Tsering Dhundup
DHARAMSHALA, July 4: London-based rights group Amnesty International has called on Chinese authorities to immediately cease interference in Tibetan religious practices, criticising Beijing’s continued efforts to control the selection of the next Dalai Lama.
The statement came a day after His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama announced on Tuesday that the centuries-old institution of the Dalai Lama would continue after his death and that only the Gaden Phodrang Trust, his official office, held the sole authority to recognise his future reincarnation.
Responding to the announcement, Amnesty International’s China Director, Sarah Brooks, stated, “The Chinese authorities’ ongoing efforts to control the selection of the next Dalai Lama are a direct assault on the right to freedom of religion or belief. Tibetan Buddhists, like all faith communities, must be able to choose their spiritual leaders without coercion or interference by the authorities.”
The rights organisation pointed to a broader pattern of religious suppression in China, citing the 1995 case of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima. Recognised by the Dalai Lama as the 11th Panchen Lama, Nyima was forcibly disappeared by Chinese authorities three days after his recognition. His whereabouts remain unknown nearly three decades later.
Brooks added, “This climate of secrecy, coupled with the imposition of numerous state-appointed religious figures within Tibetan Buddhism, highlights a concerning pattern of state control over religion in China. Authorities must uphold the right of everyone to freedom of religion or belief. They must also immediately allow independent access to Gedhun Choekyi Nyima and take steps to end 30 years of impunity for his disappearance.”
China maintains that all reincarnations of Tibetan Buddhist “Living Buddhas” must be approved by state authorities. This stance was codified in the 2007 “Measures on the Management of the Reincarnation of Living Buddhas” and reaffirmed in its March 2025 white paper titled Human Rights in Xizang in the New Era. The document praised the government’s approval of 93 reincarnated figures as a success of its religious administration.
The rights group further stated, under international human rights law, including Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which China has signed but not ratified, all individuals and communities have the right to freely practice and manifest their religion. Amnesty International emphasised that China remains obligated not to act in a way that defeats the treaty’s purpose.
The United Nations has also repeatedly raised concerns regarding the case. The Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances have requested information about the fate of Gendun Choekyi Nyima. The UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief has emphasized the importance of allowing religious communities to determine their leadership without state interference.
Despite multiple appeals, China has neither disclosed the whereabouts of Gendun Choekyi Nyima nor ceased its interference in the reincarnation process of the Dalai Lama. At a press briefing in Beijing on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning reaffirmed the government’s stance. “The reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, the Panchen Lama, and other figures must follow the lot-drawing process from the golden urn and be approved by the central government,” she said.
Mao stated that China guarantees religious freedom but stressed that religious practices must align with state laws and cultural norms. “The survival and development of any religion lie in adapting to the country’s social environment and cultural traditions,” she said.
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Truly appreciated, standing for justice.