On the Question of Exposing the Crimes of the Two Sicao[l] and Dismissing Them from Their Posts
(April 16, 1952)

To the Tibet Work Committee, and to inform the Southwest Bureau:

The telegram[2] of 24:00 hours on April 15 has been received. (1) The Potala meeting on the 15th decided to proscribe the "People's Conference"[3] and to have the Dalai[4] issue a proclamation. If this can be implemented, it will be a great victory. Before the Dalai issues the proclamation, you should first, through the Kashag[1] and yourselves, expose the reactionary crimes of the two Sicao and the imperialist special agent elements to the majority of the "people's representatives" and the civil and military, monastic and lay officials, so that once the proclamation is issued, it can win the support of the majority and not seem sudden. The proclamation should be issued in the name of the Dalai alone; Jingwu[2] should not be a co-signer. (2) When the Kashag officials come to your place to plead for the two Sicao, requesting that the measure of dismissal be avoided and that the two resign on their own accord, we agree with your opinion to "patiently expose the crimes of the two Sicao and persuade them to unanimously agree to have the Dalai issue an order for their dismissal." This is because the written notice from the Central Representative has just been delivered, and it would not be good to change our tune immediately; it is also because dismissal is a heavier blow than resignation and is more powerful for punishing reactionaries and influencing the masses. However, please pay attention to the attitude of the Dalai and the majority of the Kashag. If they repeatedly request that the two Sicao step down by means of resignation and feel that the measure of dismissal is unacceptable to them, you should be prepared to agree to adopt the disposition of resignation. This is because they have already agreed with our opinion on the "People's Conference" issue, making a great concession to us. If we insist on the measure of dismissal, it may cause dissatisfaction among the Dalai and the middle-of-the-roaders, making it seem that we are rectifying them too excessively. On this matter, please consult in detail with Ngapoi, Jijigme, and Phuntsok Wangyal[3] as to which method is appropriate, and we hope you will inform us.

The Central Committee
08:00 hours, April 16