation of the boy, who was accused by a recent Chinese Official statement as having 'drowned a dog,'and his family for being "deceitful, and notorious speculation."

The head of the Tibetan Department of In formation and International Relations, giving reasons for world-wide support to Tibetans stand, said only the Dalai Lama, who is the temporal and spiritual head, enjoys this unique right to search and recognise the Panchen Lama's reincarnation for religious affairs of the community. The last Panchen Lama had died six years ago and the Dalai Lama had recognised the reincarnation of the tenth Panchen Lama on Kalachakra anniversary on May 14.

Mr. Tsering said that by nominating the rival Panchen Lama, the Chinese authority want to dampen Tibetans' faith for the Dalai Lama, which during past 43 years had not been eroded even by series of physical, political and religious suppresions.