Before 1951 Peaceful Liberation

Tibet Hiking Tour

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Video: 'The Past of Tibet' shows that old Tibet was not a Shangri-la .

History of Tibetan Buddhism by USA Professor:

<<Friendly Feudalism: The Tibet Myth>>

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Video: Tibet museum; History tells the truth .

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Video: Documentary: The Dalai Lama .

Abolishing Tibetan feudal serfdom equates to ending slavery in U.S.

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Tibet in history

by: 2005-03-09 16:26:16

China is a unified country made up of 56 ethnic groups, Tibetan included.

Tubo Kingdom

Early in the 7th century, the Tang Dynasty (618-907) was founded in the Central Plains. It was a powerful and politically united regime that initially established order over the shifting and chaotic situation that had prevailed for more than 300 years in the Central Plains. At the same time, the Tubo leader Songtsan Gambo brought together more than 10 separate tribes, and established the Tubo Kingdom covering a large part of what later became known as Tibet. He twice sent ministers to the Tang Dynasty court requesting a member of the imperial family be given to him in marriage, and in 641, Princess Wencheng, a member of Emperor Taizong's family, was chosen for this role. During the reign of Songtsan Gambo, political, economic and cultural relations between the two nations became increasingly friendly and extensive. This pattern of friendly relations was carried on during the next 200 years or more.

In 842, the Tubo Kingdom broke up, and rival groups of ministers, members of the royal family and various tribes plunged into internecine struggle that was to last in varying levels of intensity for the next 400 years. Reeling under the detrimental impact of such activities on their economic and cultural development, people on the Tibetan Plateau looked to the emergence of a formidable regime on the Central Plains to someday come to their rescue. Those who could no longer stand the bitterness fled to areas in present-day Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces.

Becoming Part of China in the Mid-13th Century

Early in the 13th century, the leader of the Mongolian people, Genghis Khan, established the Mongol Khanate north of China. In 1247, Mongol Prince Godan invited Pandit Gonggar Gyamcain, an eminent monk with the Sagya Sect that greatly influenced Buddhist worship on the Tibetan Plateau, to a meeting in Liangzhou (present-day Wuwei in Gansu Province). Pandit Gonggar Gyamcain offered the submission of Tibet to the Mongol Khanate and the acceptance of a defined local administrative system. In return, the Sagya Sect was given political power in Tibet. In 1271, the Mongolian conquerors took Yuan as the name of their dynasty. In 1279, they finally unified the whole of China. The newly united Central Government continued control over Tibet, including it as a directly governed administrative unit.

Considering the concrete characteristics of the given historical traditions, the specific social situation, the natural environment, the nation and the state of religion, the Yuan authorities adopted special measures when dealing with the administration of Tibet that differed from the policies applied to the other 10 administrative areas.

First, in 1270, Yuan Emperor Kublai Khan conferred the official title of Imperial Tutor on Pagba, an eminent monk with the Sagya Sect. This was the highest official post of a monk official in the Chinese history. From then on, Imperial Tutor became a high-ranking official in the Central Government directly appointed by the Emperor. He was in charge of Buddhist affairs in the whole country, and local affairs in Tibet.

Second, in the early days of the founding of the Yuan Dynasty, the Zongzhi Yuan was set up to deal with military, government and Buddhist affairs nationwide. In 1288, it was renamed Xuanzheng Yuan. The Prime Minister usually took the post of executive president of the Xuanzheng Yuan concurrently, while a monk recommended by the Imperial Tutor held the post of vice-president. This marked the first time in Chinese history that a central agency was set up especially in charge of Tibetan affairs.

Third, Tibet was divided into different administrative areas, and officials with different ranks were appointed to consolidate administrative management, with the Imperial Tutor assuming overall responsibility.

Central Government Rule Over Tibet After the Yuan

Since Tibet was incorporated into the map of the Yuan Dynasty in the mid-13th century, China had experienced the rise and fall of dynasties and the resultant change in the central government. But this in no way altered the Central Government's rule over Tibet.

Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)

In 1368, the Ming Dynasty replaced the Yuan Dynasty. The Ming abolished the system of the Xuanzheng Yuan in dealing with Tibetan affairs, as well as conferring the official title of Imperial Tutor on Tibetan monks. But, the Ming rulers introduced a new system of granting official titles to Tibetan monks. The highest-ranking monk official was called Prince of Dharma, which was different from Imperial Tutor in the Yuan Dynasty. He was not stationed in Beijing, had no rights to be in charge of Buddhist affairs over the whole of China, and had no fixed manor. This points up to the fact that the official post was honorary in nature. These Princes of Dharma varied in rank, but they could not exercise control over each other, nor could they engage in administrative affairs, and they had to obey the Central Government.

Qing Dynasty (1644-1911)

In 1644, when the Qing Dynasty replaced the Ming, the Central Government introduced a set of rules and regulations for rule over Tibet. As these rules and regulations were legal in nature, they were very effective.

First, creating a legal administrative area of Tibet. According to the legal division, the administrative area of Tibet bordered on Yunnan, Sichuan, Qinghai and Xinjiang. The administrative area of Tibet (then, also called U-Tsang) was equivalent to the current Tibet Autonomous Region.

Second, deciding on Tibet's political and administrative management systems, and the organizational form of local political power. The Ordnance for the More Effective Governance of Tibet promulgated in 1793 by the Qing court and the Legal Code of the Qing Dynasty stipulated that, in Tibet, the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Erdeni were in total charge of religious affairs, with some responsibility for government affairs, in the Lhasa and Xigaze areas respectively. They could not exercise control over each other. But, the High Commissioners the Qing court stationed in Tibet ruled the whole of Tibet.

Third, conferring official titles on the religious leaders in Tibet. In 1653, the Central Government conferred on the 5th Dalai Lama the official title of the Dalai Lama. In 1713, it conferred on the 5th Panchen the official title of Panchen Erdeni. This created the system whereby the Central Government enjoyed the power to approve succeeding generations of the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Erdeni.

Fourth, in order to prevent the religious leaders from seeking personal gain by abusing their position and authority, or expanding their forces, the Central Government, in 1793, introduced the new system of determining the reincarnated soul boy of a deceased Living Buddha by drawing a lot from the golden urn. This then became the only permissible system for choosing a successor to the Dalai Lama, Panchen Erdeni or the Grand Lama. Under the new system, names of soul boy candidates were written on lots that were put into the gold urn. One lot was drawn under the supervision of the High Commissioner, and the chosen one was the designated soul boy?the successor to the Dalai Lama, Panchen Erdeni or Grand Lama. The selected successor could not become the legal heir until formally approved by the Central Government. This became a key measure for the Central Government of the Qing Dynasty to strengthen administrative management over religious affairs in Tibet, and fully embodied the Central Government's sovereignty over Tibet.

Republic of China (1912-1949)

China experienced great historic changes after the Revolution of 1911, which brought down the Qing Dynasty and led to the founding of the Republic of China in 1912. During the Republic of China, which brought together the Han, Manchurian, Mongolian, Hui and Tibetan ethnic groups, the central power changed hands frequently and Central Government's policy witnessed many changes. However, policies related to Tibet remained unchanged in terms of upholding national unity and maintaining Chinese sovereignty over Tibet to safeguard territorial integrity.

First, maintaining state sovereignty over Tibet by enacting laws and issuing official documents for its strengthened rule over Tibet. Article 3 of the General Outline of the Provisional Constitution of the Republic of China, enacted under the auspices of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, Interim President, stipulated that Tibet was one of the 22 provinces of the Republic of China. This legalized the rule of the Government of the Republic of China over Tibet. Stipulations concerning Tibet in the Constitution of the Republic of China promulgated later all stressed that Tibet is an inseparable part of Chinese territory, and the Central Government of China exercised sovereignty in Tibet.

Second, establishing the Council for the Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs and the Commission in Charge of Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs. The Council for Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs was set up in 1912 to operate directly under the State Council in its capacity as a Central Government organ to take charge of Tibetan and Mongolian affairs. It was renamed the Commission for Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs in 1914. In 1927, the Republic of China moved its capital to Nanjing, now capital of Jiangsu Province, and the Nanjing Government was founded. Before long, the Nanjing Government announced the establishment of the Commission in Charge of Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs. The Commission members included people of great influence in the Mongolian and Tibetan areas, such as the 9th Panchen Erdeni, the 13th Dalai Lama and Tibetan government representatives stationed in Nanjing including Gongjor Zongnyi, Zhamgyia Hutogtu and Master Xeirab Gyamco, a very famous Buddhist master who served as Vice-Chairman of the Commission.

Third, giving additional honorific titles to the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Erdeni, and having representatives to preside over the reincarnation and enthronement ceremonies for them. In the early days of the Republic of China, the 13th Dalai Lama, who was deprived by the Qing Government of his honorific title and left Tibet for India, managed to get in touch with the Government of the Republic of China, and expressed his wish to return to Tibet. On October 28, 1912, Interim President Yuan Shi-kai announced the restoration of the honorific title of the Dalai Lama. Before long, the 13th Dalai Lama returned home. To ease internal contradictions between the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Erdeni, Yuan, on April 1, 1913, issued an order to give an additional honorific title to the 9th Panchen Erdeni to honor what he had done to defend the unification of the motherland.

In December 1933, when the 13th Dalai Lama died, the local government of Tibet submitted a report to the Central Government in accordance with historical precedence. The Central Government granted the late master the additional honorific title of Master in Defense of the Country and sent Huang Musong, Chairman of the Commission for Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs, to Tibet to mourn his demise. In 1938, under the auspices of Regent Razheng, Lhamo Toinzhub in Qinghai was found and determined as the soul boy of the late 13th Dalai Lama in accordance with the religious rituals and historical precedence. In 1940, Wu Zhongxin, Chairman of the Commission for Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs, went to Tibet, in his capacity as Central Government representative, to preside over the ceremony enthroning the 14th Dalai Lama. When the 9th Panchen Erdeni passed away in Qinghai on his way back to Tibet in December 1937, the Nationalist Government granted him the honorific title of Master. And in 1938, the Central Government sent Dai Chuanxian, President of the Examination Yuan, to Garze to mourn the demise of the 9th Panchen Erdeni. In early 1949, the Nationalist Government sent its envoy to announce that Guanbo Cidain was the 10th Panchen Erdeni, and he attended celebrations held in the Tar Monastery in Qinghai. In August, Guan Jiyu, Chairman of the Commission for Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs, was sent by the Nationalist Government to preside over the enthronement ceremony.

Fourth, bringing in upper-class monks and lay people to participate in State management. During the period of the Republic of China, whenever the National Assembly met, there would be Tibetan delegates who participated. For example, from November 15 to December 25, 1946, when the National Assembly met in Nanjing to work on the Constitution of the Republic of China, 17 delegates including Tudain Sangpi and Jijigmei came from Tibet.

http://en.tibet.cn/history/tib/t20050309_14899.htm

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In 1938, under the auspices of Regent Razheng, Lhamo Toinzhub in Qinghai was found and determined as the soul boy of the late 13th Dalai Lama in accordance with the religious rituals and historical precedence. In 1940, Wu Zhongxin, Chairman of the Commission for Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs, went to Tibet, in his capacity as Central Government representative, to preside over the ceremony enthroning the 14th Dalai Lama. Document below is the official document from Central Government to allow Lhamo Toinzhub to use the title of 14th Dalai Lama. Every Dalai Lama must have permission from Central Government.

http://zt.tibet.cn/english/zt/041225_xzsh/index.html

In fact Tibet was incorporated into the map of Yuan Dynasty of China in mid-13th century,

and Lhamo Toinzhub had cooperated with Chairman Mao to run Tibet

after Peaceful Liberation in 1951 until he slited out of Tibet in 1959

(for a period of almost 9 years).

It is sincerely hope before his approaching death Lhamo Toinzhub

(14th Dalai Lama) will give up his so called 'Tibet Independence'

and for once in entire life doing something good for people of Tibet.

History

On May 23, 1951: representatives of the central and local governments

signed 'the Agreement of the Central People's Government and

the Tibetan Local Government on Measures for Peaceful Liberation of Tibet',

widely known as ' The 17 Pacts '.

On October 20, 1951 the Congress of Tibet voted to accept ' The 17 Pacts ' .

On October 24, 1951 Dalai Lama sent telegraph to Chairman Mao to support 'The 17 Pacts'.

Thus, it officially completed the process of Peaceful Liberation of Tibet.

To clarify: Dalai Lama and his so called "Tibetan independence"

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Paper from German scholars

source: en.tibet.cn

Tibet article makes key point

An article that stated "it is wrong to consider Lamaism a pacifying religion" has drawn a lot of attention since it appeared on the website of the China Tibet Information Center.

The article, quoting an item published in the German newspaper Die Welt on July 30, said the history of Tibet was not filled with peace.

It quoted the authors of the article, Victor Trimondi and Victoria Trimondi, as saying that Lamaism follows a strict hierarchical system that requires students to obey their master, contending that this system prevents people from developing their own personalities.

It highlighted the authors' point of view that international society has not been made aware of the violent and dark side of Lamaism because the 14th Dalai Lama and his followers have been hiding and whitewashing the facts.

Moreover, so-called "humanistic values" did not exist in the history of Old Tibet under the rule of the Dalai Lama.

Before the middle of the 20th century, Lamaist rule had integrated the church and state and enforced penalties and slavery not very different from the inquisition conducted by the Roman Catholic Church in the Middle Ages, the article quoted the two German scholars as saying.

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Serf system

by: 2005-03-09 15:18:44

Before the democratic reform was carried out, the Tibetan areas were dominated by the serf system that integrated political and religious powers.

The local government set up by the Qing Dynasty in Tibet, which was called Kasha, was run by four Kaloons (ministers), three laymen and one lama. The local government consisted of two offices. One was called Zikang (auditor's office), which was formed by four lay officials who administered all affairs about lay officials and audited local revenue, corvee and taxes. The other was called Yicang, a secretarial office formed by four lamas who administered all affairs about religious officials. The Tibetan local government accepted, in name, the leadership of the Dalai Lama or a regent.

The Dalai Lama was served by several Kampos or lama officials who took care of the Dalai Lama's office and affairs of his residence--the Potala Palace.

Owing to historical developments, there were some regional regimes beyond the control of the local government. In Outer Tibet, an internal affairs office called Nangmakang was formed by Bainqen's important Kampos, which was later called Bainqen Kampo Lija (changed into a committee after liberation). It accepted, in name, the leadership of Bainqen. Similarly, several other areas were governed by the local sect leaders or headmen. These were the legacies of the Tusi and Wanhu systems.

The basic administrative unit, equivalent to a county, was called Zong in Tibetan and the unit under it, equivalent to a district, was called Si, short for Sika or manor. Some large Sikas had the status of the Zong. Certain tribal organizations still existed on a few pastoral areas, which were subject to the leadership of the Tibet local government.

In Qinghai, Gansu, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces, some Tibetan areas came under the administration of the provincial governments in the Qing Dynasty. But most of the areas were still under the jurisdiction of Tusi officials and big monasteries.

The local regimes established on the basis of feudal serfdom that integrated political and religious powers were in the hands of feudal manorial lords, who were either lamas or laymen. They expanded the Tibetan army or formed local retainer forces to protect their reactionary rule. They formulated laws and regulations, set up prisons and used instruments of torture. Even the manors and monasteries had their own private prisons. They seized serfs' property by hook or by crook, punished them at will and executed serfs trying to run away or accused of violating the law. They used such shocking tortures as gouging out the eyes, cutting off the nose or hands, hamstringing or breaking the kneecap.

Tibetan society was rigidly stratified. The people were divided into three strata in nine grades, according to the size of the land they possessed. The social ladder extended from senior officials, hereditary aristocracy and higher lamas all the way down to herdsmen, serfs and craftsmen. But, generally speaking, these people fell into two major opposing classes -- the serf owners and the serfs.

The Tibet local government was legally the owner of all the land and pasture. It in turn parceled out the land to the aristocrats and monasteries as their manors. The officialdom, the nobility and the clergy thus became the three major categories of feudal lords.

The manors held by the officialdom, called Zhungchi, were directly managed by the local government and contracted out to serfs for rent. Part of the rent was used as remuneration for senior officials and the rest portioned out to government offices as their operating expenses.

Noble titles in Tibet were hereditary or granted for meritorious services. Ranking was commensurate with the amount of property possessed. There were about 200 to 300 noble families in Tibet. About 20 of them owned scores of manors each.

The manors of monasteries were bestowed by the local government or donated by the nobles. Some of them were the property of the monasteries and the rest belonged to higher lamas. A number of manors owned by monasteries were totally controlled by the top living Buddhas or lamas there.

The three major categories of feudal lords and their henchmen accounted for about five per cent of the Tibetan population. The nobles and the monasteries each owned about 30 per cent of the land in Tibet and the remaining 40 per cent belonged to the local government.

The land and pasture in the Tibetan areas other than Tibet were controlled by headmen, local officials and other members of the ruling groups and monasteries.

The serfs included Thralpas and Dudchhong, who accounted for over 90 per cent of the Tibetan population. With no land or personal freedom, they were chattels of their lords.

Thralpas were persons doing unpaid labor. In Tibet, a thralpa tilled a small piece of land rented from the manorial lord, which was called thralkang land. To obtain such a piece of land, a thralpa had to perform all kinds of services for the local government and do unpaid labor on the manor.

Dudchhong, meaning small household, is a lower rank among the serfs made up of bankrupt thralpas. Dudchhongs were not allowed to till thralkang land. Instead, they had to depend on manorial lords or richer thralpas, doing hard work for them while tilling a tiny piece of land to feed themselves.

Five per cent of the Tibetans were house slaves, called Nangzan.

With no means of production or personal freedom, they were the most heavily oppressed class in Tibet and had to do the hardest jobs all their lives.

Besides, some remnants of clan society still lingered on in the nomadic tribes in remote areas. On the other hand, in villages close to the Han people's farming areas, a landlord economy had emerged.

Serfs in all Tibetan areas were overburdened with exorbitant rents in cash or in kind. More than 70 per cent of their annual proceeds were taken away by manorial lords, plunging them into dire poverty.

Apart from paying exorbitant rents, serfs had to do all kinds of corvee labor, which was called Ulag.

Taxes and levies in Tibetan areas were innumerable. Some levies had been temporary at first and were later made regular. In certain places, scores or even more than 100 different kinds of tax were recorded.

All the manorial lords, especially the monasteries, were usurers. They cruelly exploited the serfs by forcing them to accept loans at usurious rates of interest or exchange of unequal values. Usurious loans often ruined the serfs and their families or reduced them to beggary or slavery.

The serfs and slaves, who accounted for over 95 per cent of the population, were bound for life to the land of the manorial lords, ordered about and enslaved from generation to generation. They were freely given away as gifts, donations or dowries, sold or exchanged for goods. Long shackled by feudal serfdom, the population of the Tibetan ethnic group showed little growth and production stagnated.

http://en.tibet.cn/history/tib/t20050309_14803.htm

The serfs were threshing grain in the manor.

The serfs had nothing but beg in the streets.

A starving and sick child in old Tibet.

Burde, a herder whose eyes were gouged out by the serf owner.

After a day's heavy work, the serfs of Jinglong manor of Xigaze had their meals with coarse food.

The serfs grouped into "beggar village".

An old man begged along the street.

Slave prisoners begging for a living in the street in heavy chains.

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Video: Dalai Lama once loyal to Chinese government .

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After Peaceful Liberation 1951

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During the Democratic Reform, the emancipated serfs wrathfully burning usury bonds, land leases and debentures that the three leading manor serfs depended on to oppress and exploit them

Serfs holding a rally, demonstrating to totally overthrow the vicious feudal serfdom system.

People in Lhasa from all circles celebrating success to suppress the rebellion.

Emancipated serfs receiving domestic animals.

Emancipated serfs cheerfully welcoming the first bumper year.

New tents and domestic animals received by the Jamzong's an emancipated family in the Damxung County.

Emancipated serf Ngawang elected as the first head of the Kaisong village of Naidong County, the first village to carry out democratic reform.

Emancipated serfs receiving land certificates.

Cerenlamo (first left), the emancipated serf with Naidong County, elected as Agriculture Model Worker.

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Ulag (corvee labor)

by: 2005-03-09 15:42:03

Ulag, a joint name of taxes, corvee and land rent, means forced labor given gratis. It includes various items, corvees, taxes and levies, rents, etc. Although required corvee were stipulated, serfs and slaves should still go to their servitude for the needs of the serf-owners whenever necessary. People divided Ulag into two parts. One was Rkangdro. Literarily it means corvee finished with feet, including the servitudes of men, cattle, horses and donkeys. The other was Lagdon. Word for word, it refers taxes handed over with hands, including goods and money. Land rent would be paid with a fixed volume of grain, such as Da set down by Thralpas to contribute grains every year according to the area of rented land; there were also some special taxes, such as fagot and money contributions to religious activities, grain contributions for the Resident Commissioners in Tibet; some special corvees, such as service to government-owned lands; others involved business taxes, etc. Major items of Ulag to local government were forced labor completed by both men and animal, including transports of personnel and goods with the governmental Ulag labels, receptions and accommodations to the travelling officials and passing-by Tibetan forces, and levies of goods, such as grain, butter, beef and button. All of those mentioned above were outdoor servitude. Not any a person could tell the figure of such corvees. According to an incomplete statistics of kashag government only there were 1,892 kinds of Ulag.

Indoor servitude referred to goods and labor provided by serfs and slaves owned by nobles and temples. Indoor servitude was unpaid. The more self-managed lands the nobles and temples controlled, the more indoor servitude would be required and the heavier exploitation the serfs would suffer. Daubo Xika of the Gundeling Monastery in Maizhokunggar County had 300 ke self-managed lands and only 165 ke lands as lotment cultivated by serfs as their payment. So the serfs in this manor would bear a rather heavy burden of corvee. A surprising corvee specifications and exploitation rate could be showed from the next example. People could make it clear of indoor levies of Dudchhongs. Migmar, a Dudchhong in Lhunbo Xika Manor managed by Kashag Government directly, was obliged for planting 15 ke land for the land for the land owner. This family was levied a year-long corvee of one man, to shear wool for a day by one person, to repair irrigation project for a day of one person, to grease oil for a day by one person, to plough land for four days by one person and with two farm cattle, to transport fertilizer in autumn for five days by one person and two oxen, to watch plants for 60 days by one person, to thresh grain for two days by one person. Besides, there also need one person on Taba lagvkhyer (people had ropes) for a day, one person on Tibo lagvkhyer (people had thumbs) for a day, one person or Zorra Lagvkhyer (people had sickles), one person on Zaschen Zaschung (reaping) for two days, one person to cut straw for a day, one person to transport firewood for four days and with one cattle, one person responsible for sending letters for a day. All the corvees and taxes added together was 20 items, which would be accomplished by one person with 477 days, a farm cattle for 8 days and an ox for 14 days. All those figured out above did not involve in the items from religius field.

Every Dalai Lama had a special organ to administrate his own wealth, named Tsecha Lekhung. They then practiced usury by lending money to Tibetan people, from which they got extra interests. According to incomplete data of counting books of Tsecha Lekhung of 1950, the then the Dalai Lama lent Tibetan silver coin higher to 3,038,581 liang, with which he could get 303,858 liang as interest a year. Kashag Government, local administrative departments, such as Chikyaps and Dzongs and nobles, as well as regional temples, no matter big or small, turned to be loan sharks. Reaping colossal interests from usury became their major income. About 10 percent of the annual income of Kashag Government was from usurious loan. In fact, temple was the biggest usurer. The three major monasteries not only imposed usury among serfs on their land, but also practiced within the manors of other feudal lords. They spread their hands onto the whole of Tibet. And interests from usury amounted to 25 to 30 percent of the total income of the three major monasteries. Ordinarily, nobles only practiced usurious loans within their own manor. Interest from loans usually made up 15 to 20 percent of their family income. The Dalai Lama was the biggest manor owner, and the largest loan shark, who could get 25 percent family income from practicing usury.

The three major lords practiced different loan interests, 10 percent, 80 percent and 120 percent. It had been universally seen that serfs had to borrow debts. Some borrowed new to return for the old, some paying for tax and corvee, some to satisfy with eating and seeds. There were some usuries imposed by the three major lords. For example, Palha Tudain Oindain, a noble of Gyangze, forced every household in Bongtod Xika to borrow 75 ping (1=50 liang) Tibetan silver coin. Some serfs had their debts piling up for several generations. They could not remind themselves of the debt they borrowed at the first time and what they had returned. The only standard was receipts for loans. People described these outstanding debts as "debts of descendants." According to the local law, the coming generations were responsible for repay debts left by their forefathers. Cering Goinbo's grandfather had borrowed 50 ke (1=14kg) grain from the Sera Monastery, and consequently repaid it for dozens of years. And this debt was handed down to his son for 40 years and to his grandson for 18 years. Then Cering Goinbo was told they only paid 4000 ke grain and was still indebted to the creditor 10,000 ke grain.

There still had another debt named "chaining guarantee system." When one household was in debt, there should be other household to be its guarantors; when they all got into debt, they should be guarantors of each other; when all the villagers went into debt, they were all responsible for repaying the debt. When one excaped from or was unable to pay off the debt, or died in debt, others should repay instead. A substitute was also responsible for returning back the loans of the escaped or died debtors. Gaisang, a serf in Maizhokunggar County, lived in a manor with other nine serfdom household. When eight of them fled for their life, the lord imposed all the debts onto him and the other serf. As a serf only renting 22 ke land, he should repay debts higher to over 400,000 ke. It was in common being in debts. Local lords could wantonly loot grain, animals and farm tools of the serfs or even their children as mortgage. When the lord found nothing valuable to extort, he would take back the rented land.

Grassland and animals were also owned to the three major lords. Serfs here also should bear the burden of Ulag of pasture. Herding rent was stipulated by the way of animal tending of the herdsmen. One was Chiyod Skyeyod, meaning some born while some died. It referred to fixed number of rented animals. Herdsmen were asked to tend the rented animals and hand butters by the rented dams. All the newly breed animals belonged to the herd owners. One Female ox was asked to give 2 to 3 ke (1=3kg) as tax, accounting for 55 percent of the total produced butter. The other was called Chimed skyemed, meaning no born and no died. It referred to that rented animals were fixed. New breedings belonged to the renter while, if some died, the herdsmen should repay for them. It was a long-term fixed tax, with one female cattle contributing 2 ke butter. Chimed skyemed, which is apparently a contract method with fixed tax, is in fact a forcible economic exploitation. Although herdsmen were unwilling to sign this kind of contract, the herd owners imposed apportions arbitrarily on them. The herdsmen could not defy on this obligation. Those having accepted the herding lease would not cancel this tenancy. Even if all the leased animals died, the descendants of the herding serfs would hand in the scheduled taxes, which became a real "posterity debt." Once all the family members died, the relatives and neighbors of this lessee were unfortunately become the successors of this lease.

Those without animals and tents who lived on labor provision called herding helper. They were hired permanently by herd owners, engaging on herding, milking and making butter. Although the helpers had no fixed employment links with herd owner, they still should hand in labor tax to the former owner when they changed another job, showing the personal subordination. Cewang Doje, a herdsman in Damxung County, leased a cattle by the way of Chimed skyemed with the marketing price of 30 liang Tibetan silver coin. During the following 12 years counting together, he totally gave the owner 8,295 liang Tibetan silver coin, with the exploitation ratio higher to 275 times.

http://en.tibet.cn/history/tib/t20050309_14838.htm

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I used to be a serf

by: 2005-03-09 16:04:10

Ceringlhamo is now 65 years old. For the first 33 years in her life, she was a langsheng, meaning "serf" in Tibetan-a serf in the middle of the twentieth century. But in the last 32 years, she has been a free woman, and a master in her own country! Together with 11 other serf families, she organized the first mutual-aid team of langsheng in Tibet. Later she was cited a national advanced worker, national "March 8th Pace-Setter" in addition to being elected a deputy to the National People's Congress and the vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the Tibetan Autonomous Region's people's Congress.

Now she's retired and lives with her youngest daughter. Her 3-year-old grand-daughter is as sturdy as tree, and follows her like a shadow, wherever she goes. From time to time, she will sweetly call her "grandmother", which makes Ceringlhamo so happy that she grins from ear to ear.

The passage of time often serves to dim people's memories, but Ceringlhamo says that she can never forget her life as a serf, which was like a living nightmare.

Both my parents were serfs. I was born in Shanglin, Longzi County in the Shannan area. From the day I was born I was a serf belonging to the serf owner. I lived in Shanglin for twelve years together with my parents, though the life we lived was worse than beasts of burden.

After one New Year's Day, according to the lunar calendar used by the Zang nationality in Tibet, the feudal lord mover from longzi to Jieba in Naidong County, bringing with him only my brother and me. Since that time, I've never seen my parents nor heard anything about them.

The cruel feudal system of serf owning must seem remote to people of other nationalities, but to Tibetans it's as if it just happened yesterday. Until 1959, Tibet had been a world of the officials, nobities and high-ranking monks of the monasteries, whilst serfs and slaves lived in hell. Serfs and slaves in Tibet were classified into three grades: chaba, duiqiong and langsheng. Chaiba and duiqiong were serfs, who did farm work for serf owners, generation after generation. They had no personal freedom. Duiqiong's status was even lower than chaba and they lived an even worse life. The meaning of langsheng in Tibetan is "fed by a household", so langsheng are actually indoor-slaves-serf owner's properties, which might be given away as gifts, mortgaged or sold, langshengs' descendants were also langsheng; they were slaves for generations.

In jieba, I grazed horses and cattles, took care of children and plaited woollen threads. From sunrise to sunset, there was always work waiting for me. I'd grown up in bitterness. That year as I was 25, when New Year's Day was just over, the serf owner's family received a guest, who was also a serf owner and brought with him a few serfs. Amongst them was a young man who often helped me with my work. Without thinking, I fell in love with him. With the land as our bed and the moonlight as our quilt, we were married without any ceremony. Shortly afterwards I became pregnant. Thinking that I would be a mother soon, I was as happy as any other woman would be, but at the same time I was also worried for a langsheng had no right to choose his/her spouse. It was up to owners to decide if a langsheng could marry, when, and to whom. Eventually our secret was discovered by the serf owner, who was furious and said we had violated his domestic rule and dirtied his manor. Several days later, he took my husband away. He has never returned since.

Pregnant with child, I still worked from dawn to dusk. On April 15, according to the Tibetan calendar, which fell coincidently on the day for people to go on holy pilgrimages round the deity mountain, I felt labor pains. I knew that my child was a bout to come into the world so I found several pieces of ragged cloth and placed them on the floor of a yak sty, where I gave birth to my first son. Like me, he was a langsheng who had nothing from the day he was born. What was worse, was that he would never be able to see his father.

Fortunately he did not arrive in winter so I untied my apron and wrapped him up. On the third day after giving birth I resumed work, leaving my baby behind. I could only breast-feed him hastily during my meal-breaks. When he was a bit older, I tied him on my back with a string . . . .

Several years passed in this way. Then I married another langsheng belonging to the serf owner. My new husband was ten years younger than me. In another cattle sty I gave birth to my second son, but the serf owner didn't agree with our marriage, and wanted to sell my husband to another serf owner. Fortunately a work team arrived in Jieba to undertake democratic reform, which saved my second home from separation.

The feudal serf system was finally abolished. We were given a house, land, cattle, sheep, cooking utensils and some furniture, and more importantly, became free persons. However I still couldn't get any news about my parents learning how to follow the plough, till the land, and plant highland barley. Unexpectedly, we got a bumper harvest the first year. Our production has continued to develop, our life has improved, and I have been elected a model worker and a deputy to the People's Congress.

My name, "Ceringlhamo" has becoor my first husband, although I made many enquiries.

The next year, when the spring plouging commenced, the emancipated serfs set up many voluntary productive mutual-aid teams. I belonged to one of the last twelve langsheng households, whom no teams wanted to take in as we had little family property and were incapable of doing farm work (as langsheng were family slaves, they didn't even have the chance to learn farm work).

I was born brave and stubborn. I took the lead, organized the other eleven langsheng households and set up the Langsheng mutual-aid team in Jieba township with myself as the head. I didn't know until later that it was the first langshen mutual-aid team in Tibet. On our own land, we began by me known by many people since then, but in fact, I'm still the same as before-only the world has changed. My name, Ceringlhamo, means "fairy of longevity" in Tibetan, but only today, in the socialist society, have I , a former slave, really become "a fairy of longevity".

http://en.tibet.cn/history/tib/t20050309_14866.htm

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Women in old Tibet

by: 2005-03-09 15:35:03

Before the democratic reform started in the late 1950s, Tibet experienced hundreds of years of feudal serfdom in which politics and religion went hand in hand and the clergy and aristocracy dictated, very much like Europe in the Middle Ages in many respects. The serf owners (officials, aristocrats and high-ranking clergy), who accounted for about five percent of the Tibetan population, possessed all the farmland, pastures, forests, mountains, rivers and mineral deposits, the majority of the herds and between 50 to 70 percent of the products put out by the labor of serfs and slaves. The serfs, more than 90 percent of the population, had no land, no housing and no personal freedom. Their lives belonged to the plantations of their lords. Domestic slaves, accounting for five percent, had nothing. Their masters owned them both body and soul.

Serf owners handled serfs as property, buying and selling them, presenting them as gifts, mortgaging them, or using them in barter trade. They had final say on the serfs' births, deaths and marriages.

The Thirteen Codes and The Sixteen Codes, which functioned in old Tibet for hundreds of years, divided people into nine classes on three levels and made it clear that they enjoyed no equal legal status.

Women were listed as the lowest, particularly poor women. It was stipulated, for instance, that people differed in terms of classes and therefore their life prices also differed. The value of upper-class people on the top level, such as princes and living Buddhas , was equivalent to the amount of gold needed equal to weigh the corpse, while the lives of the lower-class people in the third level, such as women, butchers, hunters and artisans, were worth only a piece of straw rope. According to a study of Tibetans living on the pastures, the life-price of men was twice that of women.

The traditional teaching and disciplines of Tibetan Buddhism discriminated against women. This discrimination was also reflected in local laws, which were influenced by religion. Women were seen as unclean and men were warned to keep their distance from them. Malignancy and other evils were described as properties of women. Women images were often objects for conquest at Buddhist rituals. According to Tibetan history, all of Tibet was "a woman demon lying on her back." Lhasa was the heart of the demon. In order to conquer the demon, monasteries had to be built all over this body. In other words, the monasteries in present-day Tibet are also signs of discrimination against women.

The laws of old Tibet made it clear that women could not participate in politics. Some regulations insisted that men "should not discuss business with women," "should not listen to women" and "must not give women the right to discuss state affairs." Monasteries even used body parts of unmarried women for Buddhist ceremonies. This practice existed until the early 1950s. Many monasteries forbade women to enter certain halls lest they bring bad luck with them.

The law of old Tibet also assigned a low status for women in marriages and families: they were grouped on the same level as domestic animals and classified as part of the family property. They could be presented as gifts. The law that stipulated the handling of the relatives of criminals said that for a criminal who had no children, "his wife shall be given to his father, or to his brother or other close male relatives if he had no father," or "be given, together with half of his domestic animals and other family property, to one of his close male relatives." If a man was saved by someone from under a yak, he should give his daughter to the savior, or his sister if he had no daughter, or 200 taels of silver if he had neither daughter nor sister. According to the law, noble women could also be given as gifts, only at a higher value.

In old Tibet, women suffered both in body and soul. They had to give birth in sheep pens. The infant mortality rate was 430 per thousand. The Gelukpa Sect forbade marriage for its monks. Since a large number of men entered monasteries as monks and did not participate in material and population production, women shouldered a large part of social responsibilities. They were the main source of taxes and corvee and did most of the work in and out of the house. Because many men became monks women had few men to marry. Even when they were married, many women were influenced by the teaching that human life was a sea of bitterness, and saw giving birth as one of the great ordeals of life. As a result, they were reluctant to have babies. Some girls pre-ferred to become nuns. Under the circumstances, the Tibetan population decreased by about a million inthe 200 years before the 1950s.

In old Tibet women shouldered most of the social production and housework and all the burdens of bearing and rearing children without the social re-cognition or status due to them. However, because of their irreplaceable role in the economic activities of the family and society, they were not totally subjected to the authority of their husbands. To a certain degree, they even had the right to possess and inherit family property. Traditionally, a Tibetan couple could either live with the man's family, or the woman's family. But these features could not change women's low general status in Tibetan society of old.

http://en.tibet.cn/history/tib/t20050309_14828.htm

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Tibetan Youth Congress = Taliban?

+ - 10:12, April 10, 2008

How western journalists cover the Tibet riots is a textbook example of biased journalism. Nothing innovative here. Just old tricks recycled.

Life expectancy of Tibetan was 35.5 years in 1959 vs. 67 years in 2005.And the infant mortality rate was 43% in 1959 and 3.1 % in 2005 (4.8% in Canada, 2006 data). What happened? Since 1959, 1,326 new medical institutions have been built, among which, 764 new hospitals or clinics, 79 disease prevention centers and55 health centers dedicated to women and children. How about education? Before 1950, there was almost no decent school in Tibet, less than 2% school-age children received education and the illiteracy rate was 95%. In 2003, 91.9% school-age children in Tibetan rolled in primary schools; 82.9% primary schools students continued studying in middle schools; and 72.1% middle school graduates continued higher education. All are decent numbers even they were from communities in U.S.

No matter what kind of religion people follow and what kind of life harmony people pursue: living longer is good; fewer infant deaths is good; more education is good.

Tibetans put religion in first place. So does "his holiness", the DaLai Llama hold that they don't need hospitals, don't need to get education, don't want to live longer, don't want more babies to survive? Are rights to medical care, to education, to have healthy babies not human rights?

Denying Tibetans those rights is the biggest human rights abuse!

Before 1959, Tibet was under the Lamaist (Buddhist) theocracy. Just like most theocracies in history, it was a very cruel and inhumane form of governing. Tibet before 1959 was close to, if not worse than, the Afghanistan under the Taliban regime.

Michael Parenti, a history professor from U.S, (http://www.michaelparenti.org/Tibet.html)

provides the following finding:

"In the Dalai Lama's Tibet, torture and mutilation -- including eye gouging, the pulling out of tongues, hamstringing, and amputation of arms and legs -- were favored punishments inflicted upon thieves, runaway serfs, and other "criminals."

Some Western visitors to Old Tibet remarked on the number of amputees to be seen. Since it was against Buddhist teachings to take human life, some offenders were severely lashed and then "left to God" in the freezing night to die. "The parallels between Tibet and medieval Europe are striking," concludes Tom Grunfeld in his book on Tibet.

Theocratic despotism had been the rule for generations. An English visitor to Tibet in 1895, Dr. A. L. Waddell, wrote that the Tibetan people were under the "intolerable tyranny of monks" and the devil superstitions they had fashioned to terrorize the people. In 1904 Perceval Landon described the Dalai Lama's rule as "an engine of oppression" and "a barrier to all human improvement." In 1937, another visitor, Spencer Chapman, wrote, "The Lamaist monk does not spend his time in ministering to the people or educating them, nor do laymen take part in or even attend the monastery services. The beggar beside the road is nothing to the monk. Knowledge is the jealously guarded prerogative of the monasteries and is used to increase their influence and wealth."

Does the West want to support another Taliban?

There are good reasons and tons of books on the separation of church and state. You people on the bandwagon blasting China might want to read those books first.

One respects the belief on "incarnation". But it seems that should be reserved for choosing a religion leader rather than choosing a government head. Democracy builds on accountability-government officials are accountable for the voters. The voters can deny their leaders positions through voting. Not sure about DaLai LLam's thoughts on democracy.

And democracy also builds on educated voters. Before 1959, the illiteracy rate was 95% and common Tibetans seldom got chance to be educated. Do you expect people who can't read to understand how a modern government operates and how to hold their leaders accountable?

Here are some historical facts about Tibet, all from westerners.

"In the Da-Lai La Ma's Tibet, torture and mutilation -- including eye gouging, the pulling out of tongues, hamstringing, and amputation of arms and legs -- were favored punishments inflicted upon thieves, runaway serfs, and other "criminals."

Journeying through Tibet in the 1960s, Stuart and Roma Gelder interviewed a former serf, Tsering Wangdui, who had stolen two sheep belonging to a monastery. For this he had both his eyes gouged out and his hand mutilated beyond use. He explains that he no longer is a Buddhist: "When a holy lama told them to blind me I thought there was no good in religion."

Some monasteries had their own private prisons, reports Anna Louise Strong. In 1959, she visited an exhibition of torture equipment that had been used by the Tibetan overlords. There were handcuffs of all sizes, including small ones for children, and instruments for cutting off noses and ears, and breaking off hands.

At about that time, another English traveler, Captain W.F.T. O'Connor, observed that "the great landowners and the priests . . . exercise each in their own dominion a despotic power from which there is no appeal," while the people are "oppressed by the most monstrous growth of monasticism and priest-craft the world has ever seen." Tibetan rulers, like those of Europe during the Middle Ages, "forged innumerable weapons of servitude, invented degrading legends and stimulated a spirit of superstition" among the common people.

In 1937, another visitor, Spencer Chapman, wrote, "The Lamaist monk does not spend his time in ministering to the people or educating them, nor do laymen take part in or even attend the monastery services. The beggar beside the road is nothing to the monk. Knowledge is the jealously guarded prerogative of the monasteries and is used to increase their influence and wealth."

More on:

http://www.swans.com/library/art9/mparen01.html#019

Is there anyone here have read the history of Tibet before 1950? Anyone?

I happened to read couples of books written by historians from Britain.

The history before 1950 is relevant to answer the question: what will happen if one day, Tibet gets its independence? Will they live happily thereafter(as most Da Lia supporters assume)? The world will be better off?

There is a close modern parallel: The Afghanistan under the Taliban regime. Is that a kind of regime you guys are looking forward to?

Before 1959, Tibet was under the Lamaist (Buddhist) theocracy. Just like most theocracies in history, it was a very cruel and inhumane form of governing. Most Tibetans were under the slavery by the monks. It was a slavery, agreed by most western historians.

Speak of the facts, before 1959, human rights situation was a lot worse. Many offenses were punished by cutting arms and legs or taking out eyes, literally. Read the history yourself. One of the books I read was published by Cambridge University.

I haven't heard about Da Lai Lama denounced the Lamaist (Buddhist) theocracy. I hope he has the ability to deliver a modern democracy.

Read history. Please.

Life expectancy of Tibetan was 35.5 years in 1959 vs. 67 years in 2005

Infant mortality rate was 43% in 1959 and 3.1 % in 2005 (4.8% in Canada, 2006 data).

Since 1959, 1,326 new medical institutions have been built ,among which, 764 new hospitals or clinics, 79 disease prevention centers and 55 health centers dedicated to women and children.

Before 1950, there was almost no decent school in Tibet, less than 2% school-age children received education and illiteracy rate was 95%. In 2003, 91.9% school-age children in Tibetan rolled in primary schools; 82.9% primary schools students continued studying in middle schools; and 72.1% middle school graduates continued higher education. All are decent numbers even for communities in U.S.

No matter what kind of religion they follow and what kind of life harmony they pursue, living longer is good; fewer infant deaths is good; more education is good.

And talking about the special treatment, in Tibet, Tibetans don't need to follow the one-child policy. The policy only applies to Han people.

Comment on: A week in Tibet | Trashing the Beijing Road | Economist.com at 3/25/2008 9:43 PM EDT

Why the western media is biased?

How western journalists cover the Tibet riots is a textbook example of biased journalism. Nothing innovative here. Just old tricks recycled.

There is a book called "Manufacturing Consents", an assigned reading in most U.S universities for journalism majors. Now examples criticized by this book become the writing guidances for covering China.

The whole western civilization is based on rational thinking-facts, logic, analysis, comparison and etc. But when it comes to cover events related to Tibet, those thinking skills are temparily suspended by Editors until the journlists are reassigned to cover, for example, cow-milking advance in rural French villages.

Economist, for example, is an excellent weekly magazine full of numbers from big mac indexes to GDP growth, economic analysis based on latest researches, papers, until it begins to cover Tibet.

I used the "Pocket World in Figures" published by Economist as my reference when I was writing the post titled "Have Tibetans been better off since 1959?" The metrics like life expectancy ( 35.5 years in 1959 vs. 67 years in 2005), infant mortality rate (43% in 1959 and 3.1 % in 2005--4.8% in Canada, 2006 data), the number of medical facilities (1,326 new medical institutions that have been built) are all standard metrics in the pocket book. So there is no excuse to pretend "we don't know how to measure". You are experts!

Aren't those significant and laudable achivements for any government? Don't forget what Tibet was like in 1959!!!

Tibetans put religion in first place. So they don't need hospitals, don't need to get education, don't want to live longer, don't want more babies survive? Are rights to medical care, to education, to have healthy babies not human rights?

Denying Tibetans those rights is the biggest human rights abuse!

If yes, they are human rights. Then, why achievements in those areas have been measured?

Let's have a debate based on rational thinkings, the same way we analyze economic or social issues in Europe or in U.S.

Otherwise, you journalists are lowering your own moral standard and your own professionalism. Your reporting is not only humiliating the wisdom of Chinese but also the wisdom of your own readers!

And what you have written, a few years later, will be complied into another book titled "Manufacturing Non-sense"

Comment on: Tibet | A colonial uprising | Economist.com at 3/25/2008 9:41 PM EDT

To Tibetan Girl

Your writing seems reasonable. I think you are a Tibetan.

I am writing to you directly and with all my respect.

Have you read the history of Tibet before 1950? If not, I encourage you to read every book you can find. Otherwise, you can't get the whole or real picture. What do you think those human rights abuses against your own people before 1959? I am against any human rights abuse, before or after 1959. How about you?

The second question is, assuming Tibet gets its independence, what is your plan for the new government?

I encourage you to give it some thoughts and read books on modern government. There are good reasons and tons of books on the separation of church and state. You might want to read those books first.

I respect your belief on "incarnation". But it seems that should be reserved for choosing a religion leader rather than choosing a government head. Democracy builds on accountability-government officals are accountable for the voters. The voters can deny their leaders positions through voting. Not sure about your thoughts on democracy.

You might have friends and relatives in Tibet. Could you check the facts I provided in another comment "Have Tibetans been better off since 1959?"? Especially, the numbers on schools and hospitals. I think those numbers are true-schools and hospitals are buildings and should be very easy to verify.

Looking forward to your thoughts!

Comment on: Tibet | Fears of contagion from Tibet | Economist.com at 3/24/2008 10:34 AM EDT

Have Tibetans been better off since 1959?

This question is strangely missing from most China-bashing articles related to the recent Tibetan riots. And the Economist only covered the economic part.

Let's be spiritual and skip the economy completely. Let's look at public health instead.

Life expectancy of Tibetan was 35.5 years in 1959 vs. 67 years in 2005.

And the infant mortality rate was 43% in 1959 and 3.1 % in 2005 (4.8% in Canada, 2006 data).

What happened? Since 1959, 1,326 new medical institutions have been built ,among which, 764 new hospitals or clinics, 79 disease prevention centers and55 health centers dedicated to women and children.

How about education? Before 1950, there was almost no decent school in Tibet, less than 2% school-age children received education and the illiteracy rate was 95%. In 2003, 91.9% school-age children in Tibeten rolled in primary schools; 82.9% primary schools students continued studying in middle schools; and 72.1% middle school graduates continued higher education. All are decent numbers even they were from communities in U.S.

People generally agree - no matter what kind of religion they follow and what kind of life harmony they pursue-that: live longer is good; fewer infant deaths is good; more education is good.

Have Tibetans been better off?

And talking about the special treatment, in Tibet, Tibetans don't need to follow the famous one-child policy. The policy only applies to Han people.

It is a shame that most western reporters don't provide a comprehensive comparison or analysis; Economist is better but not much.

Comment on: Tibet | Fears of contagion from Tibet | Economist.com at 3/24/2008 10:34 AM EDT

Do you want to support another Taliban?

Michael Parenti, a history professor from U.S, (http://www.michaelparenti.org/Tibet.html)

provides the following finding:

I don't like either side of this detabe but do you really want to support another Taliban?

Comment on: Tibet | A colonial uprising | Economist.com at 3/24/2008 10:09 AM EDT

Have Tibetans been better off since 1959?

This question is strangely missing from most China-bashing articles related to the recent Tibetan riots. And the Economist only covered the economic part.

Let's be spiritual and skip the economy completely. Let's look at public health instead.

Life expectancy of Tibetan was 35.5 years in 1959 vs. 67 years in 2005.

And the infant mortality rate was 43% in 1959 and 3.1 % in 2005 (4.8% in Canada, 2006 data).

People generally agree - no matter what kind of religion they follow and what kind of life harmony they pursue-that: live longer is good; fewer infant deaths is good; more education is good.

Have Tibetans been better off?

And talking about the special treatment, in Tibet, Tibetans don't need to follow the famous one-child policy. The policy only applies to Han people.

It is a shame that most western reporters don't provide a comprehensive comparison or analysis...

Source: China Daily

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90776/90882/6389959.html

Interview: Abolishing Tibetan feudal serfdom equates to ending slavery in U.S

2008-07-24 10:31:00

There is no difference between the abolishing of feudal serfdom in Tibet and the ending of slavery in the United States, a senior Chinese Tibetologist said Monday.

Many Americans understand neither the history and the current situation in Tibet, nor China's Tibet policies, which always lead to wrong judgment on Tibet-related issues, especially when they are influenced by "one-sided" information, Tobdrub Wangben, vice minister of China's State Commission for Ethnic Affairs, said in an interview with Xinhua before leaving the United States for Canada.

"When I told Larry Seabrook, current New York City councilman from District 12 in New York City, that the abolishing of the feudal serfdom in Tibet in the 1950s is the same as the ending of the slavery system in the United States, Seabrook understood quite well what I was driving at," he said.

After hearing a brief introduction about the situation in Tibet and the facts of the March 14 riots in Lhasa, Seabrook offered to help Americans improve their understanding of Tibet by arranging them to visit Tibet and form their own opinion.

"If we could tell Americans as much as possible about the truth on Tibet, many of them could change their stereotyped ideas about Tibet," said Tobdrub Wangben, head of a four-member Chinese Tibetologist delegation, which arrived in New York last Thursday to promote understanding on the Tibet issue.

Harboring the hope that the delegation could tell more truth on Tibet to the American public, Tobdrub Wangben said regular and frequent exchanges of ideas between the two peoples are fairly important.

The U.S. tour was quite fruitful as many U.S. officials and legislators said that what they heard about Tibet was different from what they had heard in the past, he added.

Therefore, Tobdrub Wangben said, they expressed hope that more delegations of this kind would come to the United States and exchange ideas with the American public on a regular basis.

"The American public has shown great interest in Tibet, and of course, we will come back and satisfy their demands," he said.

http://eng.tibet.cn/index/news/200807/t20080724_414624.htm

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Tibet After 1951

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