Pebala Cholieh-namje, Deputy Chairman of the Preparatory Committee for the Autonomous Region of Tibet, said that the feudal system with all its special privileges, which grinds down the people, clerical and lay, must be done away with lock, stock and barrel. He spoke last Wednesday at the Second Plenary Session of the Preparatory Committee which has been in session in Lhasa since June 28. He opened his speech endorsing the views and proposals put forward in the speeches delivered earlier at the session by Panchen Erdeni, Chang Kuo-hua and Ngapo Ngawang-Jigme. (See Peking Review, Nos. 27 and 28.)

Pebala Cholieh-nam29, 1959je said that unlike other parts of the motherland Tibet has remained poor and backward despite its natural wealth because of the cruel oppression and exploitation of the feudal serf system and the obstructions placed in the way of reform by the former local government of Tibet and the reactionary clique of the upper social strata. To enable the masses of the working people to emancipate themselves completely, he said, we must take firm action to root out serfdom in Tibet. This conforms to the urgent demand of the people and will pave the way for Tibet to fall into step with the other nationalities of China and take the road of socialism. It will be impossible for Tibet to progress unless it carries out democratic reform and sets up a democratic regime, he pointed out.

Pebala Cholieh-namje, who is a Living Buddha, then turned to the question of freedom of religious belief. He said that the Communist Party and the Government had always adhered to the policy of freedom of religious belief and there will be no change in this. Patriotic and law-abiding religious circles are accorded proper protection by the government; historic sites and relics and the monasteries certainly enjoy protection. Nevertheless, he stressed that the feudal system with all its special privileges, which had held sway in the monasteries oppressing and fleecing lamas and laymen, must go. All these rotten things, he added, run counter to the policy of freedom of religious belief and the Constitution of the country; they have nothing in common with the teachings of the Buddha. If an end is not put to this feudal system, not only will it prevent the people of Tibet from completely emancipating themselves, it will harm religion as well.

He said that although the upper classes exploit and trample upon the working people in Tibet the Communist Party and Government have decided to adopt a policy of redemption towards them. For this, he said, they must always be grateful. He called on them to stand firmly on the side of the people and give their all to the democratic reform.

(This article appears on page 4, No. 29, 1959)