Gedhun Choekyi Nyima

Gedhun Choekyi Nyima exists as a haunting absence in the modern history of Tibet. In May 1995, the Dalai Lama identified this ordinary six-year-old boy as the 11th reincarnation of the Panchen Lama, the second-highest figure in Tibetan Buddhism. This recognition directly challenged the Chinese government's authority over religious succession. Days later, the boy and his family were taken by Chinese authorities and have not been seen in public since. The Chinese government installed its own candidate, Gyaincain Norbu, in his place. For decades, international calls for information on Gedhun Choekyi Nyima's welfare and whereabouts have been met with silence, transforming him from a child lama into a enduring symbol of the struggle between Tibetan spiritual autonomy and state control.