Fabian Hamilton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fabian Hamilton on 2015-10-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Chinese government on Gendun Choeki Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama; and whether his Department has requested documentation and photographs to support the Chinese government’s statement that he is leading a normal life.

Mr Hugo Swire

As I stated during a Westminster Hall Debate on Tibet on 18 June, we continue to raise the issue of the Panchen Lama with the Chinese authorities. We have urged them to ensure that the restrictions on his freedom of movement and communication are lifted, so that he may select the career, education or religious life of his choosing, wherever he is. We have also supported calls by the UN special rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief and the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child for the relevant authorities to facilitate a meeting between the Panchen Lama and independent international observers.