On the 26th of March, an old Tibetan man gave a vivid report to all the cadres of Gamba County (a county of the Shigatse Prefecture in the Tibet Autonomous Region) comparing the old and new Chinese societies from his own experience of transforming overnight from a serf into his own master.

March 28th, 2014 marks the 55th anniversary of the Tibetan serfs’ emancipation and the 5th anniversary of the establishment of “Serf Emancipation Day”. At this significant juncture, all colleges and universities in Tibet have organized various campus activities designed to celebrate this important day.

Professor Li Hong from the Party School of the Tibet Committee of the Communist Party of China, claims that democratic reform in Tibet is an important milestone in the history of human rights, and it has gone beyond any other countries in the fight against slavery. “Unlike the anti-slavery movements of Europe and the United States, Tibet realized the freedom and liberation of serfs in a peaceful fashion, something which was a great historical innovation”, says Li.

It is an irrefutable truth that Tibet will enjoy a happier life only under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, taking a development road with Chinese and Tibetan characteristics, claims Fang Lingmin, secretary of the Party committee of Tibet University. He also adds that the Chinese government is the only one in the world which pays so much attention to the development of minority areas and gives such preferential policies to its minorities.

On the 10th of March 1959, the Tibetan elite headed by the 14th Dalai Lama launched an uprising in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, aiming to maintain the feudal serfdom as well as to split China. The central government then announced the dissolution of the Tibetan local government on the 28th of March, symbolizing the complete abolition of feudal serfdom in Tibet. “The spring of 1959 was undoubtedly a new starting point in the long history of Tibet”, Li resumes, “and millions of serfs turned into free citizens and became their own masters overnight.”

In order to commemorate the 55th anniversary of the serfs’ emancipation, all colleges and universities in Tibet have organized various campus activities with the main themes of opposing separatism, maintaining stability and promoting development.

Luo Bu, director of the Publicity Department of Tibet University, claims that all the schools and faculties of Tibet University have organized educational activities with the theme of opposing separatism. Chen Liming, director of the Publicity Department of the Tibet University for Nationalities, explains that propaganda and educational activities have been launched to preserve ethnic unity and progress.

“Facts have proven that Tibet has obtained obvious progress and will have a better future under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, adhering to the socialist road with Chinese characteristics and persisting in the mass line”, says Lan Guohua from the Tibetan Academy of Social Sciences.

The Chinese version appeared in Chinese Social Sciences Today, No. 577, 28th of March, 2014.

The Chinese link: http://www.csstoday.net/xueshuzixun/jishizixun/88557.html

　　Translated by Chen Meina

　　Revised by Gabriele Corsetti