The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) has awarded the 2025 Democracy Service Medal to the 11th Panchen Lama, Jetsun Tenzin Gedhun Yeshi Trinley Phuntsok Pal Sangpo — better known as Gedhun Choekyi Nyima — who was recognized in 1995 by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama as the reincarnation of the 10th Panchen Lama. Just three days after this recognition, the six-year-old boy was abducted by Chinese authorities, becoming the world’s youngest political prisoner. Nearly thirty years later, his whereabouts remain unknown, symbolizing Beijing’s ongoing campaign to suppress Tibetan religious identity.
Accepting the medal on behalf of the missing Panchen Lama, Zeekyab Rinpoche, Abbot of Tashi Lhunpo Monastery — the Panchen Lama’s traditional seat — delivered a powerful address underscoring the broader implications of China’s interference in Tibetan spiritual life. Rinpoche described the Panchen Lama’s disappearance as “not just the kidnapping of a child, but an attempt to control an entire faith.” He emphasized that China’s campaign to dominate Tibetan Buddhism threatens the freedom of all religious communities under Communist Party rule, stating, “If China can replace authentic Buddhist leaders with CCP-approved substitutes, it will do the same to imams, priests, and pastors.”
In his remarks, Rinpoche paid tribute to the 10th Panchen Lama, who endured imprisonment for denouncing Chinese abuses in Tibet and ultimately died under suspicious circumstances in 1989. He described the continuity between the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama as “like the sun and the moon — when one sets, the other rises to lead us.” The abduction of the 11th Panchen Lama, he said, was Beijing’s attempt to “plunge the Tibetan people into darkness.”
Despite these efforts, Rinpoche affirmed his faith in spiritual resilience over authoritarian control. Citing a story once shared by the Dalai Lama, he recalled a Tibetan monk who, after surviving years of torture in a Chinese prison, said his greatest fear had been “losing compassion for his captors.” Rinpoche concluded, “That is the power of faith. No regime, no matter how powerful, can extinguish it. Faith will always prevail over tyranny.”
In a letter released for the occasion, His Holiness the Dalai Lama expressed his pleasure at the recognition. He recalled his decision in 1995 to identify Gedhun Choekyi Nyima as the 11th Panchen Lama, noting the deep historical and spiritual ties between their lineages. The Dalai Lama lamented the child’s decades-long disappearance but reaffirmed his belief “in the power of truth and that, in the long run, it is truth that prevails.” He voiced hope that Gedhun Choekyi Nyima “will one day be able to live a life of dignity and in freedom.”
The Democracy Service Medal, one of the most distinguished honors presented by the NED, recognizes individuals whose lives have advanced freedom and democracy around the world. Past recipients include His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, and bipartisan leaders of the U.S. Congress — a reflection of the enduring global commitment to liberty and human rights.
This year’s award serves not only as a tribute to the missing Panchen Lama but also as a renewed call for the right of the Tibetan people to choose their spiritual leaders free from political coercion.
