Before the peaceful liberation of Tibet in 1951, its local authorities
were an aristocratic regime dominated hy serf-owners and featuring
temporal and religious administration. Gaxag, or the local government
of Tibet, exercised centralized leadership over the region. It represented
the will and interests of serf-owners. The three-estate holders,
wielding the power in their hands, left no stone unturned to safeguard
the decaying and feudal serf system, and ruled barbarously in political
terms, and exploited cruelly in the economic sphere, the vast numher
of poor serfs. This seriously hindered the development of Tibetan
society. The vast laboring people in Tibet were oppressed to the
very lowest social level, leading an extremely miserable life.
The 17-Article Agreement on the peaceful liberation of Tibet stated
clearly: The Central Government would not alter the existing political
system in Tibet. Reform of the old ruling system demanded all-round
preparation that would take time.
The establishment of the Preparatory Committee for the Founding
of the Tibet Autonomous Region reflected the wish of the Tibetan
people for setting up a united Tibet Autonomous Region, and indicated
the fact that the anti-imperialist, patriotic forces in Tibet had
grown in strength. It was a vital step undertaken to implement the
policy of the national regional autonomy in Tibet. The Preparatory
Committee worked hard to cultivate a closer relationship with authoritative
organs at lower levels throughout Tibet. At the Sixth Standing Committee
Session of the Preparatory Committee, held on July 6, 1956, the
Preparatory Committee adopted the Resolution on Setting up Representative
Offices Throughout Tibet. They were set up at the Gyicho (roughly
corresponding to the prefectural commissioner's office) and Zong
(roughly corresponding to a county) levels in Lhasa. Shannan, Gyangze,
Xigaze, Targon, and Ngari and elsewhere. Later, such offices were
set up in all zones. The Preparatory Committee also did a lot of
helpful work in training local cadres, developing the economy and
culture, etc.
Just as the work was going smoothly for preparing Tibet for regional
autonomy, some on the upper echelon of the social strata in Tibet,
who upheld the feudal serfdom, launched an armed rebellion on March
10, 1959. On March 28, Premier Zhou Enlai ordered to dissolve the
local government of Tibet, and appointed the Preparatory Committee
for the Founding of the Tibet Autonomous Region to take its place.
The Committee was reshuffled to pave way for Tibet to practice the
national regional autonomy and the establishment of the Tibet Autonomous
Region. During the process of putting down the rebellion and carrying
out the Democratic Reforms, people's governments at various levels
in Tibet were founded. In July 1959, based on the practical situation
in Tibet, the Preparatory Committee passed the Rules for Organizing
Associations of Farmers at County, District and Township Levels
in Tibet, which stipulates that associations at the district and
township levels serve as the local organs of power.
On October 26 that year, the Preparatory Committee discussed and
passed the Resolution on Establishing One City Directly Under the
Autonomous Regional Government and Seven Prefectural Commissioner's
Offices. In January 1960, with the approval of the State Council,
the 83 Zones and 64 independent Xikas (manors, equivalent to Zones)
were re-divided into the Chengguan District of Lhasa and 72 counties,
as well as seven prefectural commissioner's offices (Qamdo, Nyingchi,
Shannan, Gyangze, Xigare, Nagqu, Ngari) and one city (Lhasa). By
April 1960, local people's governments had been set up in the seven
prefectural commissioner's offices, in the city of Lhasa, and in
the 72 counties. In addition, people's governments were also formed
in 20 districts and 300 townships. In the mean time, the people's
political consultative conference was established at regional and
prefectural levels, which united the vast number of patriotic and
progressive people of the upper social strata in Tibet, and further
strengthened and enlarged the people's democratic united front.
In order to further practice regional autonomy and bless emancipated
serfs with genuine democratic rights to be their own masters and
make decisions for themselves, the CPC Tibet Work Committee and
the Preparatory Committee for the Founding of the Tibet Autonomous
Region decided to carry out elections at the basic level. On August
2, 1961, the Preparatory Committee passed the Resolution on Carrying
Out Pilot Democratic Elections Draft. It declared that, beginning
with the third quarter of 1961, a democratic election would be carried
out in pilot areas of Tibet, in accordance with the PRC Election
Law and in the spirit of the Central Government instructions. In
March 1962, the Preparatory Committee issued the Instruction for
the Implementation of the Pilot Democratic Elections Throughout
the Tibetan Region (Draft).
The general elections at the village level progressed smoothly,
creating favorable conditions for carrying out the election at the
county level By August 1965, elections were carried out in 1,359
townships and towns, and sessions of people's congresses were held
in 567 townships and towns, accounting for 92 percent of the total
in the region. Former serfs and slaves occupied a predominant position
in power organs of these townships and towns. A total of 54 counties
held the first session of the people's congresses, which elected
magistrates and deputy magistrates. People's committees were set
up at the county level. In the meantime, 301 deputies to the People's
Congress of the Tibet Autonomous Region were elected.
Farmers and herdsmen, "speaking animals" in old Tibet
who were deprived of their political rights and personal freedom,
treasured and embraced the political right of being able to make
decisions for themselves. To them, the first election in the history
of Tibet was an enormously joyful event. Filled with passion, but
remaining serious and careful, they participated in examining the
qualification of the electorate. On the day for casting ballots,
they were dressed in their holiday's best, and kept singing and
dancing, turning the election day as a grand festival for them.
This displayed, to the full, the enormous pleasure of the emancipated
serfs and slaves, and their pride in being their own masters and
realizing regional autonomy.
With the approval of the Central Government, the First Session
of the First People's Congress of the Tibet Autonomous Region was
held on September 1-9, 1965. By this time, Tibet had completed its
Democratic Reform and was entering the socialist phase. Among the
301 deputies, 226 were Tibetans and 16 people of the Moinba, Lhoba,
Ilul, Naxi, Nu and other ethnic groups, accounting for over 80 percent
of the total. Of deputies of the Tibetan and other ethnic groups,
most were emancipated serfs and slaves, with some being patriotic
person-ages from the upper social strata or the religious circle.
The Tibet Autonomous Region was formally established, and Ngapoi
Ngawang Jigmei was elected the Chairman of the Tibet Autonomous
Region. The CPC Central Committee and the State Council sent a delegation,
headed by a vice-premier of the State Council, to Lhasa to celebrate
the event.
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