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Serfs' freedom day gets nod in Tibet

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-01-20 07:43

LHASA: Tibetan legislators endorsed a bill yesterday to designate March 28 as an annual Serfs Emancipation Day, to mark the date on which about 1 million serfs in the region were freed 50 years ago.

The bill was submitted last week to the second annual session of the 9th regional people's congress for review.

"The 382 legislators attending the session unanimously voted for the proposal," Legqog, director of the standing committee of the Tibetan autonomous regional people's congress, said.

On March 28, 1959, the central government announced it would dissolve the aristocratic local government of Tibet and replace it with a preparatory committee for establishing the Tibet autonomous region.

The move came after the central government foiled an armed rebellion staged by the Dalai Lama and his supporters, most of whom were slave owners attempting to maintain serfdom.

That meant the end of serfdom and the abolition of the hierarchic social system characterized by theocracy, with the Dalai Lama as the core of the leadership. About 1 million serfs and slaves, accounting for 90 percent of the Tibetan population in the 1950s, were thus freed.

Among the lawmakers who reviewed the bill was Gaisang, 62, chief executive officer of the Yamei Ethnic Handicraft.

"The day should have been established earlier," he said, beaming. "It is necessary to have the day remembered to comfort the old, who were once serfs, and teach the young who have little idea of that part of history."

The entrepreneur was born to the family of Tralpa (a kind of Tibetan serf) in Bailang county, Xigaze. His childhood memories were bare feet, patched clothes and a leather whip, as thick as a finger.

"If you dared to offend the lord, what was in store for you was at least 50 lashes," he said.

Gaisang said serfs during that time were bought and sold like animals.

His aunt, Canggyoi, was sold from Xigaze to Lhasa while she was in her teens, and his parents didn't even know. Now Canggyoi has a daughter and two grandchildren. Like other people above 80, she gets a pension of 300 yuan ($44) a year.

Serfdom was formalized after the hierarchic social system was established in the 13th century. The system was further developed after the Dalai Lama became the paramount leader of Tibet.

Xinhua

(China Daily 01/20/2009 page3)