Gedhun

Gedhun Choekyi Nyima (born 1991) is a Tibetan Buddhist figure who was identified as the reincarnation of the 11th Panchen Lama by the 14th Dalai Lama in May 1995. He was recognized during a ceremony in Lhasa after the Dalai Lama declared that he had found the reincarnation. In the days following, the Chinese authorities detained Gedhun and his family, and they have not been publicly seen since. China subsequently endorsed and installed Gyaincain Norbu as the Panchen Lama in 1995, a move rejected by the Tibetan government-in-exile and many Tibetan Buddhists who regard Gedhun as the legitimate reincarnation.

Gedhun's circumstances remain unclear due to official secrecy in China. International observers and human rights groups have described Gedhun and his family as being placed under "protective custody" and detained without access to outside contact. The United Nations and other bodies have urged China to disclose his whereabouts and to respect the rights of his family. The detention has also become a focal point in broader debates over religious freedom and human rights in China.

Today Gedhun Choekyi Nyima appears as a symbol—to supporters, he represents the legitimacy of the selection by the Dalai Lama and the continuity of the Tibetan Buddhist line; to critics, his case illustrates the political sensitivities surrounding the Panchen Lama and the Chinese state's control over Tibetan religious institutions. The Panchen Lama's role remains central in Tibetan Buddhism, education, and community leadership, with or without Gedhun's public presence.