Marking the 35th birthday of 11th Panchen Lama in Shimla, a group of  Tibetans-in-exile participated in a peace march recently and demanded that the international community should put pressure on China to release the monk.

The Shimla chapter of Tibetan Women Association and Tibetan Youth Congress jointly organized this peace March in which monks, men and women participated in this peace procession on Thursday, reported ANI news agency.

Holding candles and chanting slogans, freedom activists, monks and others participated in the demonstration.

Following this, Tibetans-in-exile offered prayers on the auspicious occasion in Jonang Monastery in Shimla and expected the immediate release of the young spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, reported ANI.

The participating members claimed the 11th Panchen Lama was abducted by Chinese authorities at the age of six.

After Dalai Lama, the Panchen Lama is the second most important religious figure in Tibetan Buddhism.

“It is a happy moment for us as it is the Birthday of 11th Panchen Lama. At the same time it is a moment of sorrow for us as he is captured by the Chinese and we don’t know his whereabouts. It’s been missing for 28 years. He was abducted by Chinese when he was 6 years of age in 1995,” Tsering Dorjee, Spokesperson of the Tibetan community in Shimla, told ANI.