The youngest political prisoner in the world

A Tibetan boy who finds himself at the center of a political and religious controversy has not been seen in three years. According to reports, Gendun Choekyi Nyima was named by the Dalai Lama in May 1995 to be the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama, Tibet's second most senior lama. Chinese authorities have disputed the Dalai Lama's authority to name the reincarnated Panchen Lama, and they rejected Gendun Choekyi choosing instead another boy. Gendun Choekyi Nyima and his family were taken from their home, and their whereabouts have been unknown ever since.

In May 1996 a high-ranking Chinese official announced that Gendun Choekyi Nyima had "been put under the protection of the government at the request of his parents." He added that the boy was at risk of being kidnapped by Tibetan separatists, but that he was in good condition and was living with his parents. However, no independent observer has had access to Gendun Choekyi Nyima and his parents since they were last seen in May 1995.

The boy's ninth birthday was April 25, 1998.

(Sources: Amnesty International USA's Freedom Writers Network, October 1996 and May 1998; International Campaign for Tibet.)

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