1. The Communist Party has adopted a policy of protecting religions. Believers
and non-believers, believers of one religion or another, are all similarly
protected, and their faiths are respected. Today, we have adopted this policy
of protecting religions, and in future we will still maintain this policy
of protection.

2. The problem of land redistribution is different from that or religion.
In the regions inhabited by the Han people land has already been redistributed,
and in these areas religions are still protected. Whether or not land should
be redistributed in regions inhabited by minority nationalities will be decided
by the minority nationalities themselves. At the moment, land redistribution
is out of the question in Tibet. Whether or not there should be redistribution
in the future will be decided by you yourselves; moreover, you yourselves
should carry out the redistribution. We will not redistribute the land for
you.

3. The setting up of a military and administrative committee and the
reorganization of the Tibetan army were stipulated by the
Agreement.[1] [However,] because you
were afraid. I have informed the comrades working in Tibet to postpone the
implementation [of this]. The Agreement must be implemented, but since you
are afraid, implementation will simply have to be postponed. If you are afraid
this year, we will wait until next year to implement it. If you are still
afraid next year, then [we] will wait for the year after next before implementing
it.

4. Tibet is a large area with a small population. Its population must be
increased from the current figure of two or three million to five or six
million. Later it would be good to increase it again to more than ten million.
The economy and culture also need to be developed. Culture includes such
things as schools, newspapers, cinema, etc. Religion is also included. The
reactionary rules of the past, [whether] the emperors of the Qing dynasty
or Chiang Kai-shek, all oppressed and exploited you, and so did the imperialists.
They kept your population down, weakened your economy, and obstructed the
development of your culture. The Communist Party puts into practice [the
principle of] the equality of nationalities: it does not wish to oppress
or exploit you, but rather to assist you ¾
to assist you in developing your population, economy, and culture. When the
People's Liberation Army entered Tibet, it was precisely for the purpose
of carrying out the policy of helping you. In the early period of its presence
there, it may not be of much help, and it may not be of great help even for
the next three or four years. Later, however, it will be able to help you,
that is certain. If the Communist Party could not help you develop your
population, economy, and culture, the Communist Party would be of no use
at all .... [I] am happy that you have come. During the next few days you
can go to Nanjing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Guangdong, and the Northeast for a
visit. From now on, if more people, both ecclesiastical and lay, and from
all different circles of Tibet can come out to visit the various places in
the interior, it will help to strengthen the relations of unity and amity
among the nationalities in China.

NOTES
1. This refers to the Agreement between the Central
People's Government and the Local Government of Tibet on Measures for the
Peaceful Liberation of Tibet, May 23, 1951.


Transcription by the Maoist Documentation Project.