On May 17, 1995, the Chinese government abducted a six-year-old Tibetan boy, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, just three days after His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama officially recognized him as the 11th Panchen Lama—the second-highest spiritual authority in Tibetan Buddhism. Since that day, he has not been seen in public. Tomorrow marks 30 years of his disappearance, and still, the world waits for answers.
The Panchen Lama holds deep spiritual and cultural significance for Tibetans. He is not only a revered reincarnate lama but also plays a pivotal role in identifying the next Dalai Lama. The symbiotic bond between the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama forms a spiritual lineage essential to Tibetan Buddhism’s continuity.
By kidnapping the 11th Panchen Lama and installing its own handpicked replacement, Beijing aimed to assert control over Tibet’s religious institutions. Their chosen candidate, Gyaincain Norbu, is widely rejected by Tibetans, seen not as a genuine lama but a political puppet. Meanwhile, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima – recognized by the Tibetan people and the Dalai Lama remains the world’s youngest political prisoner, his fate hidden by the walls of state secrecy.
Despite repeated calls from the United Nations, human rights organizations, and governments around the world, China has provided no verifiable proof of the boy’s wellbeing. Instead, it issues vague statements claiming he is “living a normal life” and “does not wish to be disturbed,” a cruel insult to decades of concern and grief.
For Tibetans, May 17 is not just a date, it is a wound. It represents the erasure of spiritual freedom, the assault on identity, and the violent imposition of colonial authority over faith. The abduction of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima is not only a crime against an individual—it is an attack on the heart of Tibetan culture.
Tomorrow, as Tibetans around the world mark 30 years since his disappearance, they will renew their demand: Where is the Panchen Lama?
Until there is an honest answer, Tibet’s call for justice will not fade.
