May 17 this year marks the 25th anniversary of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, a six-year-old Tibetan boy, and his parents were taken away by Chinese security forces from a remote village in Tibet. The family of three has not heard from them so far. Today, apart from the Chinese authorities, no one knows their whereabouts, their current situation, or whether they will have a chance to appear in public or regain their freedom in the future. However, neither the 30-year-old nor his family have been charged with any crime. Instead, the child was certified by Tibetan monks and lamas as the reincarnation of the great religious teacher, the Panchen Lama, but the Chinese government disagreed.
Authorities used false and even forged procedures to force other monks to identify another child of the same age, Gyaltsen Norbu, as the official reincarnation of the Panchen Lama. Since then, this second candidate soul boy has been patrolling Tibet every year, surrounded by police and officials, and a large number of people have been forced to greet him along the way, Wedding Photo Editing like a large-scale public relations event. Outside of the visit, he was effectively under house arrest in Beijing and was never allowed to travel freely or communicate openly with foreign visitors. Chinese authorities have tried to whitewash the absurdity and cruelty of the enforced disappearance of a child for a quarter of a century: they say Gandeng Choekyi Nyima is "protected" somewhere.
It also seemed natural to the Chinese authorities that Gyaltsen Norbu had no freedom, and apparently they felt it was appropriate to keep him in physical possession in Beijing. However, according to Tibetan tradition, true reincarnated lamas should travel around, study in different monasteries, and communicate with lamas of various sects in order to obtain important teachings and transmissions commensurate with their knowledge and religious status. After reaching adulthood, they are also free to give up their religious commitments, which is commonplace in Tibet.