Italian Parliamentarians record video message for Panchen Lama’s Release
Geneva: Senator Roberto Rampi, On. Luciano Nobili and On Matteo Luigi Bianchi, three Italian Parliamentarians and strong supporters of Tibet record video messages marking the 25th year of the enforced disappearance of 11th Panchen Lama Gedhun Choekyi Nyima.
Calling the enforced disappearance of Panchen Lama by China as, “one of the most terrible human rights crimes in the world,” Italian Senator Roberto Rampi said that “Tibetan people have the right to choose their own religious religion and the right to choose freedom of religion.” He called upon China and the world to take note of the human rights situation in Tibet and the enforced disappearance of Tibet’s 11th Panchen Lama.
Parliamentarian On. Luciano Nobili, co-ordinator of Italian Parliamentarian Group for Tibet called the kidnapping of 11th Panchen Lama Gedhun Choekyi Nyima by the Chinese regime 25 years ago “a very serious story that still bleeds and is a violation of all civil and democratic laws.” Speaking as the co-ordinator of Italian Parliamentarian Group for Tibet on behalf of all the 42 Parliamentarians, On. Nobili appealed to the United Nations and all international institutions and especially to China “to seize the opportunity especially during this painful moment that the whole world is going through, to make a great gesture of openness and a great gesture of transparency that the whole democratic world would appreciate: let’s free the Panchen Lama and give it back to his people in Tibet.”
Noting that “the credibility of China is under serious question at the moment”, Parliamentarian On. Matteo Luigi Bianchi added that “China should release Panchen Lama Gedhun Choekyi Nyima after the 25 years of enforced disappearance and demonstrate transparency and credibility.” He further stressed that the religious freedom for China is a very theoretical definition as in practice it wants to control every aspect of religion including the appointment of Bishops and Lamas.
The Italian Parliamentarians had earlier issued a joint statement calling for the release of Panchen Lama. Representative Chhimey Rigzen, Tibet Bureau Geneva had thanked the Italian Parliamentarians for their public support and said “Italy has been hit hard by the Wuhan originated COVID-19 pandemic. We send our heartfelt condolences to our Italian brothers and sisters who lost their loved ones to this pandemic and send our earnest prayers for the speedy recovery of all the patients. In spite of their own sufferings, Italians have shown solidarity to the sufferings of Tibetans which exemplifies the basic human values of compassion and love. Thank you for supporting the just cause of Tibet and the Tibetan movement for truth and justice. We hope China heeds to the global call for the release of Panchen Lama and respects the right of the Tibetans to choose our own religious heads without any interference from the Chinese Communist Party government.”
Recently 16 Czech Senators and 12 Members of the Chamber of Deputies as well as German Parliamentarians and Swiss Parliamentarians had joined the global campaign and called upon China to immediately release Tibet’s 11th Panchen Lama Gedhun Choekyi Nyima and his entire family on the 25th year of their enforced disappearance.
Moreover, 159 organizations from 19 countries submitted a joint petition to the UN calling for its intervention and to press China to release Panchen Lama Gedhun Choekyi Nyima.
The video messages can be viewed here.
