March 5

On March 5, 1988, a gang of separatists made a disturbance during the Grand Summon Ceremony in Lhasa. The separatists shouted “For the Independence of Tibet”, while they were attacking the police officers, soldiers and leaders of the ceremony. Many restaurants, shops, and medical clinics were smashed and altogether 299 soldiers and police officers were hospitalized in this riot. Yuan Shisheng, a Tibetan armed soldier on duty on that day, was killed by the separatists in the riot.

On March 5, 1966, the pilot program for the Rules for Democratic Management of Temples was approved by the People’s Committee of Tibet Autonomous Region after discussion. The rules, drafted by the Committee of Religious Affairs of the Tibet Autonomous Region Preparatory Committee in July, 1964, were passed at the Chairman Working Conference of the People’s Committee in August, 1965.

The rules contain five chapters including 27 articles. In the part of General Provisions, it stipulates that in accordance with the Constitution, temples shall implement the principle of “political unity, freedom of religious belief, and separation of religion from politics”.

Details about the rights and obligations of the temple democratic management committees and monks and nuns were made in the rules.

On March 5, 1950, the State Ethnic Affairs Commission held a welcome reception in Beijing for the Living Buddha Gyedar and other Tibetan representatives from Xikang (currently in Sichuan Province) sent by Bangda Dorji.

Zhu De, commander in chief of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China, reiterated the PLA’s resolution to liberate Tibet on the reception.

Wangyal, one of the representatives, expressed that Tibetan compatriots longed for liberation and would spare no efforts to support the PLA to realize the liberation in Tibet.