A: After the People's Republic of China was established in October 1949, the Central People's Government, in line with Tibet's history and current situation, adopted the policy of peaceful liberation of Tibet, and in January 1950 requested the local government of Tibet to send representatives to Beijing for peace negotiations. On May 23, 1951, the Agreement of the Central people's Government and Local Government of Tibet on Measures for Peaceful Liberation of Tibet, also called the "17-Article agreement," was signed. With the full support of the people in Tibet, the people's Liberation Army subsequently entered Lhasa without obstruction.

 

The main contents of the agreement include provisions that: the Tibetan people shall unite and drive out imperialist aggressive forces from Tibet; the local government of Tibet shall actively assist the PLA to enter Tibet and consolidate the national defense; Tibet shall practice regional ethnic autonomy, the existing political system in Tibet and the established status, functions and officials of various ranks shall continue to hold office; a policy of religious freedom and respect for Tibetan people's customs will be implemented; Tibet's spoken and written language and school education, as well as agriculture, animal husbandry and commerce, will gradually be developed, and the living standards of the Tibetan people improved; Tibet's foreign affairs should be placed under the unified management of the Central People's government; in matters related to various reforms in Tibet, there will be no arbitrary enforcement on the part of the central authorities; the local government of Tibet shall carry out reforms of its own accord, and reforms demanded by the people will be executed by means of consultation with the leading administrators of Tibet; the established status, functions and powers of the 13th Dalai Lama and of the 9th Panchen when they were on friendly and amicable terms shall be maintained; funds for the People's Liberation Army and personnel sent to the Tibetan areas shall be provided by the central government.

 

The "17-Article Agreement" won support from people of all walks of life in Tibet. A conference of Tibetan monks and lay officials held by the local government of Tibet culminated in a report to the Dala Lama: "The 17-Article Agreement is of great benefit. This unprecedented agreement should be implemented." The Dalai and Panche sent telegram or made statement expressing their support of the agreement.