The Dalai Lama knew that the PRC had devoted years to its search for the reincarnation and must have realized that it would not just stand idly by. Other young reincarnated lamas had in fact been brought from Tibet to Dharamsala before their reincarnated status had been made public. Supporters of the Dalai Lama could have arranged for Gedhun to have been brought to Dharamsala before the official announcement was made. The Chinese government maintains that the final choice of a reincarnation of a Panchen Lama can only be realized by use of the Golden Urn. Use of the urn dates back to the late eighteenth century.
Tradition requires writing the names of the final candidates for the reincarnation on ivory tablets.
A chopstick is then used to draw out the name of the appropriate individual. The Dalai Lama had not met any of the candidates and had never even authorized the monks residing in exile at the Tashilunpo monastery in India to conduct their own search for the reincarnation. Chinese officials, therefore, proceeded to blast the Dalai's choice as a fake, adding that the selected boy had, in fact, once drowned a dog. The Chinese government, however, wasn't content with merely denouncing the lack of religiosity of the Dalai Lama and with kidnapping his designated eleventh Panchen Lama. Seventy five senior lamas were brought from Tibet to Beijing to aid in determining in what body the Panchen soul had lodged.