Washington, May 19 : The United States has called on China to immediately release the Panchen Lama, one of Tibetan Buddhismâ??s most important spiritual figures, marking 31 years since his disappearance at the age of six.

In a statement, State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said Chinese authorities disappeared Gedhun Choekyi Nyima and his family days after he was recognised by the Dalai Lama as an important future Tibetan Buddhist leader.

â??Yesterday was the 31st anniversary of the disappearance of the Tibetan religious leader known as the Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima,â?? Pigott said.

â??Days after the Dalai Lama recognized this child as an important future Tibetan Buddhist leader, Chinese authorities disappeared him and his family. He was six years old,â?? he added.

The statement renewed longstanding American criticism of Beijingâ??s policies in Tibet and its control over Tibetan religious affairs.

â??Chinese authorities should immediately release Gedhun Choekyi Nyima and his family and stop persecuting Tibetans or others in China for their religious beliefs,â?? Pigott said.

The State Department also reiterated Washingtonâ??s support for the religious and cultural rights of Tibetans.

â??The United States supports religious freedom for Tibetans, and the freedom to preserve their unique cultural and linguistic identity,â?? the statement said.

The US further stressed that Tibetan Buddhists should be allowed to choose their own spiritual leaders without interference from the Chinese Communist Party.

â??Tibetan Buddhists, like members of all religious communities, should have the ability to freely select their own leaders â?? like the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama â?? according to their beliefs and without party-state interference,â?? Pigott said.

The Panchen Lama is regarded as the second-highest spiritual authority in Tibetan Buddhism after the Dalai Lama.

China has long maintained tight control over Tibet and Tibetan Buddhist institutions. Beijing rejected the Dalai Lamaâ??s recognition of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima in 1995 and instead installed another boy, Gyaincain Norbu, as the state-backed Panchen Lama.

/IANS