Dalai Lama once loyal to Chinese government

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Source: CCTV.com | 04-08-2008 08:58

A telegram nearly six decades ago shows that the Dalai Lama was once loyal to the Chinese government. The Dalai Lama said in the telegram that he supported the leadership of the central government led by the Chinese Communist Party.

The Dalai Lama said in the telegram that he supported the leadership of the central government led by the Chinese Communist Party.

In 1951, the Dalai Lama's special envoy signed an agreement on Tibet's peaceful liberation with the central government in Beijing. Later the Dalai Lama sent a telegram to Chairman Mao Zedong, saying that Tibet's local government and its monks and people supported and would help the stationing of People's Liberation Army in Tibet. He said this was to consolidate national defense, drive out imperialist power and protect the sovereignty of China's territory.

Tibet's local government, monks & people supported stationing of PLA in Tibet.

To consolidate of national defense, drive out imperialist power and protect China's territorial sovereignty.

The telegram is preserved in the State Archives Administration.

Yang Dongquan, director of State Archives Administration, said, "The current attitude of Dalai Lama is totally different and contradictory from that in history."

The current Dalai Lama was born in Qinghai Province, he was named Lhamo Dhondup. In the year 1940, he was chosen to be the one of reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama and was approved by the Kuomintang central government.

Historic documents kept in the archives administration show that Tibet was under the central government's rule since the Yuan Dynasty more than seven centuries ago. The system of Tibetan Buddism to select living buddha, who can be either Dalai Lama or Panchen Lama, was authorized by the emperor in the Qing Dynasty.

Yang Dongquan, director of State Archives Administration, said, "The system was established during the reign of Emperor Qianlong. All the names of selected boys for reincarnation as a living buddha must be put into a golden urn. The emperor himself drew lots and chose the one who would be designated as a living buddha."

Editor:Zhang Ning