Dalai Can't Negate Validity of "17 Articles"Gyinzom Gyaincainpuncog, a former Tibetan government official who has played an important role in the peaceful liberation of Tibet, said the validity of the 17- article agreement is unquestionable.The central people's government signed a 17-article agreement on the peaceful liberation of Tibet with the local government of Tibet after repeated negotiations in 1951. The agreement was signed on a voluntary basis by both sides, Gyinzom Gyaincainpuncog said in an interview with Xinhua Tuesday. In view of Dalai's slander that the Tibetan representative was forced to sign the agreement, Gyinzom Gyaincainpuncog said, "This is sheer fabrication, " adding "Though I was not the signatory, I was a participant and witnessed the entire process of the signing of the agreement." Gyinzom Gyaincainpuncog, 76, used to serve as chief of Qamdo, a town of strategic importance in eastern Tibet and the adjutant to Ngapoi Nagwang Jigme and now acts as vice-chairman of the Tibet Regional People's Political Consultative Conference. Soon after the founding of new China in 1949, the central people's government ordered the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) to march into Tibet and notify the local government of Tibet to come to Beijing for negotiations on the peaceful liberation of Tibet. Owing to the interference of imperialists and some forces in Tibet, the negotiations failed. The PLA liberated Qamdo on October 19, 1950, opening a door for the liberation of Tibet. "In the early days when Qamdo was liberated, I couldn't understand the policies of the Communist Party and I distrusted and feared them. Soon after, I was moved by the strict discipline of the PLAŁ¬" Gyinzom Gyaincainpuncog said. Ngapoi Nagwang Jigme asked Gyinzom Gyaincainpuncog to send a letter to the Tibetan local government on the 13th day after the liberation of Qamdo, explaining the position of the central government on the peaceful negotiations. Gyinzom Gyaincainpuncog hurried on his journey for seven days and nights and gave the letter to the 14th Dalai Lama a week later. "After reading the letter, the Dalai called in senior officials and abbots of the three leading lamaseries for a meeting, during which a decision was made to send a five-member delegation headed by Ngapoi Nagwang Jigme to hold talks with the central people's government," he said. Then, Gyinzom Gyaincainpuncog headed for Beijing, together with Li Weihan, a representative of the central government, and other delegation members for the negotiations. Through repeated consultations, the two sides signed the monumental 17-article agreement on May 23, 1951. In a telegram sent to Mao Zedong, chairman of the Central Committee of Communist Party of China, in October 1951, the 14th Dalai Lama said the 17-article agreement was reached on the basis of friendship between representatives of both sides. "The central people's government has provided economic aid and great care to Tibet over the past 50 years. I am a witness of development in Tibet," Gyinzom Gyaincainpuncog said. "The Dalai Lama himself should not negate the great changes in Tibet, he said, noting that the 'independence of Tibet' advocated by the Dalai clique has no future." |
| People's Daily Online --- http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/ |