三、彻底废除封建农奴制
III. Abolishing Feudal Serfdom
依据《十七条协议》，和平解放初期，中国共产党的西藏工作以上层统战为主，以影响群众为辅，而不是急于直接发动群众进行改革。进藏人民解放军和工作人员通过免费医疗和消除传染疾病、兴修水利、架桥修路、抢险救灾、发放无息贷款、赠送良种农具、放映电影、以工代赈等方式，积极为群众办好事，开展了艰苦细致的工作。在修筑川（康）藏公路中，群众认识到修路不是给解放军支乌拉差役，也不是给老爷们当牛马，而是真正为自己和子孙后代造福。觉木（现林芝市巴宜区境内）、则拉（现米林县境内）等宗（县）的民工说：“解放军个个都像活菩萨，那些说解放军坏话的人，是披着羊皮的豺狼，是混在我们藏族中的魔鬼！”
According to the 17-Article Agreement, in the early days of the peaceful liberation of Tibet, the CPC focused on winning over the people of the upper class and endeavored to get support from the ordinary people, rather than mobilizing them immediately to launch reform. The PLA and CPC organizations in Tibet worked hard to benefit the local people, giving free medical treatment, working to eliminate infectious diseases, building water conservancy projects, roads and bridges, providing disaster rescue and relief, distributing interest-free loans, offering certified seeds and farm tools, showing films, and providing jobs instead of handouts. During the construction of the Sichuan (Xikang)-Tibet Highway in 1950, the people in Tibet realized that they were neither providing corvée labor to the PLA, nor being enslaved by serf owners, but working for themselves and their own future generations. The construction workers in Jomo Dzong (present-day Bayi District of Nyingchi City, Dzong is roughly equivalent to today’s county) and Tsela Dzong (present-day Mainling County of Nyingchi City) said, “The PLA soldiers are living gods. Those who spoke ill of the PLA are wolves in sheep’s clothing and demons hidden among our Tibetan people.”
1954年7月，年楚河上游因冰川崩塌造成特大洪灾，江孜、白朗两宗淹死群众91人，冲毁村庄170个，受灾群众1.6万多人，淹没土地6万多克，死亡牲畜8000多头（只）。灾情发生后，中央立即拨款80万银元救灾，江孜分工委和驻当地解放军舍生忘死与洪水搏斗，抢救受灾群众。当地驻军和工作人员在供应十分困难的情况下，仍救济灾民口粮73万多公斤，贷放种子56万多公斤，无偿发放农具折合银元1.5万余元，帐篷布2.8万米，干部战士捐献衣物和现金合计折合银元10万多元。与此形成鲜明对照的是，黑河（现那曲市色尼区）发生重大雪灾时，西藏地方政府不但不救灾，反而催逼牧民交租，并且不准减免。当雄宗头人甚至阻止黑河分工委下发青稞和茶叶救济灾民。这些事例使群众加深了对共产党、解放军的认识，体会到只有废除封建农奴制才能过上新生活。
In July 1954, ice collapse caused disastrous floods in the upper reaches of the Nyangchu River. The floods drowned 91 people in Gyantse Dzong and Panam Dzong, destroyed 170 villages, affected more than 16,000 people, swallowed over 4,000 ha of land, and drowned about 8,000 head of cattle and sheep. In response, the central government allocated 800,000 silver dollars for disaster relief. The CPC Gyantse Working Committee and the local PLA garrison fought the floods and provided succor to the victims. Despite limited supplies, they provided 730,000 kg of food, loaned 560,000 kg of seeds, distributed farm tools to a value of 15,000 silver dollars, donated 28,000 meters of tent cloth, and contributed cash and clothes to a total value of more than 100,000 silver dollars.
通过新旧对比，人民群众日益觉醒，有些农奴已不甘于受压迫和剥削，有的愤然挣脱农奴主的控制而逃离。据曾经是农奴主的家奴、后来担任高级干部的巴桑回忆，她十多岁就为农奴主做苦役，15岁那年，实在不堪忍受农奴主的毒打，逃出了庄园。1956年，朗宗和边坝宗100多位农民自发组织起来，开会拥护民主改革。1956年7月25日，拉萨林周的65位农民给十四世达赖喇嘛呈递一封按有65个手印的联名信，信中说：“我们都是种地的农民，比任何人都更焦急地盼望实行改革。”
As a contrast, in March 1956, Nagchu Dzong (present-day Seni District of Nagqu City) was stricken by a catastrophic blizzard. The government of Tibet did not send relief to victims, but urged them to pay their rents without offering any reduction or exemption. The headman of Damshung Dzong even prevented the CPC Nagchu Working Committee from distributing highland barley and tea among the victims. Through these incidents, the people in Tibet acquired a better understanding of the CPC and the PLA, and realized that only by abolishing feudal serfdom could they start a new life. The contrast awakened the people in Tibet. Some serfs stood up to oppose oppression and exploitation; some cast off the control of their serf owners and fled. According to Pasang, formerly a slave and now a senior official, she had been forced into hard labor for her master when she was a teenager. Unable to tolerate any more beatings from her master, she fled at the age of 15. In 1956, more than 100 peasants in Lang Dzong and Palbar Dzong gathered for a meeting to demand democratic reform. On July 25, 1956, some 65 peasants in Lhunzhub County of Lhasa submitted a letter carrying their finger prints to the 14th Dalai Lama, saying, “We are all peasants. We are more anxious for democratic reform than anyone else.”
通过新旧对比，西藏部分上层人士也开始拥护改革。自1952年，西藏工委陆续组织西藏地区的致敬团、国庆观礼团、参观团、佛教代表团等几十个团体到内地参观。各团成员亲眼见到祖国内地的迅速发展，一部分爱国上层人士在思想深处发生重大变化，逐步消除了对改革的顾虑。
Seeing the contrast, some members of the upper class in Tibet began to support democratic reform. From 1952, the CPC Tibet Working Committee organized several dozen delegations from Tibet to visit other parts of China, including delegations to visit the central government, delegations to celebrate the anniversaries of the founding of the PRC in Beijing, visiting groups, and delegations of Buddhists. As the delegates witnessed the rapid development elsewhere, some patriotic individuals from the upper class changed their minds and began to support the idea of democratic reform in Tibet.
据堆龙德庆区旁村村民回忆：1956年，政府邀请西藏的庄园主到内地参观，由于受到了教育和鼓励，有一位名叫加察·格桑西热的庄园主回来后，决定把土地分给农奴，并给他们自由。1956年，以大贵族出身的唐麦·贡觉白姆为团长的西藏妇女参观团第一次到内地参观，返藏后向拉萨郊区的农民宣传民主改革能给人民带来好处，宣传民主改革的政策，促使西藏爱国青年联谊会和爱国妇女联谊会中许多成员主动拥护民主改革。
A peasant from Pangcun Village of Doilungdeqen District in Lhasa recalled two incidents. In 1956, the central government invited the manor owners in Tibet to visit other parts of China, and after the visit, one of them named Chadrak Kelzang Sherab decided to free his serfs and distribute his land to them. In 1956, a Tibetan women’s delegation led by Thangme Konchog Palmo, an aristocrat, completed a trip outside of Tibet. On their return, they publicized the policies and benefits of democratic reform among the peasants in the suburbs of Lhasa, and persuaded many members of the Tibetan Patriotic Youth Association and the Tibetan Patriotic Women’s Association to stand up for democratic reform in Tibet.
1957年9月，江孜发生头人本根却珠毒打农奴出身的旺钦平措事件，时任西藏地方政府噶伦的阿沛·阿旺晋美闻听此事非常气愤，明确说道：“西藏人民肯定要走社会主义道路，而且肯定要实行民主改革，这不仅是西藏人民发展政治、经济、文化等事业和走向幸福道路所需要的，也是人类向前发展的必然规律，是任何逆流都阻挡不住的。”
In September 1957, Palgon Chogdrup, a headman in Gyantse, savagely tortured a serf called Wangchen Pungstog. Hearing of this, Ngapoi Ngawang Jigme, then a Kalon (cabinet minister) of the government of Tibet, was furious, saying, “The people in Tibet are sure to choose socialism and anxious to start democratic reform. This is what they need. They want to boost political, economic and cultural development and pursue happiness. It is also an inexorable law of human development and an unstoppable trend of progress.”
大贵族宇拓的女儿桑林·次仁白珍，1952年为进藏解放军教授藏语文，不畏反动上层分子的威胁和恫吓，“坚信西藏人民总有一天能够摆脱封建农奴制度的压迫剥削，在中国共产党的领导下建立一个人民群众自己的政权”。
In 1952, Samling Tsering Paldron, daughter of aristocrat Yuthok, began to teach the Tibetan language to the PLA men in Tibet, heedless of opposition of the reactionaries from the local upper class. She said, “I firmly believe that one day the people in Tibet will finally shake off oppression and exploitation imposed by feudal serfdom. One day we will finally build a political power of our own under the leadership of the CPC.”
随着人民群众觉悟的提高以及上层人士发生的积极变化，西藏上层反动集团为了不失去既得利益，永远保持政教合一的封建农奴制，一些人不惜以发动叛乱来阻挡社会进步。
The people in Tibet began to develop a proper understanding of reform, and some people of the upper class began to see it in a more positive light. However, in an attempt to maintain their vested interests and to perpetuate feudal serfdom under theocracy, a group of Tibetans launched a rebellion in a bid to halt social progress.
1959年3月，西藏地方政府中的上层反动分子，违背历史潮流和西藏广大人民的意愿，公然撕毁《十七条协议》，发动全面武装叛乱。在这种情况下，中央政府果断决定解散西藏地方政府和彻底平息叛乱，同时坚决放手发动群众，实行民主改革。
In March 1959, reactionaries from the upper class working in the government of Tibet tore up the 17-Article Agreement and staged an all-out armed rebellion in Lhasa. The rebellion ran counter to the will of the people of Tibet and the current of history. In response, the central government decided to dissolve the government of Tibet and quell the rebellion, and at the same time, mobilized the people of Tibet to begin democratic reform.
西藏民主改革是中国共产党领导的中国新民主主义革命的重要组成部分，是腐朽的社会形态被进步的社会形态替代的必然结果。民主改革在农村、牧区、寺庙、城镇等陆续展开。
Democratic reform in Tibet was a continuation of China’s New Democratic Revolution led by the CPC, and an inevitable result of the social transformation from degeneration to progress. Democratic reform was implemented progressively in the rural areas, pastoral areas, monasteries, and urban areas.
在80万人口的农业区，通过充分发动群众，第一步实行“三反双减”，即反对叛乱、反对乌拉差役、反对人身依附和减租、减息；第二步分配土地，彻底摧毁封建农奴制度。世世代代受尽剥削和奴役的农奴获得了自由解放，分得了280多万亩土地和其他生产资料，当熊熊烈火烧掉契约和债据时，翻身农奴载歌载舞，庆祝翻身解放的光辉节日。1960年初，20万户西藏农户拿到了土地证，由于实行“谁种谁收”“减租减息”和废除旧债等政策，劳动人民所得的经济利益折合粮食达十亿多斤，平均每人可得1500多斤。乃东县克松谿卡68岁的次仁卓嘎说：“我们支了一辈子乌拉，过去从没敢想过自己有一块土地，整天担心的就是挨饿。人民政府现在给我们分了地，再也不怕挨饿了。”广大翻身农奴高兴地说：“达赖的太阳照在贵族身上，毛主席的太阳照在我们穷人身上；现在，贵族的太阳下山了，我们的太阳升起来了。”
In the rural areas, which had a population of 800,000, the central government mobilized the people to take part in a campaign against rebellion, corvée labor, and slavery, and in favor of lower rents for land and a reduction of interest on loans. Subsequently, the central government distributed land to peasants so as to completely eradicate feudal serfdom. As a result, the serfs, who had been exploited and enslaved for generations, finally won freedom. They took ownership of more than 186,666 ha of land and other means of production. When their slave indentures and so-called IOU were burned in fire, they sang and danced to celebrate their liberation. In early 1960, about 200,000 farm households in Tibet acquired land certificates. Benefiting from policies such as the harvest of a farmland belonging to the one who sowed, lower rents for land, reduction in interest on loans, and the cancellation of old debts, the peasants gained more than 500 million kg of grain in total, over 750 kg per person. Tsering Drolkar, a 68-year-old peasant from Khesum Shika of Nedong County said, “We had been providing corvée labor our whole lives. We never owned a single piece of land, what we worried about was how to find food for survival. Now with the land given to us by the people’s government, we will no longer go hungry.” The freed serfs cheered, “The sunshine of the Dalai Lama touches only the nobles, while the sunshine of Chairman Mao showers on us poor people. The noble’s sun is setting and our sun is rising.”
在28万人口的牧业区，废除了牧主的封建特权，主要实行“三反两利”，即反对叛乱、反对乌拉差役、反对人身依附，实行牧工、牧主两利。没收参加叛乱领主和牧主的牲畜，分给原牧放者及贫苦牧民，对未参加叛乱的实行“不斗、不分、不划阶级”的政策，牲畜仍归牧主所有。这些保护措施，把封建的主奴关系改变为雇佣关系，调动了牧工保护牲畜和发展牲畜的积极性，也调动了牧主发展牧业和经营牧业的积极性，基本上达到了人畜两安，克服了因叛乱分子大量宰杀牛羊造成的困难，牧业得到迅速恢复和发展。当雄草原上的牧民唱道：“过去，当雄草原是我们自己的。后来，被色拉寺霸占了，从此，活人好像进了地狱。如今，新政府颁发了新的法令，我们选举了自己的领导人，美丽的当雄草原，又回到了我们自己的手里。”
In the pastoral areas with a population of 280,000, the central government launched a campaign against the rebellion, corvée labor and slavery, and adopted policies that were beneficial to both hired herdsmen and herd owners, but the latter were deprived of their feudal privileges. The central government confiscated the cattle and sheep of the estate-holders and herd owners who had participated in the rebellion, and distributed the livestock to their hired hands and other poor herdsmen. The central government did not discriminate against or punish herd owners who had not been involved in the rebellion, and allowed them to continue to own their cattle and sheep. These protective measures changed feudal enslavement to an employment relationship. This motivated the hired hands to protect and grow their herds, and the herd owners to operate and develop animal husbandry. Both people and cattle were able to live in peace. Although a large number of cattle and sheep had been slaughtered by the rebels, animal husbandry in Tibet soon recovered and began to prosper. The herdsmen on the Damxung Prairie sang a ballad:
In the past, the Damxung Prairie belonged to our herdsmen,
But it was later taken by Sera Monastery.
Ever since then, we have been living in hell.
Now the people’s government has issued a new decree,
And we have elected our own leaders.
The beautiful Damxung Prairie has been returned to our herdsmen.
在寺庙，中国共产党始终采取稳慎和稳妥的办法，实行“三反三算”，开展反对叛乱、反对封建特权、反对封建剥削，算政治迫害账、算阶级压迫账、算经济剥削账运动，彻底废除寺庙的封建特权和封建剥削压迫制度，实行政治统一、政教分离，坚决打击披着宗教外衣的叛乱分子和反革命分子。坚持宗教信仰自由政策，尊重和保护公民宗教信仰自由的权利，保护爱国守法寺庙，建立寺庙民主管理制度。对未参加叛乱的寺庙所占有的生产资料，同样采取赎买政策。民主改革中，众多的僧尼自愿还俗返家。民主改革完成后，西藏保留了寺庙553座，留寺僧尼7000多人，基本满足了当时信教群众宗教生活需要。
In the monasteries, by means of prudent and steady measures, the CPC launched a campaign against the rebellion, feudal privileges and exploitation, and dealt with matters of political persecution, class oppression, and economic exploitation. These measures abolished feudal privileges, exploitation and the system of oppression. The CPC promoted political unity and separation of government from religion, and punished the rebels and reactionaries acting under the guise of religious beliefs. It maintained the principle of freedom of religious belief, respected and protected citizens’ civil rights in this regard, protected patriotic and law-abiding monasteries, and established a democratic management system in monasteries. The CPC adopted a buying-out policy with respect to the means of production owned by those monasteries uninvolved in the rebellion. During the campaign of democratic reform, a large number of monks and nuns voluntarily resumed secular life. After the campaign, 553 monasteries were retained in Tibet, housing over 7,000 monks and nuns, which fulfilled the religious needs of local believers.
在城镇实行“四反双减”，发动群众开展反叛乱、反封建制度、反封建剥削、反封建特权和减租、减息运动，对未参加叛乱的农奴主及其代理人所占有的土地和多余生产资料等进行赎买。实行保护工商业的政策，执行叛与未叛区别对待的政策，保护工商业者利益，组织贫困市民、游民，恢复商业和自由交换，保障了城乡供应，保证了社会秩序的迅速恢复和经济生活的正常进行。同时，认真做好统一战线工作，团结一切可以团结的力量，对反帝爱国、接受民主改革的农奴主及其代理人，分别安排适当的工作和生活。
In the urban areas, the central government launched a campaign against the rebellion, the feudal system, exploitation and privileges, and in favor of lower rents for land and a reduction of interest on loans. The central government adopted a buying-out policy with respect to land and means of production owned by those serf owners and their agents uninvolved in the rebellion. It protected industry and commerce, adopted different policies towards rebels and non-rebels among industrialists and businessmen, and protected rights and interests of those engaged in industry and commerce. It organized aid for poor citizens and vagrants, resumed commerce and free exchange of goods, secured urban supplies, and restored social and economic order. At the same time, the CPC strengthened the united front work and strove to unite all available forces. Those serf owners and their agents who were patriotic, opposed imperialism, and accepted democratic reform, were provided with appropriate employment.