Gedhun Choekyi Nyima
Encyclopedia
Gedhun Choekyi Nyima (born April 25, 1989) is, according to the 14th Dalai Lama
, the eleventh Panchen Lama
of Tibetan Buddhism
. He was born in Lhari County
, Tibet
. On May 14, 1995, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima was named the 11th Panchen Lama
by the 14th Dalai Lama. After his selection, he was detained by authorities of the People's Republic of China
and has not been seen in public since May 17, 1995. Gyancain Norbu was later named as Panchen Lama
by the People's Republic of China
, a choice that is rejected by most Tibetan Buddhists.
Armed with Beijing's approval, the head of the Panchen Lama search committee, Chadrel Rinpoche, maintained private communication with the Dalai Lama in order to arrive at a mutually acceptable candidate for both the Dalai Lama and Beijing authorities concerning the Panchen Lama's reincarnation issue. After the Dalai Lama named Gedhun Choekyi Nyima as the 11th incarnation of the Panchen Lama, Chinese authorities had Chadrel Rinpoche arrested and charged with treason
. According to Tibet government in exile, he was replaced by Sengchen Lobsang Gyaltsen, so chosen because he was more likely to agree with the party line
. Sengchen had been a political opponent of both the Dalai Lama and the 10th Panchen Lama.
The new search committee ignored the Dalai Lama's May 14 announcement and instead chose from a list of finalists; the list excluded Gedhun Choekyi Nyima. In selecting a name, lots were drawn from a Golden Urn
, a procedure used in Tibet by the Chinese (Manchu) emperor in 1793. The older method involves using possessions of the former Lama to identify his reincarnation. Chinese authorities announced Gyancain Norbu as the search committee's choice on November 11, 1995.
organizations have termed him the "youngest political prisoner
in the world". According to Chinese government claims, he is attending school and leading a normal life somewhere in China. No foreign party has been allowed to visit him. Officials state that his whereabouts are kept undisclosed to protect him Those who claim Nyima as the 11th Panchen Lama call upon China to prove that he is safe and happy.
The Committee on the Rights of the Child
requested to be told of Nyima's whereabouts on May 28, 1996. Xinhua declined, responding that Nyima was at risk of being "kidnapped by separatists" and that "his security had been threatened". The Committee requested a visit with Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, supported by a campaign of more than 400 celebrities and associations petitioning for the visit, including six Nobel Prize
winners.
In May 2007, Asma Jahangir
, Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief of the UN Human Rights Council, asked the Chinese authorities what measures they had taken to implement the recommendation of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, that the government should allow an independent expert to visit and confirm the well-being of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima while respecting his right to privacy, and that of his parents. In a response dated 17 July 2007, the Chinese authorities said: "Gedhun Choekyi Nyima is a perfectly ordinary Tibetan boy, in an excellent state of health, leading a normal, happy life and receiving a good education and cultural upbringing. He is currently in upper secondary school, he measures 165 cm in height and is easy-going by nature. He studies hard and his school results are very good. He likes Chinese traditional culture and has recently taken up calligraphy. His parents are both State employees, and his brothers and sisters are either already working or at university. The allegation that he disappeared together with his parents and that his whereabouts remain unknown is simply not true." This response did not answer the question about a visit or confirmation.
14th Dalai Lama
The 14th Dalai Lama is the 14th and current Dalai Lama. Dalai Lamas are the most influential figures in the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, although the 14th has consolidated control over the other lineages in recent years...
, the eleventh Panchen Lama
Panchen Lama
The Panchen Lama , or Bainqên Erdê'ni , is the highest ranking Lama after the Dalai Lama in the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism...
of Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is the state religion of Bhutan...
. He was born in Lhari County
Lhari County
Lhari County is a small county within the Nagchu Prefecture of the Tibet Autonomous Region...
, Tibet
Tibet Autonomous Region
The Tibet Autonomous Region , Tibet or Xizang for short, also called the Xizang Autonomous Region is a province-level autonomous region of the People's Republic of China , created in 1965....
. On May 14, 1995, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima was named the 11th Panchen Lama
Panchen Lama
The Panchen Lama , or Bainqên Erdê'ni , is the highest ranking Lama after the Dalai Lama in the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism...
by the 14th Dalai Lama. After his selection, he was detained by authorities of the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
and has not been seen in public since May 17, 1995. Gyancain Norbu was later named as Panchen Lama
Panchen Lama
The Panchen Lama , or Bainqên Erdê'ni , is the highest ranking Lama after the Dalai Lama in the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism...
by the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, a choice that is rejected by most Tibetan Buddhists.
Selection of the 11th Panchen Lama
Following the death of the 10th Panchen Lama in 1989, the search for an individual to be recognised as his reincarnation, by Tibetan Buddhists, quickly became mired in bureaucracy and controversy.Armed with Beijing's approval, the head of the Panchen Lama search committee, Chadrel Rinpoche, maintained private communication with the Dalai Lama in order to arrive at a mutually acceptable candidate for both the Dalai Lama and Beijing authorities concerning the Panchen Lama's reincarnation issue. After the Dalai Lama named Gedhun Choekyi Nyima as the 11th incarnation of the Panchen Lama, Chinese authorities had Chadrel Rinpoche arrested and charged with treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
. According to Tibet government in exile, he was replaced by Sengchen Lobsang Gyaltsen, so chosen because he was more likely to agree with the party line
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
. Sengchen had been a political opponent of both the Dalai Lama and the 10th Panchen Lama.
The new search committee ignored the Dalai Lama's May 14 announcement and instead chose from a list of finalists; the list excluded Gedhun Choekyi Nyima. In selecting a name, lots were drawn from a Golden Urn
Golden Urn
In Tibet, on several occasions, children believed to be the reincarnations of the Dalai Lama or the Panchen Lama have been identified by a lottery method, in which names of competing candidates are written on folded slips of paper placed in a golden urn....
, a procedure used in Tibet by the Chinese (Manchu) emperor in 1793. The older method involves using possessions of the former Lama to identify his reincarnation. Chinese authorities announced Gyancain Norbu as the search committee's choice on November 11, 1995.
Whereabouts
The whereabouts of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima are unknown. Human RightsHuman rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
organizations have termed him the "youngest political prisoner
Political prisoner
According to the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, a political prisoner is ‘someone who is in prison because they have opposed or criticized the government of their own country’....
in the world". According to Chinese government claims, he is attending school and leading a normal life somewhere in China. No foreign party has been allowed to visit him. Officials state that his whereabouts are kept undisclosed to protect him Those who claim Nyima as the 11th Panchen Lama call upon China to prove that he is safe and happy.
The Committee on the Rights of the Child
Committee on the Rights of the Child
The Committee on the Rights of the Child is a body of independent experts that monitors and reports on implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child by governments that ratify the Convention...
requested to be told of Nyima's whereabouts on May 28, 1996. Xinhua declined, responding that Nyima was at risk of being "kidnapped by separatists" and that "his security had been threatened". The Committee requested a visit with Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, supported by a campaign of more than 400 celebrities and associations petitioning for the visit, including six Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
winners.
In May 2007, Asma Jahangir
Asma Jahangir
Asma Jilani Jahangir is a leading Pakistani lawyer, advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, President Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan and human rights activist, who works both in Pakistan and internationally to prevent the persecution of religious minorities, women, and exploitation...
, Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief of the UN Human Rights Council, asked the Chinese authorities what measures they had taken to implement the recommendation of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, that the government should allow an independent expert to visit and confirm the well-being of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima while respecting his right to privacy, and that of his parents. In a response dated 17 July 2007, the Chinese authorities said: "Gedhun Choekyi Nyima is a perfectly ordinary Tibetan boy, in an excellent state of health, leading a normal, happy life and receiving a good education and cultural upbringing. He is currently in upper secondary school, he measures 165 cm in height and is easy-going by nature. He studies hard and his school results are very good. He likes Chinese traditional culture and has recently taken up calligraphy. His parents are both State employees, and his brothers and sisters are either already working or at university. The allegation that he disappeared together with his parents and that his whereabouts remain unknown is simply not true." This response did not answer the question about a visit or confirmation.