China Reappraises Policy In Tibet

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28264, 30 April 1957, Page 13

China Reappraises Policy In Tibet

(Rec. 8 p.m.) NEW DELHI, April 28.

Reports from Lhasa indicate that the Chinese Communists are in the midst of a military and political reappraisal of their policy in Tibet. On the political side, the Chinese have already announced that they would slow down attempts to introduce Communist reforms. On the military side, though there is unlikely to be any largescale withdrawal of troops from the country, reports received by Tibetan and diplomatic sources in New Delhi suggest that the Chinese may regroup their forces to avoid any future head-on clash with, Tibetans, such as occurred last year. Then, several hundred Chinese in garrisons in monastery towns of eastern Tibet were massacred in a revolt headed by monks of an anti-Chinese movement called Mimang. There are reliably estimated to be about 100,000 Communist troops in Tibet, of whom abotit half are engaged in “pioneer” work, such as the building of roads and airfields or even working on irrigation or agricultural projects. The remainder form small garrisons in the main trading towns, at frontier posts with India, in vi’lages along the trade routes, and in provincial monas-

tery towns. According to reports in New Delhi, some of the Chinese upcountry garrisons may be withdrawn from the towns and regrouped in strategic positions. There they will be able to maintain control against the risk of widespread revolt while removing the feeling of oppression and restraint which has caused locally powerful monasteries to rebel. In the process the Chinese may also be able to prune their forces to some extent.

There has beep a winter lull in the revolt in eastern Tibet, because of the snow, but according to Tibetan traders discontent is still simmering. Some Mimang leaders have fled the country, but the revolt may break out again unless there is some modification of Chinese policy. In readjusting their military policy in Tibet it is believed that the Chinese wil] be guided by these considerations:

Tibet is a place which is not likely to lend itself as a base for use by a foreign Power against China. China believes she has nothing to fear from India, which has been careful to show that she has no aggressive intentions towards the Chinese. -

Practical difficulties of maintaining control over the 470,000 square mile mountainous area of Tibet with its sparse three million inhabitantss, where every advantage in a revolt lies with the guerrillas. Meanwhile the Chinese have definitely ordered a go-slow policy in the introduction of Communist reforms. Mr Chang Kuo-hua, second vice-chairman of a committee set up to prepare Tibet to become an autonomous region and Peking’s representative in Lhasa, has announced that democratic reforms would not be carried out in Tibet during the second five-year plan period, and that it would be for the Tibetan people to decide if they should be carried out during the third five-year plan.

The Chinese, however, are going ahead with intensified training of the younger generation of Tibet, retaining control of schools and sending batches of students, traders, farmers, social workers, and monks to study in Peking.