Gedhun Choekyi Nyima was named the 11th Panchen Lama by the Dalai Lama in May 1995 when he was just six years old. Now, he has grown to be one of the world’s most notable missing people. The Chinese government moved swiftly to oppose his appointment. They moved quickly to arrest him and his family immediately following his announcement. Within days of the Dalai Lama’s declaration, Chinese authorities placed Gedhun Choekyi Nyima and his family in what they termed “protective custody,” effectively making him the world’s youngest political prisoner.
Gedhun Choekyi Nyima’s disappearance has ignited a contentious war. This struggle has pitted the undemocratically ruled Chinese Communist Party against the vibrant and deep Tibetan cultural identity. Most Tibetans do not recognize the Chinese government’s selection of Gyaltsen Norbu as the 11th Panchen Lama. They view this pick as a flagrant attempt to undermine their spiritual authority. Human rights advocates and members of the Tibetan diaspora resistance movement have long expressed alarm for Gedhun Choekyi Nyima’s safety. The lack of information regarding his health status since his kidnapping has only heightened these fears.
The unfolding saga began when Gedhun Choekyi Nyima was chosen by the Dalai Lama to lead the Tibetan Buddhist community. The appointment gave hope to many Tibetans, among them the Dalai Lama’s supporters, who saw it as bringing back their cultural and spiritual heritage. Just three days later, he and his family vanished from public view. This abrupt disappearance fueled rampant speculation and concern for his safety.
Gedhun Choekyi Nyima’s photo, believed to have been taken when he was around 10 or 11 years old, shows a young boy sitting on a man’s lap with two women nearby. Here, the immediate intimacy of this image hugely underscores the impact on his stolen childhood. He has not been seen since his detention.
In response to international criticism, the Chinese government has sought to justify its actions around Gedhun Choekyi Nyima. A spokesperson from the Chinese Embassy in London stated that “Xizang [Tibet] has been part of China since ancient times,” asserting that the region has experienced “continued and sound economic growth” and that “the human rights conditions in Xizang are at their historical best.”
And yet, this narrative is highly contested by both Tibetan activists and scholars. Tsering and Tashi argue that this strategy is intended to dominate and intimidate the Tibetan people. Greg Walton, a noted researcher on Tibet, remarked, “Everyday activities such as language preservation, passing on traditional Tibetan practices, these are being criminalised.” He emphasized that surveillance is central to this process of subjugation, stating, “The government has concentrated surveillance resources on having facial recognition cameras in monasteries like no other aspect of Tibetan life.”
Arjia Rinpoche, a leading Tibetan Buddhist leader, remembered the past repression during the disappearance of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima. “They said it was an illegal act … the Chinese government made him disappear,” he said. Rinpoche underscored the horror experienced by most Tibetans during that period, sharing, “I saw it all with my own eyes.”
The current controversy over Gedhun Choekyi Nyima points to very serious issues at stake with respect to how the next Dalai Lama will be chosen. This process as it has been laid out could deviate significantly from past norms. This shift is due to fears of Chinese government interference in this critical spiritual appointment. Rinpoche warned that “in the future, they will interfere with the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. It’s [all] about the struggle for power to gain authority.”
With a Gedhun Choekyi Nyima still disappeared and many Tibetans still conducting self-immolations in protest against what they see as harsh Chinese occupation. Namkyi, a Tibetan activist, described the extreme measures some have taken in their fight for freedom: “They protested and peacefully sacrificed their bodies by burning themselves. And I lost many of my relatives and friends and neighbors who’ve self-immolated.
The struggle of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima represents a national fight for conservation of Tibetan identity within decades of erasure from the Chinese. The Chinese authorities’ actions amount to a direct assault on Tibetan spirituality. They embody a more recent and still ongoing effort to eliminate Tibetan culture altogether.
