the 17 point agreement
After the founding of the People’s Republic of China on October 1, 1949, “Radio Beijing began to announce that “the People’s Liberation Army must liberate all Chinese territories, including Tibet." After hearing this radio message, the Tibetan Foreign Office wrote to leader Mao Zedong, “Tibet has from the earliest times up to now been an independent country whose political administration had never been taken over by any foreign country"("Facts about the 17-Point Agreement between Tibet and China”).
On November 11, 1950, the Tibetan Government
wrote to the UN Secretary General asking for other nations to help,
wrote to the UN Secretary General asking for other nations to help,
"Tibet recognizes that it is in no
position to resist the Chinese advance.
It is thus that it agreed to negotiate on friendly terms with the Chinese Government."
("Facts about the 17-Point Agreement between Tibet and China”).
Later on in the negotiations between Tibet and China, the Tibetan Government sent delegates to negotiate the terms of the agreement between the two countries.
However, “The Tibetan delegation did not even get to contact its government for instructions. It was given the choice of either signing the 'agreement' on its own authority or accepting responsibility for an immediate military advance on Lhasa" ("Facts about the 17-Point Agreement between Tibet and China”).
However, “The Tibetan delegation did not even get to contact its government for instructions. It was given the choice of either signing the 'agreement' on its own authority or accepting responsibility for an immediate military advance on Lhasa" ("Facts about the 17-Point Agreement between Tibet and China”).
Before signing the agreement,“The Tibetan delegation warned the Chinese that they were signing the 'agreement' only in their personal capacity and had no authority to bind either the Dalai Lama or the Tibetan Government to it,” ("Facts about the 17-Point Agreement between Tibet and China”).
Highlights from the 17-Point Agreement, Establishing Chinese
Rule Over Tibet:
According to the Chinese, and as stated in the preface of the 17-Point Agreement, “The Local Government of Tibet . . . adopted an unpatriotic attitude towards the great motherland,”
“The Tibetan people shall be united and drive out the imperialist aggressive forces from Tibet; that the Tibetan people shall return to the big family of the motherland--the People's Republic of China.”
“The Local Government of Tibet shall actively assist the People's Liberation Army to enter Tibet and consolidate the national defenses.”
“The Tibetan troops will be reorganized step by step into the People's Liberation Army, and become a part of the national defence forces of the Central People's Government,” (“Seventeen Point Plan for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet”).
“The Tibetan people shall be united and drive out the imperialist aggressive forces from Tibet; that the Tibetan people shall return to the big family of the motherland--the People's Republic of China.”
“The Local Government of Tibet shall actively assist the People's Liberation Army to enter Tibet and consolidate the national defenses.”
“The Tibetan troops will be reorganized step by step into the People's Liberation Army, and become a part of the national defence forces of the Central People's Government,” (“Seventeen Point Plan for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet”).
The Chinese "Further promised to promote a policy of 'freedom of religious beliefs' and to keep the Tibetan monasteries from harm,” ("Tibet's Struggle for Independence from China, 1950").
After the agreement between
China and Tibet was signed by both sides,“20,000 additional PLA troops came to central Tibet . . . With this, the military control of Tibet was virtually complete.”
("Facts about the 17-Point Agreement between
Tibet and China”).
Tibet and China”).