Back in 1995, Beijing operatives kidnapped the boy the Dalai Lama had named as the Panchen Lama — who has not been seen since — and the government handpicked a replacement.

About 12 years later, Chinese officials created the so-called “Order No. Five, concerning the control and recognition of reincarnations,” the Tibetan Buddhist leader wrote on his website. “This is outrageous and disgraceful. The enforcement of various inappropriate methods for recognizing reincarnations to eradicate our unique Tibetan cultural traditions is doing damage that will be difficult to repair.”

The reborn identity: Dalai Lama hints he may come back as a girl or outside of Asia or not at all | The Salt Lake Tribune

Sigh…