2025 Democracy Service Medal presents to 11th Panchen Lama of Tibet
Dharamshala — The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) has awarded its 2025 Democracy Service Medal to the 11th Panchen Lama Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, who was forcibly abducted by the Chinese government at the age of six, becoming the world's youngest prisoner. NED states," This award affirms Tibetan Buddhists’ fundamental right to choose their own spiritual leaders free of Chinese Communist Party interference and highlights Beijing’s campaign to control Tibetan succession, including that of the Dalai Lama, who turned 90 this year. "