The sixth Tibet Work Forum was held in Beijing from 24th to 25th August. Seven members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee all attended. This is, without doubt, a meeting of the highest order concerning Tibet.

The meeting clearly defined the Party’s strategy and systematically outlined the policies for governing Tibet. At the meeting, President Xi Jinping’s quote had particular resonance with everybody: “Working on the plateau, the most scarce thing is oxygen and the most precious is spirit”. He called on all Party members to carry forward the fine tradition and to instill a new meaning into the “old Tibetan spirit”.

What is “old Tibetan spirit”? Overall, it can be summarized as “the ability to endure hardship, to fight, to tolerate, to unite, to devote”. How did the “old Tibetan spirit” come from?

Peaceful Liberation of Tibet

Picture: the People’s Liberation Army advancing to Chamdo

In 1950 the People’s Liberation Army swept through the whole of China as the liberation war was coming to an end; only Tibet hadn’t been liberated on the mainland. Chairman Mao wrote to the CPC Southwest Bureau saying that India and the United States are casting an eye on Tibet and we must march into Tibet sooner rather than later, otherwise trouble awaits. Thus, the task of marching into Tibet fell on the 18th army of the Southwest Bureau. In March 1950 the 18th army commander, Zhang guohua, and political commissar, Tan guansan, made sonorous oaths at the swearing-in ceremony: “We will resolutely stick the five-star red flag in the Himalayan mountains so happy flowers can bloom all over Tibet!"

However, the air is very thin on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, part of it is covered with snow throughout the year and it is bitterly cold. The army entering Tibet was without sufficient oxygen; there were no roads, no place to stay and not enough food. The 18th army soldiers would rather go hungry than eat the fellow villagers’food. If thirsty, they would drink snow; if hungry, they would eat wild vegetables. Some soldiers even ate the cotton from their clothes. This ability to endure hardship and spirit to fight led to the peaceful liberation of Tibet in 1951.

Construction of the Sichuan-Tibet and Qinghai-Tibet Highway

Since there were no roads, the People’s Liberation Army built a road while they were marching. Hence, 110,000 Chinese and Tibetan soldiers and civilians, at an average altitude of 4,000 meters, performed a miracle in the history of mankind. However, 3000 soldiers and civilians lost their lives when building the Sichuan-Tibet and Qinghai-Tibet Highway, which is the equivalent of one soldier falling every kilometer!

On 25th December 1954 the Highway opened to traffic, connecting the snow-covered plateau to the mainland. As an important channel for the mainland in and out of Tibet, regardless of whether on military, political, economic or cultural terms, the Highway has an irreplaceable role and status.

Picture: The second detachment of Tibet’s armed police pays their respects to the martyrs at the martyrs’ cemetery

Counter-insurgency and democratic reform in Tibet

At the time when the serfs turned to the Communist Party demanding reform, some reactionary leaders were causing constant unrest as they tried to maintain serfdom and protect their vested interests, which eventually led to rebellion.

At the end of February 1956 the reactionary leaders instigated an armed rebellion at Litang and Dajin Monastery. During the night, the insurgents killed hundreds of Tibetan and Han cadres.

The means by which the rebels killed members of the People’s Liberation Army were extremely cruel. On 17th September 1958 the “religious army” ambushed one of the Tibetan Military Hospital cars killing all the soldiers. A few female doctors and nurses were stabbed to death in the vagina and stomach.

Through support from the CIA, a local rebellion developed into a full-scale armed rebellion. On the night of 19th March 1959 the armed rebels launched a massive offensive on the People’s Liberation Army stationed in Lhasa. Under heavy attack and after repeated warning to no avail, the People’s Liberation Army stationed in Tibet was forced to fight back. After two days of fighting, they destroyed the rebels gathered in Lhasa in one fell swoop.

Sino-Indian War

After the People’s Liberation Army entered Tibet, a series of territorial issues arose due to Tibet sharing a border with India. The relationship between China and India soured after talks between both sides broke down and the Sino-Indian Border Conflict broke out in 1962.

During the Sino-Indian War, China’s frontier guards amassed a total of more than 2,400 casualties. They drove out the invading Indian army and protected the territory and sovereignty of the motherland, at the same time as dealing a blow to the arrogance of the Indian expansionists.

Picture: 1962 Sino-Indian War

A history of the development of the new socialist Tibet is a history of the heritage of the “old Tibetan spirit”. Through new Tibet’s ups and downs over the last 60 years, the snow-covered plateau has maintained a spirit that continues to burn like a smelting furnace, involving countless heroic deeds.