Formal Establishment of the Tibet Autonomous Region


  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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