US Secretary of State calls for release of Panchen Lama

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has urged the immediate release of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama, on the 30th anniversary of his abduction by Chinese authorities. “Gedhun Choekyi Nyima was only six years old when Chinese authorities abducted him 30 years ago. The Panchen Lama should be released immediately,” Rubio stated in a post on X on May 19. Recognised by the Dalai Lama in 1995, the Panchen Lama disappeared shortly after. The Central Tibetan Administration has also called for transparency on his condition and whereabouts, which remain unknown to this day.