New York — Tibetan activists staged a protest against the Chinese government and called on China to release the 11th Panchen Lama of Tibet and other Tibetans imprisoned for exercising their freedom of expression and protecting Tibet's fragile environment. The activists also called on the UN to pressure China to end genocide and torture in Tibet and to grant independent media access to Tibet to see the reality in Tibet.
Tibetan independence activists organised a protest outside the United Nations headquarters in New York on October 26, 2025. More than 30 Tibetans, including Tibetan MPs Gowo Lobsang Phende and Tenzin Jigdal, as well as representatives from Tibetan organisations such as the Tibetan Youth Congress of New York and New Jersey, took part in the protest.
During their protest, they shouted slogans such as ‘Stop the genocide in Tibet’, ‘China lies, Tibetans die’, ‘Wake up, United Nations,’ ‘Free the Panchen Lama now,’ ‘Shame on the Chinese government,’ ‘Stop torture in Tibet,’ ‘Free Tibet, China out,’ ‘Tibet belongs to Tibetans, Tibet is never part of China,’ and ‘Media freedom in Tibet.’
This event aims to commemorate and honour the 10th Panchen Lama, who sent a ‘70,000-character petition’ to the Chinese government, entitled "Report on the Suffering of the Masses in Tibet and Other Tibetan Regions and Suggestions for Future Work to the Central Authorities through the Respected Premier Zhou Enlai ," describing the real situation in Tibet after the invasion by Chinese forces. More than 1.2 million people, and more than 99% of Tibet's 6,000 monasteries, temples and religious shrines, were looted or destroyed. The petition claimed that China had destroyed Tibet more than it had developed it. As a result, the Panchen Lama was imprisoned for 14 years. He continued to work courageously for Tibet after his release, until his sudden death in Tibet.
Activists also pointed out that Chinese authorities had abducted the 11th Panchen Lama, Gendun Choekyi Nyima, along with his teacher and parents, after he was recognised as the reincarnation of the 10th Panchen Lama by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and that he had been missing ever since. Gendun Choekyi Nyima became the world's youngest prisoner, after been arrested at the age of only six.
Tibetan protesters call on the Chinese government to immediately and unconditionally release the 11th Panchen Lama and other Tibetan prisoners.
