Monthly Report of the Indian Mission, Lhasa, for Period Ending 15th June 1950

SECRET

From: The Indian Trade Agent. Gyantse and Officer in Charge, Indian Mission, Lhasa.

P.O. Gyantse, Tibet.

To: The Political Officer in Sikkim, Gangtok.

Memorandum No. 3(7)-L/50. 

Dated Lhasa, Tibet, the 15th June, 1950.

MONTHLY REPORT OF THE INDIAN MISSION, LHASA, FOR PERIOD 15TH JUNE 1950

1. EXTERNAL RELATIONS.

A. Relations between Tibet and India.

The delay by the British Government in coming to a decision about the grant of visas for Hongkong has had repercussions on Indo-Tibetan relations. The members of the Mission refused a request from the Government of India to surrender for cancellation the official visas for Hongkong granted to them at Calcutta owing to a misunderstanding; and, although the Mission were instructed by the Tibetan Government not to try to travel on those visas, two members are reported to have attempted to enter an aircraft bound tor Hongkong from Calcutta. They were prevented. from doing so by local officials. A. member of the Mission made an ambiguous statement to an A.I.R. correspondent in Calcutta to the effect that outside influences preventing the Mission from making contact with the Chinese Government. In view of the incident about the attempted departure or members of the Mission from Calcutta such a statement would certainly be interpreted to India's disadvantage. Before this incident I had fully explained to the Tibetan Government that the Government of India have no responsibility for the delay in the granting of visas and are sympathetic about the difficulties of the mission. I think the position is well enough understood by the Tibetan Government but may be misunderstood by others. The Tibetan Mission are in a difficult position as they are being constantly urged by their Government to make contact with the Chinese Government. It is, however, rumoured in Lhasa that some of the members may be glad of the delay as they are afraid of going to China whither they are sure to be summoned. Others want to get at least to Hong Kong hoping in part to satisfy their government and perhaps to be able from there to stave off the further trip to Peking. These are only Lhasa rumours but may have some truth in them. The leaders of the Mission proceeded to Delhi to see whether they could get a decision there, about their visas. The Tibetan Government have been asked by the Government of India through the Indian Mission Lhasa to repeat the instructions to their mission not to attempt to travel on the visas issued at Calcutta; and I have made it clear to the Tibetan Foreign Bureau

B. Relations between Tibet and China.

1. Chinese Government troops have occupied at least one place on the Tibetan side of the de facto frontier which had the guarantee of a local agreement between Tibetan and Chinese officials in 1932. The place, Damdo, is some three days north of Chamdo but cannot be exactly identified. Fifty Chinese troops arrived there suddenly about the end of May and captured the Tibetan Government's wireless set which was established there, with the two operators who were recruited about a year ago by the Tibetan Government from Darjeeling and Sikkim. There were no Tibetan troops at Damdo.

2. Another frontier incident occurred at Yakalo on the Mekong where Tibetan troops were attacked by six or seven hundred Chinese troops who were repulsed with the loss of twenty men. Tibetan losses were N.C.O. It has not been established whether the attackers were Chinese Government troops or Nationalist remnants.

3. The Tibetan Government's Mission which is to establish contact with the Chinese Government is still held up in India. Pressure is being put on the Tibetan Government by the Chinese to make contact quickly. Chinese broadcasts from Peking have urged this, and messages are probably being received through other channels.

4. One series of such messages was brought to Lhasa. by a party from Sining who arrived early in June disguised as traders. They are headed ostensibly by a Kansu-born resident of Sining who was formerly a petty official under Ma Pu-fang and was persuaded by the Communists to take messages to Lhasa. His companions are two Khampas, one or whom from Li tang is the real leader of the party. They brought letters for the Regent, and tor three Tibetan officials which they delivered through the Tse Yiktsang 'Ecclesiastical Office'. The letters urged the Tibetan Government and Tibetan officials to come to an agreement with the Chinese Government without hostilities and to send a delegation to Peking without delay and also warned them against listening to advice from foreign governments. The party also brought a wireless set which was not detected at the check post at Nagchukha. When summoned to the Foreign Bureau, they volunteered that they had brought this set and said they would not use it without the Tibetan Government's permission. They said they had orders to inform the Tibetan Government about this and to obey their instructions in all respects, and that they would go back to Sining if ordered. They sang the praises or the Communist regime and denied all reports that it aimed at suppressing monasteries or religion; and they said that the Tibetans would be allowed to govern themselves. When the Foreign Secretaries pointed out that this was contrary to ordinary communist teaching, the messengers admitted that the programme they mentioned was ‘for a start’.

After leaving these men to their own devices £or over a week, the Tibetan Government have sealed the wireless set and have appointed a minor official to superintend the movements of the party. The party also brought a number of firearms including automatic weapons, which ·the Tibetan Government have bought in order to prevent them getting into private hands.

It is not impossible that their ready admission of having brought a wireless set was a blind and that they had other sets which they have distributed. to agents.

5. The letters mentioned above were submitted to the National Assembly who decided that negotiations should be undertaken with the Chinese Government but that if the negotiations failed Tibet must fight. It was decided to send the Communist messengers back to Sining with a non-committal reply. It may be suspected that the kind-hearted propaganda of the communist agents is likely to have the affect of dividing Tibetan opinion, tor there may be many people less sceptical than the Tibetan Foreign Secretaries.

6. The anxiety of the Chinese Government to avoid hostilities perhaps indicates some regard for world opinion about Tibet and it is possible that the Chinese Government have apprehensions about Indian reactions to an armed invasion.

7. The Dalai Lama’ s elder brother, Gyalo Dhondup (see Foreign’s memorandum No. D-2957-NEF/50, dated the 25th May 1950) is reported to have arrived in Formosa via Manila. He had no permission from the Tibetan Government or his family to undertake the journey and his action will embarrass the Tibetan Government in their relations with the Chinese Government.

8. The new Peking broadcasting station has been putting out programmes in Tibetan three times a week since May 20th. Constant appeals are being made to the Tibetans to come to a peaceful settlement with China and the benefits of the Communist regime are expounded. There is no open threatening at present, but the threats are latent in references to the power and unity 0£ the Chinese Government.

C. Relations between Tibet and Nepal

--- NIL ----

D. Relations between Tibet and the U.K. and the U.S.A.

The delay in granting or refusing visas for Hong Kong to the Tibetan Mission for China is not understood by the Tibetan Government, and is a cause or considerable feeling. I have explained as my personal opinion that the British Government who have not yet come to an arrangement with the Chinese Government about the exchange or representatives, may well have reason to examine carefully any proposal for contact between Tibetan and Chinese Government official representatives on British territory. The Tibetan Mission met the High Commissioner for the U.K. in New Delhi and the latter sent a message to the Tibetan Government regretting the delays and suggesting that it might be more convenient for the Tibetan Government to conduct their negotiations with the Chinese Ambassador in New Delhi. However reasonable this suggestion - which had previously met with a lukewarm reception - may be, it is not likely to allay suspicions in the naturally suspicious minds of the Tibetan Government that obstructions are being raised to direct contact between Tibet and Peking. They are slow to realize that there can be any other point or view but their own. The most unfortunate consequence or the delay in reaching decision is that it gives an opportunity for Communist propaganda in which the Government or India is likely to be accused as much as the British Government.

Miss Bevan (see Political Officer's in Sikkim telegram No. 305/P dated the 1st June, 1950) was sent back to India by the same route by which she entered Tibet after a short stay in Shigatse. The Tibetan Government have so far not mentioned the matter.

The Tibetan Government have agreed, without comment, to the visit to West Tibet by Mr. Turnbull (see my telegram No. 43 dated the 16th May 1950). Peking radio put out a statement that the U.S. Government were shipping arms to Tibet via India. The Government of India have contradicted this.

II. DOMESTIC.

1. It has now been decided to send Ngapho Shape to Kham with only two assistants, to act as Additional Commissioner in Kham with Lhalu Shape who had been instructed to stay on because of the increasingly difficult situations. It seems unlikely that the Commissioners will get on well together and the arrangement does not seem very wise.

2. Ragashar Shape, Defence Minister, accompanied by the lay Commander-in-Chief will proceed to Nagchukha on 20th June in order to be in close touch with the frontier posts.

III. ECONOMIC AFFAIRS.

1. News of Chinese military action in Kham caused the exchange rate to rise rapidly for a few days. When it appeared that the action was on a very small scale the rate dropped again, but not to the level at which the rise had started. There is still a downward tendency. 

2. Rain has fallen early this year which promises well tor crops and livestock.

IV. PRESS.

--- NIL ----

V. PERSONAL AND SOCIAL.

--- NIL ----

VI. MISCELLANEOUS.

The Dalai Lama is continuing to show his unresting search for knowledge. His intelligence is well above the ordinary. After dealing with his Tibetan studies, he pores over English papers, questions for hours Herr Harrer the Austrian refugee now in Tibetan employment who has become a habitue of Norbu Lingka, and spends the evenings taking to pieces and learning about the mechanism of his cine cameras, electrical equipment and the like. His great desire, but one never likely fulfilled, is to go to a foreign school. Mere amusement is of no interest to him and he will not see any or the more frivolous of his cinema. films more than once. His judgement is reported to be remarkably mature but he has no opportunity of affecting the course of events as his minority is strictly enforced by the Regent.

Sd/- H. E. Richardson,

Indian Trade Agent, Gyantse &

Officer in Charge, Indian Mission, Lhasa.