Tibet鈥檚 60 years of democratic reform observed
Print Edition
REPRESENTATIVES from various ethnic groups and walks of life gathered in the Potala Palace square in Lhasa yesterday to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the campaign of democratic reform in Tibet.
At 10am, Losang Jamcan, director of the Standing Committee of the Tibet Autonomous Regional People’s Congress, declared the opening of the celebration meeting in both Tibetan and Mandarin, which was followed by a solemn ceremony of raising the national flag and singing the national anthem.
In March 1959, the Chinese central government dissolved the aristocratic local government of Tibet and freed more than 1 million serfs, making them the masters of the nation and society.
Tibet has made historic achievements and undergone tremendous changes since the democratic reform that started 60 years ago, said Wu Yingjie, Party chief of the region, when addressing the meeting.
The democratic reform completely obliterated the feudal serfdom of theocracy, changed the production relations of the old Tibet, smashed the shackles of feudal spirit and culture, and freed local people from feudal political oppression.
The democratic reform is a major historic event in Tibet’s development and human rights advancement, Wu said.
Over the past 60 years, Tibet’s gross domestic product has grown from 174 million yuan (US$26 million) in 1959 to 147.76 billion yuan last year, marking an average annual increase of 9.5 percent, according to Wu.
Decisive progress has been made in poverty alleviation. More than 70 percent of poverty-stricken counties and 80 percent of the poverty-stricken population have been lifted out of poverty, Wu noted.
Furthermore, Tibet was the first region in China to provide free education for 15 years, and the illiteracy rate among young and middle-aged people has dropped to 0.52 percent.
Medical insurance has covered the whole population in Tibet, and Tibetan people’s life expectancy has increased from 35.5 to 68.2 years, Wu said.
Penpa, a villager from Gurum Township in Tohlung Dechen District of Lhasa, attended the meeting as a grassroots representative.
“My mum used to work for a lord. She had no shoes and not enough clothes to wear. Now, we are living in a house of 400 square meters. What a great change,” he said.
Penpa used to work in construction sites. Last year, he started to work as an administrator at an express delivery point of JD.com where he earns 4,500 yuan each month.
“I feel that we lead a good life,” he said.
Jamyang Sherab, an officer of the People’s Liberation Army, said at the meeting: “My family witnessed the democratic reform. As a descendant of the serfs in old Tibet, I became a PLA officer and was elected as a deputy to the National People’s Congress and a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference successively.”
A memorial hall marking the emancipation of the serfs was also opened to the public. It displays 165 historical documents, 299 items, 331 pictures and four large settings related to the democratic reform.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
