The 17-Article Agreement stipulates the people of Tibet enjoy the right to national regional autonomy under the unified leadership of the Central People's Government. In 1951, Tibet won the peaceful liberation; in 1956, the Preparatory Committee of the Founding of the Tibet Autonomous Region was founded; in 1959, the Preparatory Committee acted on order to wield the power of the local government of Tibet; and in 1965, the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) was founded.

In November 1954, the Preparatory Group for the Founding of the Tibet Autonomous Region was founded. On April 22, 1956, the Preparatory Committee for the Founding of the Tibet Autonomous Region was inaugurated in Lhasa. It was composed of 51 members representing the local government of Tibet, the Panchen Kampus Assembly, the People's Liberation Committee of the Qamdo Area and the Central Government. The 14th Dalai Lama was its chairman and the 10th Panchen Erdeni its first vice-chairman.

The Central Government upholds the principle of peaceful reform by mobilizing the masses and conducting consultation with those in the ruling position. Officials in the old government were given official positions. However, a small number of reactionaries on the ruling class stood in opposition to the democratic reform and finally staged an armed rebellion on March 10, 1959. When the armed rebellion was suppressed, the 14th Dalai Lama fled overseas. The Preparatory Committee for the Founding of the Tibet Autonomous Region exercised the power due to the local government of Tibet and the 10th Panchen Erdeni was appointed its acting chairman, with the position of chairman still retained for the 14th Dalai Lama though he had fled overseas.

From 1959 to 1960, the Democratic Reform was conducted in Tibet and people's governments were organized at various levels. On September 1, 1965, the First Session of the First People's Congress of the Tibet Autonomous Region was held, and the Tibet Autonomous Region was formed officially. The People's Congress system, the national regional autonomy system, the political consultation system, and the democratic supervision system were introduced.

(China's Tibet Facts and Figures 2008)