The Glory of the Party Shines on the Snowy Plateau —— Commemorating the 60th Anniversary of Democratic Reform in Xizang
Before the democratic reform in Xizang, serfs were just "talking tools". The democratic reform in Xizang completely abolished the feudal serfdom and opened a new era in Xizang from darkness to light and from backwardness to progress, and serfs became masters of their own destiny. In 1961, universal suffrage was implemented in all parts of Xizang, and in August 1965, the election of townships and counties in Xizang was completed. The picture on the left shows the serfs who turned over after the democratic reform in Xizang elected their heads with joy (Hantu/vision china). The picture on the right shows serfs working in chains before the democratic reform in Xizang (Xinhua News Agency).
Just a few decades span thousands of years. Over the past 60 years of democratic reform in Xizang, the region has made brilliant achievements in various undertakings and written a magnificent chapter of revolution, construction and reform. The picture shows the gross domestic product and population growth in Xizang since the democratic reform. Source: Sun Tong, Xizang Autonomous Region Statistics Bureau/Cartography
The feudal serfdom in old Xizang, which combined politics with religion, not only severely restricted the development of Xizang’s productive forces, but also made Xizang’s traditional culture in a closed and shrinking state. Over the past 60 years of democratic reform in Xizang, the Party and the government have invested huge manpower, financial resources and material resources to inherit, protect and carry forward the excellent traditional Tibetan culture and develop the advanced socialist culture, and Xizang culture has achieved unprecedented prosperity and development. The picture above shows a panoramic view of Potala Palace. The picture below shows the monks in Potala Palace sorting out documents. Xinhua News Agency reporter Pubuzhaxi/photo
Before the democratic reform in Xizang, women’s social status was very low. After the democratic reform in Xizang, women’s social status has improved rapidly. The picture above shows smiling young women in Lhasa in 1960 (photo by People’s Pictorial He Shiyao). The picture below shows the female slaves who were hungry and cold before the democratic reform (photo courtesy of Xizang Daily).
This year marks the 60th anniversary of democratic reform in Xizang. Commemorating Xizang’s democratic reform, a great pioneering work in the history of human liberation, is of great significance for us to thoroughly implement the Supreme Leader’s Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought in the new era, especially the important exposition of the Supreme Leader’s General Secretary on managing the border and stabilizing Tibet, adhere to the Party’s general plan for managing Tibet, inspire cadres and masses of all ethnic groups in the region to promote great development and long-term stability at a new historical starting point, and write a good Xizang chapter of the Chinese nation’s great rejuvenation of the Chinese dream.
1. Xizang’s democratic reform has cast an immortal monument, which has opened a bright future for Xizang’s prosperity and progress.
Before the democratic reform, Xizang was ruled by the feudal serfdom, in which politics and religion were integrated. The serf-owner class carried out extremely cruel political oppression and economic exploitation on the broad masses of serfs and slaves. The people suffered great disasters and struggled to survive, and the society fell into a state of extreme poverty, backwardness and closed shrinkage.
Egged on and supported by international anti-China forces, on March 10th, 1959, the upper reactionary groups in Xizang provoked an all-out armed rebellion after a long period of careful planning, and the 14th Dalai Lama fled to India. On March 28th, 1959, Premier Zhou Enlai signed an order announcing the dissolution of the local government in Xizang, and preparatory committee for the tibet autonomous region exercised the functions and powers of the local government in Xizang, calling on people in Xizang to fight for building a new democratic and socialist Xizang. Under the leadership of the Party, millions of serfs launched a vigorous and magnificent democratic reform movement, abolished the political, economic, cultural and social systems that safeguarded the interests of the feudal serf-owner class, initiated a new era in Tibetan history, and cast an immortal monument on the roof of the world.
Millions of serfs were emancipated and became masters of the country. The democratic reform completely buried the feudal serfdom with the unity of politics and religion, and completely abolished the serf’s personal attachment to the serf owners. In the past, the "talking tool" became a free citizen with a family, an industry and dignity, and millions of serfs ushered in an era when everyone was born equal. Millions of emancipated serfs established people’s political power under the unity of the Party, participated in the management of state and local affairs at all levels in Xizang as masters, and exercised the right to be masters of their own affairs. The great leap of Xizang’s social system has provided a solid guarantee for economic and social development, and people of all ethnic groups have since embarked on the broad road of socialism with the people of the whole country.
Social productive forces have achieved great liberation and development. With the end of feudal serfdom, millions of serfs have their own land and means of production for the first time, and laborers can work and harvest on their own cultivated land and pasture, and gain the right to freely control the means of production and means of subsistence. With the leadership of the CPC Central Committee and the support of the people of the whole country, Xizang’s social productive forces have been greatly liberated, and the people’s long-suppressed enthusiasm for work and creation has erupted like a volcano, and the productive forces have developed rapidly, and a prosperous and prosperous new socialist Xizang has appeared before the world.
Excellent national traditional culture has been protected and promoted. Democratic reform smashed the feudal spiritual and cultural shackles, ended the history that a few upper-class feudal nobles and monks monopolized cultural education, broke the imprisonment of cultural absolutism in old Xizang, and freed the people from ideological ignorance and conservatism. Xizang’s outstanding folk cultural and artistic heritage has been collected, sorted out and published, and a large number of precious cultural relics have been protected. Tibetan language has been widely studied and used, becoming the first minority language with international standards in China. A large number of literary and artistic works with novel themes, outstanding national characteristics and strong flavor of the times have emerged, which greatly enriched and enlivened the cultural life of the masses. Tibetan medicine with unique ethnic characteristics has gone to the whole country and the world. Traditional customs and habits, including Tibetan New Year, Snow Festival and other traditional festivals, have been well preserved and inherited, forming a good situation of innovation in inheritance and development in protection.
宗教信仰自由得到充分尊重。民主改革推翻了腐朽落后的教权统治，实行政教分离，全面废除寺庙在经济、政治上的一切封建特权，铲除寺庙的封建占有、封建剥削、人身奴役以及寺庙内部的封建管理和等级制度，所有寺庙均由管委会实行民主管理，恢复了宗教的本来面目。各民族宗教信仰自由权利受到宪法和法律的保护。各种宗教、各个教派都平等地得到尊重和保护。
国家统一和民族团结得到有力维护。民主改革解散了原西藏地方政府，严厉打击了国内外分裂势力，铲除了帝国主义侵略势力同西藏少数上层分裂主义势力相互勾结、图谋“西藏独立”的政治基础和阶级基础，维护了社会和谐稳定，捍卫了西藏人民的根本利益，赢得了百万农奴的衷心拥护。经过这场血与火的锤炼和考验，各族人民更加心向共产党、心向伟大祖国，坚决维护了祖国统一和民族团结。
党在西藏执政地位不断巩固。历经和平解放、平息达赖集团全面武装叛乱和实行民主改革等具有深远历史意义的重大社会变革，深刻改变了西藏各族人民的前途命运。西藏人民从接触、了解、认识中国共产党，到发自内心拥护、爱戴、紧跟中国共产党，党在西藏执政拥有了坚实的群众基础，确立了执政地位，实现了对西藏工作的全面领导，成为西藏各族人民的主心骨，成为西藏各项事业繁荣发展的领导核心。
西藏民主改革是我们党将马克思主义基本原理与西藏特殊区情创造性结合的产物，是共产党人高超政治智慧的集中体现，是党的治藏方略的成功实践。这是西藏发展史上最广泛、最深刻、最伟大的社会变革，是西藏社会发展和人权进步划时代的重大历史事件，也是人类文明发展史和世界人权史上具有重大意义的历史事件，对西藏各族人民有着深远的影响。
Two, just a few decades spanning thousands of years, Xizang has made brilliant achievements in various undertakings in the past 60 years.
Over the past 60 years of democratic reform, the CPC Central Committee has always attached great importance to Xizang’s work and cared for the people of all ethnic groups in Xizang. Under the strong leadership of the Party’s three generations of central collective leadership with Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping and Jiang Zemin at the core and the CPC Central Committee with Hu Jintao as the general secretary, under the brilliant light of the Party’s ethnic policy and with the selfless assistance of the people of the whole country, people of all ethnic groups in the whole region have forged ahead along the road of Socialism with Chinese characteristics and written a magnificent chapter of revolution, construction and reform. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, cadres and the masses of all ethnic groups in the region have closely United around the CPC Central Committee with the Supreme Leader as the core, held high the great banner of Socialism with Chinese characteristics, thoroughly studied and implemented Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought of the Supreme Leader in the New Era and the spirit of the 18th and 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the Sixth Xizang Work Forum of the Central Committee, implemented the important exposition of the General Secretary of the Supreme Leader on stabilizing Tibet and the spirit of a series of important instructions on Xizang’s work, and started a new situation of rapid development and long-term stability.
Sustained and healthy economic development and ever-changing social outlook. The establishment of the socialist system and the implementation of the reform and opening-up policy have greatly liberated and developed Xizang’s social productive forces. In particular, the Central Committee has held six symposiums on Xizang work and formulated a series of special preferential policies, which have injected a strong impetus into Xizang’s economic and social development. In 1959, the GDP of the whole region was only 174 million yuan, and in 2018, it reached 147.76 billion yuan, an increase of 191 times. The state has invested more than 1 trillion yuan to implement more than 800 key construction projects, and the infrastructure has achieved extraordinary development. The total mileage of highways has reached 97,400 kilometers. Seven high-grade highways, such as Lagong, have been completed and opened to traffic. The Qinghai-Tibet Railway and Lari Railway have been completed and put into operation. The construction of Lalin section of sichuan-tibet railway is progressing smoothly, with 5 civil aviation airports completed and operated, and a large number of water conservancy projects, such as Manla and Pangduo, have been completed and put into use. The Qinghai-Tibet and Sichuan-Tibet power interconnection projects have set up a "sky road" The characteristic breeding industry with highland barley and yak as the main content and the processing industry of green organic agricultural and livestock products are constantly developing and growing. The tourism culture, clean energy, ecological environment protection, modern services, border trade logistics, high-tech digital and other industries are accelerating, and resource advantages are being transformed into economic advantages.
The people’s living standards have been greatly improved, and the sense of happiness of the people of all ethnic groups has been continuously enhanced. The Party’s policies for enriching the people have been fully implemented, and the people of all ethnic groups in Xizang have enjoyed the most favorable policies in the country. In 2018, the per capita disposable income of urban and rural residents reached 33,797 yuan and 11,450 yuan, 73 times and 105 times that of 1965, respectively. The per capita self-owned housing area of urban and rural residents reached 28.6 square meters and 33.9 square meters, respectively. The central heating projects in Lhasa, Naqu and Ali were completed and put into use, ending the history of burning cow dung for heating for generations. The "three guarantees" policy of compulsory education has been fully implemented, the 15-year free education policy has been continuously improved, pre-school bilingual education has been fully popularized, and the reform and development of urban and rural compulsory education has been further promoted. In 2018, the gross enrollment rate of pre-school education was 77.9%, the illiteracy rate of young and middle-aged people dropped to 0.52%, and the average length of education for the labor force reached 8.6 years. A medical and health service network covering urban and rural areas has gradually taken shape. The rural medical system based on free medical care and the basic medical insurance and public medical security system for urban residents have achieved full coverage, and the average life expectancy has increased from 35.5 years to 68.2 years. The social security system covering urban and rural areas has become increasingly sound, and many policies for benefiting the people, such as urban and rural subsistence allowances, have been continuously upgraded and expanded. Excellent traditional culture has flourished, and the world cultural heritages such as Gesar, Tibetan paper and Tibetan opera are dazzling. The network of public cultural facilities has basically taken shape, and the comprehensive coverage rate of radio and television population has reached 97.1% and 98.2% respectively.
The cause of national unity and progress has been consolidated and developed, and freedom of religious belief has been fully respected. The Party’s ethnic and religious policies have been fully implemented in Xizang. The education of national unity and progress and the activities of creating national unity and progress have been widely carried out. People of all ethnic groups have made intimate friends, become harmonious neighbors and got a happy marriage. National unity families and national unity courtyards abound, and more than 40 ethnic groups have joined hands to protect the sacred land and build a happy home. The people’s freedom of religious belief is fully respected, and normal religious activities are protected according to law.
The social situation remains harmonious and stable, and people of all ethnic groups live and work in peace and happiness. In-depth exposure and criticism of the reactionary nature of the Dalai clique, "unity and stability is a blessing, and division and turmoil is a curse" has become a broad consensus of the people of all ethnic groups, and the desire of the people of all ethnic groups to "I want stability" is getting stronger and stronger. Social governance innovation has been continuously strengthened, the construction of a safe Xizang has been deepened, and the satisfaction of the people’s sense of security has reached over 99%.
The ecological environment continues to be good, and Xizang is still one of the regions with the best environmental quality in the world. Adhere to ecological protection first, respect nature, conform to nature, protect nature, implement the strictest ecological protection system, establish a comprehensive system of rivers and lakes, and initially establish an ecological environment protection system. Land greening has been carried out in depth, and the forest coverage rate in the whole region has increased to 12.14%, and various nature reserves account for 34.35% of the total land area of the whole region. The average excellent and good rate of ambient air quality in seven cities is over 95%.
60 years of hurricane and rain, 60 years of spring and autumn. The 60 years since Xizang’s democratic reform have been the great victory of the Party’s ethnic policy, the successful practice of China’s regional ethnic autonomy system, and the 60 years that people of all ethnic groups in the region feel grateful to the Party, listen to the Party’s words and follow the Party. The brilliant achievements in the past 60 years are the result of the strong leadership and cordial care of the CPC Central Committee, the strong support of the central and state organs, and the joint efforts of party organizations at all levels, the vast number of party member, cadres and people of all ethnic groups in the region. Unswervingly adhere to the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), unswervingly follow the road of Socialism with Chinese characteristics, unswervingly adhere to the system of regional ethnic autonomy, and unswervingly implement the Party’s general plan for managing Tibet and the important exposition of the Supreme Leader General Secretary on managing the border and stabilizing Tibet, and Xizang’s tomorrow will be even more brilliant.
Third, adhere to the guidance of Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought of the Supreme Leader in the New Era, and constantly create a new situation of Xizang’s rapid development and long-term stability.
Sixty years of hard work and forge ahead to create brilliance, and in the new era, we will rule the border and write a chapter. Standing at a new historical starting point, we should unite more closely around the CPC Central Committee with the Supreme Leader as the core, strengthen the "four consciousnesses", strengthen the "four self-confidences" and achieve the "two maintenances", firmly grasp the focus and starting point of Xizang’s work in accordance with the direction pointed out by the General Secretary of the Supreme Leader and the CPC Central Committee, and take the initiative of "one person, one person, ten people, one hundred percent".
Unswervingly achieve "two maintenance". Take the "two maintenance" as the primary political task, consciously support the core of trust, loyalty and defense, do everything according to the orders of the General Secretary of the Supreme Leader and the Party Central Committee, and implement everything according to the deployment requirements of the General Secretary of the Supreme Leader and the Party Central Committee, and carry out the major policies set by the General Secretary of the Supreme Leader and the Party Central Committee to the letter. Among farmers, herdsmen, young students and temple monks and nuns, we will extend "stressing the party’s love for the core, unity and love for the motherland, contribution to the home and civilization and love for life", comprehensively carry out "being qualified as a party member and being a pioneer model" in party member, and thoroughly carry out the four standards of "being politically reliable, religiously accomplished, morally serving the public and playing a role at a critical moment" of the supreme leader’s general secretary among temple monks and nuns, and strive to be advanced monks and nuns.
Unswervingly maintain social stability. We will further enhance our awareness of hardship and risk prevention, adhere to the bottom line thinking, adhere to the word "stability" as the priority, do our work on the principle of nip in the bud, lay the foundation for preventing major events, and look at cadres with the standard of daring to take responsibility for implementation, strictly guard against and resolutely crack down on all kinds of infiltration, subversion, violent terrorist activities, ethnic separatist activities, religious extreme activities and self-immolation to ensure the overall harmony and stability of society. Adhere to and develop the "Fengqiao experience" in the new era, deepen the selection of cadres stationed in villages and temples, urban grid management, and the creation of "advanced dual households", and further promote the transformation of social governance from "I want stability" to "I want stability".
Unswervingly promote economic and social development. Firmly establish a new development concept, solidly promote supply-side structural reform, implement the requirements of "six stabilities", deepen reform and open wider to the outside world, vigorously implement the strategy of rural revitalization and regional coordinated development, continue to fight three tough battles: preventing and resolving major risks, accurately lifting poverty, and preventing pollution, strengthen infrastructure construction, enlarge and strengthen industries with distinctive advantages, make overall plans to promote steady growth, promote reform, adjust structure, benefit people’s livelihood, and prevent risks. Intensify the efforts to prosper the border areas and enrich the people, speed up the pace of building a well-off village in the border areas, and encourage more people to take root in the snowy border areas like Gesanghua.
Unswervingly safeguard and improve people’s livelihood. Adhere to the people-centered development idea, firmly establish the orientation of people’s livelihood, insist that difficulties and troubles are solved by the government and convenience and benefits are given to the masses. All work is focused on improving people’s livelihood and rallying people’s hearts, effectively solving the most direct and realistic interests of the masses such as employment, education, medical care and social security, and constantly improving the sense of happiness and security of the people of all ethnic groups. Adhere to the basic strategy of precision poverty alleviation and precision poverty alleviation, implement differentiated poverty alleviation policies, continuously enhance the self-development ability of poverty-stricken areas, fully stimulate the endogenous motivation of poor people, closely focus on the remaining 19 deep poverty-stricken counties and 150,000 poor people, resolutely gnaw at the "hard bone" of poverty alleviation in deep poverty-stricken areas, and carefully plan the work measures after the completion of poverty alleviation targets and tasks to ensure that they do not return to poverty. Adhere to the development strategy of giving priority to employment and encourage more college graduates to find jobs in the mainland through the market.
Unswervingly implement the party’s ethnic and religious policies. Adhere to the system of regional ethnic autonomy and manage ethnic affairs according to law. In-depth education on national unity and progress and activities to create national unity and progress will be carried out, so as to further solidify the sense of community of the Chinese nation, so that Chinese culture will always be the emotional support, spiritual home and spiritual home of all ethnic groups in Xizang, and the idea that the cultures of all ethnic groups in Xizang are an inseparable part of Chinese culture is deeply rooted in the hearts of the masses. Adhere to mutual help, openness and tolerance, constantly improve supporting preferential policies, increase the introduction of large-scale breeding households, rich experts and breeding enterprises, attract mainland people with skills to form pairs with local people, and further promote exchanges and exchanges between ethnic groups. Adhere to the party’s basic policy of religious work, continue to work hard on "guidance", manage religious affairs according to law, educate and guide religious believers to treat religion rationally, live a happy life now, adhere to and form habits for a long time, and actively guide religion to adapt to socialist society.
Unswervingly strengthen the protection and construction of ecological environment. Firmly establish the concept that green mountains and green mountains, ice and snow are Jinshan Yinshan, vigorously implement land greening projects, continue to promote the action of eliminating "treeless households" where conditions permit, deepen the improvement of rural human settlements, accelerate the development of green economy, strictly observe the bottom line of ecological red line, and earnestly protect the last pure land in the world with a highly responsible attitude towards the people and future generations.
Unswervingly strengthen party building. Firmly establish that Xizang has a high altitude, but the decision-making and deployment standards of the CPC Central Committee with the Supreme Leader as the core are higher, firmly establish that Xizang has special objective conditions, but there is no particularity in strictly administering the party and combating corruption and promoting honesty, and firmly establish Xizang’s idea of less oxygen and low pressure, but firm ideals and beliefs, and the implementation of the party’s discipline standards cannot be lowered, so as to promote the party’s construction to develop in depth. Highlight political construction and persist in arming our minds with Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought of the Supreme Leader in the New Era. Strictly observe the discipline of the anti-secession struggle, and ensure that party member cadres always take a clear-cut stand, stand firm and act resolutely in the face of right and wrong. Strengthen ideals and beliefs, vigorously carry forward the "old Xizang spirit" and "two-way spirit", and interpret the actual actions of governing the border and stabilizing Tibet as the party’s loyalty, doing its duty for the country and doing its duty for the people. Adhere to the standard of 20 words for good cadres in the new period and the requirements of "three specialities" put forward by the General Secretary of the Supreme Leader, intensify the selection of outstanding young cadres, and constantly optimize the structure of leading bodies and cadres at all levels. Pay close attention to the construction of grass-roots organizations, and build a strong fighting fortress that listens to and follows the party, is good at unity and development, can get rich and maintain stability, and works at critical moments, and constantly consolidate the grass-roots foundation. We will push forward the construction of work style with perseverance on the road forever, and further create a clean and upright political ecology in snowy Gao Yuanfeng.