A Poisoned Arrow: The Secret Report of the 10th Panchen Lama

351 Pages·1997·13.245 MB·English

by  Tibet Information Network

A Poisoned Arrow:
The Secret Report of the 10th Panchen Lama
The full text of the Panchen Lama's 70,000 Character Petition of
1962, together with a selection of supporting historical documents
Tibet Information Network
London 1997
Copyright ® December 1997 Tibet Information Network [TIN)
All rights reserved
ISBN: 0-9532011-1-2
Printed in London, England
Published by Tibet Information Network (TIN), December 1997
Cover photograph: The Panchen Lama undergoing a struggle session in Lhasa
in 1964. The five stars of a Chinese flag on the wall can just be seen behind
the Panchen's head, During this struggle session, the Panchen was given the
"three labels" of anti-Party, anti-people and anti-socialist, which were not
removed until 1988.
"A Poisoned Arrow: The Secret Report of the 10ch Panchen Larna" is TIN
Background Briefing Paper No, 29,
TIN Background Briefing Papers are specialist reports on contemporary Tibet.
Past issues include Catting Off the Serpent's Head: Tightening Control in
Tibet 7994-7995 (with Human Rights Watch Asia}; Birth Control in Tibet-
Documents and Laws; Security Policy in the TAR, 1992- 7994; Defying the
Dragon: China and Human Rights in Tiber (with Lawasia), and Leaders in Tibet:
A Directory.
TIN UK: City CLoisters,188^196 Old Street, London ECW 9FR, UK
Tel: (+44) 171 8149011
Fax: ( + 44) 171 814 9015
E-mail: tin@gn,pc.org or [email protected]
TIN USA:PO Box 2270, Jackson, WY83001, USA
Tel: ( + 1) 307 733 4670
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [email protected]
Tibet Information Network
The Tibet Information Network (TIN) fs an independent news and
research service that collects and distributes information about what is
happening in Tibet. TIN monitors social, economic, political, environmental,
and human rights conditions in Tibet, and then publishes the Information in an
easily accessible form, ft collects its information by using sources inside and
outside Tibet, by conducting projects among refugees, and by monitoring
established Chinese and international sources.
TIN aims to present information that is accurate, reliable, and free
from bias. Its material is available to subscribers who, in return for an annual
fee, receive news and research publications. The service is used by individuals
and institutions, including journalists, governments, academics, China-
watchers, and human rights organisations. TIN was started in 1987 and is
based in London. It has no political affiliations or objectives and endeavours to
provide a reliable and dispassionate news service for an area of increasing
significance.
TIN services include: News Updates providing detailed coverage of
news events; Background Briefing Papers on key social and political issues; full
texts of key interviews and original documents; translations of articles from
Tibetan newspapers; and briefings for delegations and analysts. A selection of
TIN information is translated into Tibetan, Japanese, German, French, and
Danish. TIN's office in the U.S, distributes information to subscribers in North
America.
Addresses for the Tibet Information Network:
TIN UK; City Cloisters, 188-196 Old Street, London ECIV 9FR, UK
Tel: ( + 44) 171 814 9011
Fax: ( + 44) 171 814 9015
E-mail: [email protected],org [email protected]
TIN USA:PO Box 2270, Jackson, WY83001, USA
Tel: (+T) 307 733 4670
Fax: {+1) 307 739 2501
E-mail: [email protected]
The Tibet information Network is registered as a charity (No. 1057648), & as
a limited company in England and Wales (No, 3226281)
"a poisoned arrow shot at the Party hy reactionary feudai overlords*
- Mao Zedong's reported comment on the Petition.
Quotations
v
Quotations are from the Petit/on unless otherwise stated
The Panchen Lama on nationality
"Although Tibet has been under the jurisdiction of the motherland for several
hundred years, because methods of rule and ways of managing its internal
affairs are different from those of other minorities within the motherland, most
of the people in every strata strongly perceive themselves as Tibetan, and only
have a weak perception of the motherland../' page 63
"The Tibetan language..,has been taken by those foxes who called themselves
lions, and toyed with at will and for no reason. This should definitely not have
happened... literate people are becoming illiterate in the area of understanding
the meaning of words. This is not only a loss to the Tibetan people, but it is
afso a loss to the culture of the motherland," page 69
"Once a nationality's language, costume, customs and other important
characteristics have disappeared, then the nationality itself has disappeared
too - that is to say, it has turned into another nationality-,, if there are no
national language and other characteristics, then there can be no continued
existence and development of the nationality.,/ page 70
...on cadres
"In some particular areas, not only was the attitude of cadres not good
towards our religion and nationality, but also for a period, they openly and
unscrupulously published, in Tibetan language newspapers in Qinghat and
Ganzi, many crude and preposterous heretical ideas on the incorrect and bad
nature of Buddhism and SakyamunL.. when the higher level cadres talked
about the methods of reform, they were very clear about peaceful methods,
gradual advance, strict boundaries, and protection of targets, which was
satisfactory to people. But when this was passed down, level by level the
methods became violent, and there were great changes such as their wanting
speed and doing things perfunctorily; the boundaries became blurred and
protection was insufficient/ page 97
"Where in fact no rebellion had broken out when fcadres] wanted to suppress
people, they attacked them by falsely accusing and slandering them; this is the
first point. Second: those people who gathered together to chant scriptures
because of their Buddhist religion and for the happiness of mankind were also
regarded as counter-revolutionaries, suppressed and attacked. Third: cadres
did not carry out investigation and study into, but just believed, groundless
rumours about 'rebellion is going to take place' and 'rebellion has taken place1,
and carried out bloody suppression and attacks. These three things were
absolutely preposterous and extremely clumsy," page 101
vi A Poisoned Arrow: The Secret Report of the 10th Panchen Lama
...on religion
"Before democratic reform, there were more than 2,500 large, medium and
small monasteries in Tibet. After democratic reform, only 70-odd monasteries
were kept in existence by the government. This was a reduction of more than
97%. .Jn the whole of Tibet in the past there was a total of about 110,000
monks and nuns. Of those, possibly 10,000 fled abroad, leaving about
100,000. After democratic reform was concluded, the number of monks and
nuns living in the monasteries was about 7,000 people, which is a reduction
of 93%..." page 52
"Those who have religious knowledge will slowly die out, and religious affairs
are stagnating, knowledge is not being passed on, there is worry about there
being no new people to train, and so we see the elimination of Buddhism,
which was flourishing in Tibet and which transmitted teachings and
enlightenment. This is something which I and more than 90% of Tibetans
cannot endure/' page 57
...on famine
"...there has been an evident and severe reduction in the present-day Tibetan
population. Needless to say this was not only harmful to the flourishing of the
Tibetan nationality, but it was also a great threat to the continued existence of
the Tibetan nationality, which was sinking into a state close to death." page
103
"Because the amount of grain was not enough to feed even those with the
lowest requirements, the fire of bitterness and hunger was ignited, and so
dregs of fat, grain husks and so on which formerly in Tibet were fodder for
horses and donkeys, bulls and oxen, because hard to get and were considered
norishing and fragrant foods, Also, in order to make the food appear more and
to dispel one day's hunger and bitterness, the responsible people in the
canteens, apart from gathering together a lot of grass, which was more or less
edible, even gathered together tree bark, leaves, grass roots and grass seeds,
which really were not edible. After processing this, they mixed it with a bit of
foodstuffs, made it into a thin gruel like pig food and gave it to people to eat,
and even this was limited in amount and could not fill their stomachs,... In
some places, many people directly starved to death because the food ran out;
therefore, in some places, there was a phenomenon of whole families dying
out. The mortality rate was critical. These were abnormal deaths all caused
by lack of food, and in fact they all should be counted as having starved to
death." pages 112-3
Quotations vif
...and on the petition itself
"...the aristocrats were accused of being the leaders of the rebellions and
persecuted* This, I think, was an absolutely wrong thing to do. 1 had clearly
recorded these facts in my petition. Of course, I was criticised and punished
for this. But truth is timeless. It always remains the same. Undoubtedly,
there were mistakes in my petition- But I have never been wrong in speaking
up. The mistakes in the content of my petition are mistakes, both today and
in the past. But there should be a clear dividing line spelling out where I went
wrong and where I was right/'
From the Panchen Lama's speech to the TAR Standing Committee Meeting of
the National People's Congress held in Beijing on 28 March 1987,
VMi
Contents
Preface xi
Historical Introduction xxv
The Petition
Introductory remarks 1
1: On the Situation in Tibet 11
Circumstances and Problems 11
The First Problem: On Suppression of the Rebellion 11
The Second Problem: On Democratic Reform 12
The Three Antirs and Two Reductions in Agricultural
Areas 12
Land Distribution 14
The Three Anti's and Two Benefits in Animal
Herding Areas 15
Assignment of Classes 16
Mobilisation of the Masses and the Struggle 17
The "Seven Examinations" 24
The Third Problem: Production in Agricultural and Animal Herding 25
The Fourth Problem: On the United Front 30
The Fifth Problem: On Democratic Centralism 32
Democracy 33
Centralism 34
The Sixth Problem: On Dictatorship 35
Assembling for Training 36
Labour Reform 36
The Seventh Problem: On Religion 40
Opposition and Protection 45
Implementing Democratic Reform in Religion and
Monasteries 48
The Situation in the Monasteries after Democratic
Reform 52
The Future of Religion after Democratic Reform 56
The Religious Life of Monastic and Ordinary People 57
The Right of Religious Belief 58
The Eighth Problem: On the Tibetan Nationality 60
Actions and Results during 1961 76
First: On Suppression of the Rebellion 76
Second: On Democratic Reform 77
Third: On Agricultural and Animal Herding Production 80
Fourth: On the United Front 82
Fifth: On Democratic Centralism 83
Sixth: On Dictatorship 84
Seventh: On Religion 85
Eighth: On Nationality 89
II: On the Situation in Brother Provinces 91
First: On Nationality 96
On Suppression of the Rebellion 98
On Dictatorship 101
On Nationality Rights 102
Second: On Religion 104
Third: On the Lives of the Masses 106
III: Concluding Remarks
Factors in the Emergence of Errors and Mistakes 115
Three Problems which are Very Important
The Wise Policy of Freedom of Religious Belief 119
Suppression after the Rebellion 120
Unity of Will, to build a Great Socialist Country 121
Concluding Words 122
Index to the Petition 125
Appendices
Appendix A: Chronology 129
Appendix B: Documents 145
B1, Agreement between the Beijing Government and the
Local Tibetan Government on the "Peaceful Liberation"
of Tibet (the Seventeen Point Agreement! [Xinhua, Beijing,
May 27, 1951) 145
B2. Panchen Erdeni's Report at the Inaugural Meeting of the
Tibet Preparatory Committee [Renmin fttbao, April 25, 19561 149
B3. "Support the Central Government Policy of JNo Reform in
Six Years'"[X/zang Ribao, August 10, 1957( 152
B4. Major Victories Won in Struggles by People of Tibetan
Nationality in Gannan Against Counter-Revolutionaries and
Wicked Elements in Religious Circles (reader's letter, Minzu