The Agreement of the Central People's Government and the Local Government of Tibet

on Measures for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet

(Beijing, 23 May 1951)

The Tibetan ethnic group is one of the ethnic groups with a long history within the territory of China and, like many other ethnic groups, it has performed its glorious duty in the course of the creation and development of our great motherland. But over the last 100 years or more, imperialist forces invaded China, and thus also invaded the Tibetan region and carried out all kinds of deceptions and provocations. Like previous reactionary governments, the Kuomintang reactionary government continued to carry out a policy of oppressing and sowing dissension among various ethnic groups, causing division and disunity among the Tibetan people. And the local government of Tibet did not oppose the imperialist deceptions and provocations, and adopted an unpatriotic attitude towards our great motherland. Under such conditions, the Tibetan ethnic group and people were plunged into the depths of enslavement and suffering. 　

In 1949, victory was won nationwide in the Chinese People's War of Liberation; the common domestic enemy of all ethnic groups-the Kuomintang reactionary government-was overthrown; and the common foreign enemy of all the ethnic groups--the aggressive imperialist forces-was driven out. On this basis, the founding of the People's Republic of China and of the Central People's Government was announced. In accordance with the Common Program passed by the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the Central people's Government declared that all ethnic groups within the territory of the People's Republic of China are equal, and that they shall forge unity and mutual help and oppose imperialism and their own commmon enemies, so that the People's Republic of China will become a big fraternal and cooperative family, composed of all of its ethnic groups; that within the big family of all ethnic groups of the People's Republic of China, national regional autonomy shall be exercised in areas where national minorities are concentrated, and all national minorities shall have freedom to develop and preserve their spoken and written languages or People's Government shall assist all ethnic minorities in their political, economic, cultural and educational development. From then on, all ethnic groups within the country, with the exception of those in the areas of Tibet and Taiwan, won liberation. Under the unified leadership of the Central People's Government and the direct leadership of higher People's Governments, all ethnic minorities have been fully enjoying the right to national equality and have practiced, or are practicing, regional autonomy.

In order to eliminate the influence of aggressive imperialist forces in Tibet, and realize the unification of the territory and sovereignty of the People's Republic of China, and consolidate national defense; in order to emancipate the Tibetan ethnic group and people and enable them to return to the big family of the People's Republic of China so as to enjoy the same equal rights as all the other ethnic groups in the country and to develop their political, economic, cultural and educational undertakings, the Central People's Government, while ordering the People's Liberation Army troops to march into Tibet, notified the local government of Tibet of sending representatives to Beijing for negotiations on the conclusion of an agreement concerning the measures for the peaceful liberation of Tibet.

In late April 1951, the representatives fully entrusted by the local government of Tibet arrived in Beijing. The Central People's Government appointed representatives with full powers to hold negotiations on a friendly basis with the representatives of the local government of Tibet. As a result of these negotiations, both parties agreed to conclude this agreement and guarantee that it shall come into force.

1. The Tibetan people shall become united and drive out imperialist aggressive forces from Tibet; the Tibetan people shall return to the big family of the motherland-the People's Republic of China.

2. The local government of Tibet shall positively assist the People's Liberation Army troops in marching into Tibet and consolidate national defense.

3.In accordance with the policy on ethnic groups spelt out in the Common Program of the CPPCC, the Tibetan people have the right to exercising regional autonomy under the unified leadership of the Central People's Government.

4. The Central Government shall not change the existing political system in Tibet. The Central Government shall not change the established status and powers of the Dalai Lama. Officials of various ranks shall continue to perform their duties as in the past.

5. The established status and powers of the Panchen Erdeni shall be maintained.

6. By the established status and powers of the Dalai Lama and of the Panchen Erdeni mean the status and powers of the 13th Dalai Lama and of the 9th Panchen Erdeni when they were on friendly terms with each other.

7. The policy on the freedom in religious beliefs laid down in the Common Program of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference(CPPCC) shall be carried out. The religious beliefs, customs and habits of the Tibetan people shall be respected, and lamaseries shall be protected. The Central Government shall not change the income of the lamaseries.

8. The Tibetan troops shall be reorganized step by step into the People's Liberation Army, and become a part of the national defense forces of the People's Republic of China.

9. The spoken and written languages and school education of the Tibetan ethnic group shall be developed step by step in accordance with the specific conditions in Tibet.

10. Tibetan agriculture, livestock breeding, industry and commerce shall be developed step by step, and the people's livelihood shall be improved gradually in accordance with the actual conditions in Tibet.

11. In matters related to various reforms in Tibet, there will be no compulsion on the part of the Central Government. The local government of Tibet should implement reforms of its own accord, and when the people pose demand for reform, they shall be settled by means of consulting with the leading personnel of Tibet.

12. As long as former pro-imperialist and pro-Kuomintang officials resolutely sever relations with imperialism and the Kuomintang and do not engage in sabotage or resistance, they may continue to hold office regardless of their past.

13. The People's Liberation Army troops marching into Tibet shall abide by all the above-mentioned policies and shall also be fair in all buying and selling and shall not arbitrarily take a single needle or thread from the people.

14. The Central People's Government shall conduct the centralized handling of all external affairs of the region of Tibet; and there will be peaceful co-existence with neighboring countries and establishment and development of fair commercial and trading relations with them on the basis of equality, mutual benefit and mutual respect for territory and sovereignty.

15. In order to ensure the implementation of this Agreement, the Central People's Government shall set up the Military and Administrative Committee and the headquarters in military area of Tibet; and apart from the personnel sent there by the Central People's Government, it is imperative to encourage as many local Tibetan personnel as possible to take part in the work.

Local Tibetan personnel taking part in the Military and Administrative Committee may include patriotic people from the local government of Tibet, various districts and chief monasteries. The namelist shall be drawn up after consultation between the representatives designated by the Central People's Government and various quarters concerned, and shall be submitted to the Central People's Government for appointment. 　

16. Financing needed by the Military and Administrative Committee, the headquarters of the military area of Tibet and the People's Liberation Army troops marching into Tibet shall be provided by the Central People's Government. The local government of Tibet shall assist the People's Liberation Army troops in purchasing and transporting foods, fodder and other daily necessities.

17. This agreement shall come into force immediately after signatures and seals are affixed to it.

Signed and sealed by:

Representatives with full powers of the Central People's Government:

Representatives with full powers of the local government of Tibet:

Chief Representative:

Li Weihan

Representatives:

Zhang Jingwu

Zhang Guohua

Sun Zhiyuan

Chief Representative:

Galoon Ngapoi Ngwang Jigmei

Representatives:

Kemey Soinam Wangdui

Tubdain Dainda

Tubdain LemoinSangpo

Tainzin Toinzhub

Two Supplements to the 17-Article Agreement

　　Supplement I

　 Rules Concerning the People's Liberation Army Troops Marching into Tibet

I. The Central People's Government shall send the People's Liberation Army to Tibet. The strength of the troops will be about an army corps. The troops will be stationed at major points of national defence and transportation.

II. The march plan and garrison deployment shall be carried out on the order of the Revolutionary Military Commission of the Central People's Government in accordance with local reality.

III. During the period of the People's Liberation Army troops marching into Tibet, the existing local Tibetan troops shall remain in their present barracks or nearby sites to maintain security till after the People's Liberation Army troops arrive, and a unified deployment and necessary adjustment is made by the command of the Tibet Military Area.

IV. After the People's Liberation Army troops marching into Tibet, the Tibet Military Area shall be established. It will lead and command all the armed forces within the Tibet area. Its commander, assistant commander and political commissar are to be appointed by the Central People's Government.

V. The existing local Tibetan troops shall be reorganized step by step into the PLA, the Dalai Lama's guard and a sizable public security force. The present militias, recruited or enlisted, shall be demobilized.

VI. Since the existing local Tibetan troops have agreed to be reorganized into the People's Liberation Army, the Central People's Government permits to return all the weapons the People's Liberation Army troops captured in the Qamdo battle to them and make armament resupplies to them if necessary.

VII. The Central People's Government shall cover the expense of the People's Liberation Army garrison in Tibet. The Tibet’s local government shall assist the People's Liberation Army in purchasing and transporting grains and other daily necessities. The Central Government will make proper compensations on pieces of private-or monastery-owned land used for building airports, highways and other facilities in the need of national defense.

Supplement II

Statement of the Tibet's Local Government on Implementing the 17-Article Agreement

　　Statement of the Tibet's local government on the agreement concerning implementing the 17-Article Agreement

I. Representative full-fledged of the Tibet's local government states as follows:

A: The Tibet's local government and its troops shall take charge of carrying out the 17-Article Agreement.

B: It is hoped the Central People's Government may allow the Dalai Lama to choose his own site of residence by himself in case of some need during the first year of the implementation of the agreement; his status and authority may remain unchanged when he returns to his post during this period.

II. Representative full-fledged of the Central People's Government agrees to the above statement by the representatives full-fledged of the Tibet's local government.

Source: China-un.org