China News Service, Beijing, March 28th: Why did an American female reporter write "Millions of Serfs Stand Up" 65 years ago?
The author is Banma Genzhu, deputy director and researcher of the Institute of History, China Tibetology Research Center.
In August 1959, 73-year-old Anna Louise Strong and 19 journalists, writers and broadcasters from 11 countries came to Lhasa, where democratic reform was in full swing.
Strong's personal experience and knowledge for nearly more than a month made Strong deeply moved. She wrote in her book "Millions of Serfs Stand Up": "The Tibetan people finally feel free! On the way from the airport (Dangxung) to Lhasa, from the ragged herders, we felt the pain on this land Happiness is awakening... This feeling of ours kept reappearing in subsequent visits and interviews: it appeared at the Norbulingka garden party; it appeared when we were welcomed by the aisle; it appeared when the villagers were very hospitable; the roar of the 'accusation meeting' The sound reappeared...It is clear that the Tibetan population will greatly increase and the long-term decline is over. They have become the masters on the roof of the world, and this sense of ownership will continue to strengthen." In the best season of the plateau, Through the keen observation and intuition of a senior journalist, Strong appreciates the rebirth that this radical social change has brought to this ancient plateau and all its sons and daughters.
Cover of "Millions of Serfs Stand Up". Photo provided by interviewee
wheel of history
As a product of the "Dark Ages" in the Middle Ages, feudal serfdom in Western Europe began to be abolished from the 15th to 16th centuries AD. The Renaissance, Reformation, and Enlightenment that followed laid the foundation for the emergence of European capitalism. Beginning in the early 1830s, after years of struggle and a civil war, slavery was officially abolished in the United States in December 1865. Feudal serfdom came to an end in Russia in 1861, Poland in 1864, Iceland in 1894, Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1918, and Afghanistan in 1923. But until 1959, in Tibet, China, which had declared peaceful liberation more than seven years ago, this system was still stubbornly persisting.
At the large-scale themed exhibition of Tibet Now and Past held at the Palace of Nationalities and Culture in Beijing, the Tibetan History and Feudal Serfdom exhibition area displays the torture instrument of the old Tibetan Langzijia Prison - rectangular wooden four-person shackles. Photo by Zhang Qin
Feudal serfdom has a long history in Tibet. The land tenure system of the three major lords has been gradually formed since the 10th century AD, forcing all serfs to establish personal dependence with them. Before the peaceful liberation, the feudal serfdom system that had been implemented for a long time gradually resulted in the serf owners who accounted for less than 5% of the total population of Tibet owning most of the means of production in Tibet and monopolizing the material and spiritual wealth of Tibet. However, the serfs and slaves who accounted for more than 95% of the population had no production. Information and personal freedom. The three major lords took possession of the serfs' bodies and tied them firmly to the land, and absolutely prohibited them from escaping. At the same time, monasteries have long monopolized education, and there are even fewer monks who have the opportunity to receive education. As a result, the illiteracy rate among the Tibetan population remains high. The self-sufficient economy, the oppression of the three major lords, theologically restricted thoughts, and the isolated environment have kept Tibetan society in a state of faltering for a long time.
By the end of 1956, New China basically completed the tasks of the "Three Major Transformations", marking that socialist public ownership took the dominant position in the national economy, and the socialist system was basically established in China. In minority areas, social reform has always adhered to the principle of "prudent and slow progress" proposed by Chairman Mao Zedong. If conditions are not mature, no reform will be carried out; if one condition is mature and other conditions are not mature, no major reform will be carried out. Under this line of thinking, Sichuan, Qinghai, Gansu, Yunnan and other ethnic minority areas where Tibetans live together gradually promoted social reforms, which were basically completed in 1958. The vast majority of the people were liberated and finally realized their right to be the masters of their own country and society. The economy also developed rapidly.
Gangtuo Village, located in Jiangda County, Qamdo City, the "Pearl of Eastern Tibet", is the first village liberated in Tibet. Photo by Zhao Lang
The wheel of history is rolling forward. When people all over the world rise up to smash the shackles of slavery, when the Chinese people declare that they have stood up, and when the oppressed people in Tibet strongly demand to stand up and be liberated, any attempt to block the progress of history, or even reverse the course of history, is destined to be a failure. Ridiculous and futile.
people's Choice
In 1951, in order to achieve peaceful liberation, the "Agreement between the Central People's Government and the Local Government of Tibet on Measures for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet" (referred to as the "Seventeen-Article Agreement"). Among them, Article 11 stipulates: "The central government will not impose any compulsion on various reform matters in Tibet. The local government of Tibet should carry out reforms on its own initiative. When the people raise reform requirements, they may resolve them through consultation with Tibetan leaders." The 17-Article Agreement also clearly stipulates that based on the actual situation in Tibet, the language, writing and school education of the Tibetan ethnic group will be gradually developed, Tibet’s agriculture, animal husbandry, industry and commerce will be gradually developed, and people’s lives will be improved.
During the implementation of the agreement, with the support of the Central People's Government and the help of cadres and troops entering Tibet, Tibet's infrastructure construction has steadily advanced. The Qinghai-Tibet, Sichuan-Tibet, and Xinjiang-Tibet highways were officially opened to traffic, and navigation from Beijing to Lhasa was officially opened. Tibet has been closed for thousands of years. Since then, the transportation of materials has become more convenient, the exchange of people has become more convenient, new things have begun to flow into the ancient plateau, and people have begun to have more opportunities to appreciate the outside world.
The section from Naqu to Yangbajing of the G6 Beijing-Tibet Expressway runs parallel to the Qinghai-Tibet Highway on the right side of the screen. Photo by Jiang Feibo
China's State Council has specially studied issues related to Tibet's construction and has clearly helped Tibet build eight construction projects, including power plants, leather factories, iron factories, river embankments and dams, and agricultural experimental fields, to provide direct support for the development of Tibetan society. Banks, trading companies, postal and telecommunications offices, and people's hospitals have gradually been established in major cities and towns in Tibet... It can be said that after years of hard work, the material living standards of the Tibetan people have gradually improved.
While increasing infrastructure construction and striving to improve people's living standards, in accordance with the provisions of the "17-Article Agreement", the troops and cadres entering Tibet closely united the people of all ethnic groups in Tibet by opening schools, promoting education, establishing groups, and organizing activities , strengthen publicity and other methods to actively promote various cultural undertakings. From the establishment of Qamdo Primary School in March 1951, to the establishment of Lhasa Middle School in September 1956, and then to the completion of Tibet Public School in September 1958, modern education in Tibet started from scratch and gradually developed. As of 1957, there were 98 public primary schools in Tibet with 6,360 students and 1 public middle school with 700 students. At the same time, the cultural undertakings of New Tibet also took off in an all-round way. On October 1, 1953, the Lhasa Cable Broadcasting Station was officially established. On April 22, 1956, the Tibetan and Chinese versions of "Tibet Daily" were first published... The people's wisdom has been enlightened, the masses have awakened, and reform has become the most urgent desire of the Tibetan people.
On July 7, 2020, candidates lined up in an orderly manner outside the Lhasa Third College Examination Center to enter the examination room. Photo by He Penglai
great change
Marx and Engels defined it this way in the Communist Manifesto: “All movements in the past were for the minority or for the benefit of the minority. The movement of the proletariat was for the majority and for the benefit of the overwhelming majority. An independent movement." Since its birth, the Communist Party of China has regarded serving the people wholeheartedly as its only purpose, and has regarded the realization of national independence and liberation, the elimination of class exploitation and oppression, the liberation of the working people, and the realization of communism as its goals.
After the peaceful liberation, with the development of various undertakings in Tibet and the awakening of the general public, reform has become the general trend. However, due to the special circumstances of Tibet's history and reality, especially the relevant provisions of the 17-Article Agreement, the Central People's Government has adopted a very cautious attitude on when and how to carry out reforms in Tibet.
On September 4, 1956, in the "Instructions on Democratic Reform in Tibet", the central government clearly stated the policy of not implementing democratic reform in Tibet within six years. The central government has always used great patience, tolerance and sincerity to persuade and wait for the local upper-level Tibetans to respect public opinion and take the initiative to carry out reforms.
On March 28, 2021, the new Tibetan Serf Liberation Memorial Hall in Lhasa was officially opened to the public. It is the only memorial hall in China dedicated to the abolition of slavery. Photo by Jiang Feibo
However, facing the loss of feudal privileges and vested interests, some people in the Tibetan upper class have a deep fear of carrying out reforms. The news that democratic reforms have been launched in surrounding ethnic minority areas has also stimulated sensitive nerves, adding to the division. The communists have been constantly bewitching and instigating them for a long time. They have gone completely against the people and have not hesitated to tear up the "17-Article Agreement" and launch an all-out armed rebellion to oppose the reform.
After a full-scale rebellion broke out, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Central Military Commission ordered the Chinese People's Liberation Army to completely quell the rebellion in order to safeguard the reunification of the motherland and completely liberate the Tibetan people. On March 28, 1959, Premier Zhou Enlai issued an order announcing the dissolution of the Tibetan local government, and the Tibet Autonomous Region Preparatory Committee would exercise the powers of the Tibetan local government. On May 31, the central government approved the Tibet Working Committee's "Decision on Several Policy Issues in Current Counter-Insurgency Work" and began to implement reforms in a phased and step-by-step manner in accordance with the principle of "pacifying while reforming." From then on, the sun and moon changed the sky on the snowy plateau.
On March 23, 2024, Lhasa, Tibet was full of spring, and the willow trees at the foot of the Potala Palace were turning green. Photo by Li Lin
The most extensive, profound and greatest change in the history of Tibetan social development under the leadership of the Communist Party of China has resulted in the liberation of millions of serfs from the feudal rule of the three major lords and the liberation from the exploitation and oppression of feudal serfdom. It is a historical necessity to be liberated, to be liberated from the heavy shackles of the unity of politics and religion, and to be liberated from the ideological imprisonment of theology.
On September 9, 1959, Strong reluctantly left Lhasa. That era, that land, and the group of reborn people were deeply left in her mind: "Their land is by no means an easy land to live in. What it can provide people is the temptation of the top of the earth, the hardness. But it is a strong soil that can produce abundant crops. People who have gained freedom are fearless and friendly to foreign friends." (End)
About the Author:
Banma Gengzhu, also known as Yan Yongshan, is a Tibetan and is the deputy director and researcher of the Institute of History of the China Tibetology Research Center. In 2008, he joined the China Tibetology Research Center's "Chinese Tibetology" magazine and served as editor of the Chinese version of "Chinese Tibetology". In 2012, he was transferred to the Institute of History of the China Tibetology Research Center to engage in research on Tibetan history and Tibetan culture. He has participated in the completion of many national-level scientific research projects such as "General History of Tibet", and has undertaken many social surveys and Tibetan-related foreign propaganda work. He has published nearly 100 academic papers, translations, reviews, and articles in Tibetan and Chinese bilingual in relevant domestic academic journals. articles.