In a show of support for the 11th Panchen Lama, currently held by Chinese authorities, the Norwegian Tibet Committee organized a protest on April 25 outside the Chinese Embassy in Oslo. During the demonstration, participants urged for the release of Gedun Choekyi Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama, who remains in detention even as he marked his 35th birthday.
Protesters displayed Tibetan symbols and highlighted the situation of the imprisoned spiritual leader.
Tibetan flags waved alongside a portrait of the 11th Panchen Lama, serving as poignant symbols of the ongoing fight for religious freedom and human rights in Tibet. The demonstrators also engaged in a symbolic gesture of advocacy by placing a letter into the embassy’s mailbox, calling on Chinese officials to reevaluate the prolonged detention of the Panchen Lama and to release him promptly.
However, the protest faced disruption as Chinese officials from the embassy swiftly intervened, requesting Norwegian police personnel to intervene and cease what they labeled as “anti-China activity” outside the embassy grounds.
Despite the intervention, the demonstrators remained steadfast in their cause, peacefully advocating for the rights of the 11th Panchen Lama and the Tibetan community. Their actions mirrored the feelings of numerous individuals globally who stand united with Tibetans, demanding justice, freedom, and the preservation of fundamental human rights.