ON May 23, 1951, at a solemn ceremony held in Peking, delegates of the Central People's Government and　the former local government of Tibet affixed their　signatures to a historic document--the seventeen-article　Agreement on-Measures for the Peaceful Liberation of　Tibet. This signified Tibet's return to the fold of the　motherland. Here is a brief review of the events preceding the signing of this document.

On October 1, 1949, the People's Republic of China　was founded. By the end of the year all of China, with　the exception of Tibet and Taiwan, had been liberated. To complete the liberation of the mainland, it was decided　that the People's Liberation Army should march into　Tibet to free the people there from imperialist domination. Preparations began in 1950 and the advance units　of the P.L.A. reached Kantse to the east of the Kingsha　River. This caused panic among the U.S. and British　imperialists and the reactionaries in the local government　of Tibet. In January 1950, United Press, the U.S. news　agency, spread reports to the effect that the Tibetan authorities would send "goodwill missions" to the United　States, Britain, India, Nepal and Peking to declare Tibet's　"independence." This was part of the manoeuvres of the　U.S. and British imperialists to manufacture pretexts for　open intervention in China's internal affairs and to prevent　the P.L.A. from entering Tibet.

The spokesman of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign　Affairs, in a statement issued on January 20, 1950, sternly　condemned this imperialist trick. He declared:

Tibet is a territory of the People's Republic of China. This is a fact which is known to everybody in the world　and which has never been denied by anybody. Since this　is the case, the Lhasa authorities, of course, have no right　arbitrarily to send out any "mission" and, still less, to　prove Tibet's "independence." Since the "independence"　of Tibet has to be publicized to the Governments of the　United States, Britain, India and Nepal, and has to be　announced by the American United Press, it is not difficult to see that, if the content of such news is not a　United Press fabrication, it is at best merely a puppet show directed by U.S. imperialism and its accomplices　who are invading Tibet.

Seeking a peaceful liberation, the Central People's Government made efforts to enter into negotiations with the kasha (the local government of Tibet) at an early date. In July 1950, it sent Living Buddha Geda, Vice Chairman of the former Sikang Provincial People's Government, on a mission to Tibet to open discussions with the kasha. Living Buddha Geda arrived in Chamdo on July　　　　　　　　　　　　 24. There he immediately met with obstructions placed by the British imperialist agent Robert Webster　Ford and the local Tibetan reactionaries who prevented　him from proceeding further to Lhasa. Ford and his　accomplices murdered Living Buddha Geda in August by　poisoning and burnt his corpse to hide the crime.

The U.S. and British imperialist intrigues in Tibet were far flung. The Central People's Government deemed it necessary to clear up the situation there and drive out the imperialist forces at an early date. It ordered the People's Liberation Army to enter Tibet. At the instigation of the U.S. and British imperialists, the reactionaries　in the local government of Tibet directed the Tibetan army　to block the entrance of the P.L.A. at Chamdo. The P.L.A. had to deal punitive and smashing blows to the Tibetan　army and, on October 19, 1950, wiped out its main force　of over 5,000 men. Chamdo was thus liberated.

Liberation of Chamdo

Following the liberation of Chamdo, the U.S. and　British imperialists raised a ballyhoo. At a press conference held in Washington on November 1, 1950, Dean　Acheson, then U.S. Secretary of State, openly slandered　the entry of the P.L.A. into China's own territory Tibet　as "aggression." In an editorial on October 31, 1950, the　London Times brazenly asserted: "The claim [that Tibet　is a part of Chinese territory--Ed.] cannot be justified　in history." It tried to incite the Governments of India　and Pakistan to lodge "protests" with China.

Among the Tibetan ruling clique, there was a handful of reactionaries headed by Regent Tagcha who were　working hand in glove with imperialism and foreign　expansionists. They abducted the Fourteenth (the present) Dalai Lama to Yatung from where they planned to take　him abroad. They were counting on a third world war　for staging a come-back. However, their scheme to abduct　the Dalai Lama to India aroused opposition among both　the masses of Tibetan people and the three major Tibetan　monasteries. Not a few kanpos and kaloons close to the　Dalai Lama also disapproved of the scheme and favoured　negotiations with the Central People's Government. The　struggle ended in victory for the patriotic and progressive　forces which opposed the flight of the Dalai Lama and　represented the wishes of the Tibetan people.

Consequently, in the spring of 1951, Tagcha stepped　down and the Fourteenth Dalai Lama assumed power. The Dalai Lama then appointed kaloon Ngapo Ngawang Jigme and four others as plenipotentiaries of the local　government of Tibet to conduct negotiations in Peking. The U.S. and British imperialist plot to prevent direct　negotiations between Tibet and the motherland was　completely foiled.

Agreement Signed in Peking

Upon its arrival in Peking the Tibetan delegation　started negotiations with the delegates appointed by the　Central People's Government for a peaceful liberation of　Tibet. In the short period of one month, agreement was　reached on all important questions. On May 23, 1951, the Agreement on Measures for the Peaceful Liberation　of Tibet was signed.

This document provided correct solutions to the question of the relations between Tibet and the motherland, and also to problems of relations between the Dalai Lama　and Panchen Erden which had been outstanding for　30 years. This agreement was a brilliant achievement　of the Chinese Communist Party in settling a very intricate　domestic question of nationalities.

The Fourteenth Dalai Lama returned from Yatung to　Lhasa on August 17, 1951. On October 26, units of the　People's Liberation Army arrived in Lhasa and were　warmly welcomed by the Tibetan people, both lamas and　laymen. In a telegram to Chairman Mao Tse-tung on　October 24, 1951, the Dalai Lama said that "the delegates　of both parties, on a friendly basis, signed the Agreement　on Measures for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet on May　23, 1951." The lamas and laymen of Tibetan nationality, he said, support the agreement unanimously. "Under the　leadership of Chairman Mao Tse-tung and the Central　People's Government, they are actively helping the People's Liberation Army units marching into Tibet to　strengthen national defence, drive imperialist forces from　Tibet and safeguard the unification of the territory and　sovereignty of the motherland," he stated.

The Tibetan people were thus freed from imperialist　fetters and returned to the big family of fraternal nationalities of the People's Republic of China.

(This article appears on page 17, No. 18, 1959)