Dharamsala, April 29 – The Tibetan Women’s Association in Switzerland and the Tibetan Youth Association in Europe jointly held an event on the occasion of the 20th birthday of Gedhun Choekyi Nymia, the 11th Panchen Lama and drew attention to his fate and the current situation in Tibet in an unusual way.
On the busiest street in Zurich, a stand was turned into a birthday tent using party decorations. Instead of using the usual balloons, garlands and presents with the slogan „Happy Birthday“, the banners here read “No Happy Birthday,”No Happy Birthday”.
The Panchen Lama still is not free and there are no concrete statements from the Chinese government about his well being and health, said a press release issued by the two organizations.
The slogan and the unusual decoration for a political stand attracted the curiosity of many passers-by attracting many to sign the Tibet Petition that was launched on 10th March 2009 in all major German-speaking cities www.tibet-petition.com ).
People could also write birthday cards to the Panchen Lama. At the end of the event, the cards were put into a box, made into a parcel and handed over to a staff member of the Chinese consulate.
