World Tibet Network News Sunday, April 26, 1998

Submitted by: John Price, Co-ordinator, Amnesty International Childrens Action Network, Northern Ireland.

The ninth birthday of Gendun Choekyi Nyima (25 April 1998), possibly the world's youngest political prisoner, was marked in Belfast, Northern Ireland, by a birthday party organised by Amnesty International's Childrens Action Network.

The party was the culmination of a six week long campaign seeking the release of Gendun Choekyi Nyima who has been held by the Chinese authorities since May 1995, when the Dalai Lama announced that he was the reincarnation of the 10th Panchen Lama. The Chinese later installed another boy as Panchen Lama. No independent observer has had access to Gendun Choekyi Nyima and his family since May 1995 and his exact whereabouts are unknown.

The campaign centred on the sending of birthday cards for Gendun Choekyi Nyima to the Childrens Action Network. So far about 400 cards have been received from all over Northern Ireland, England and Scotland. These are on display in Amnesty's Shop/Gallery in Belfast before being sent off to the Chinese authorities to ensure that they understand the depth of the protest about the treatment of Gendun Choekyi Nyima and to seek his release.

Amnesty International groups in the USA, Poland, Netherlands, Italy, Ireland and Portugal have taken up similar campaigns.

Cards with messages of support for Gendun Choekyi Nyima can continue to be sent to Amnesty's Childrens Action Network, PO Box 6, Downpatrick, BT30 6UF, Northern Ireland. Information from: John Price (johnwsm@dircon.co.uk)