Evening star., 1950-02-21
Tibet and Dalai Lama
Fear Liberation Soon
By China Communists

By China Communists
CALCUTTA. India, Feb. 81.
(CDN Tibet, the Central Asian
hermit kingdom" on the roof of
the world. is quaking with fear at
the prospect of early liberation"
by Communist China.
That is the report brought here
by travellers from Lhasa, capital
of the Dalai Lama's Buddhist
empire.
1t Is stated that the Dalai Lama /
has appealed for help from Lon
don, Washington, and New Delhi, .
Presumably such aid must be in
direct, as the tortuous trail lead
ing over high mountain passes to
Tibet is inadequate to buttress
opposition against armed inva-
sion.
India Nervous.
India lis especially nervous of
Communist China's intentions. If
Tibet falls, the neighboring Hindu .
kingdoms of Nepal and Bhutan,
on India's borders, could easily |
be the next objects of Communist /
inf1ltration.
Communist theology, spread by /
Indian Communists, already is re-
ported to have penetrated Nepal. 4
Developments in Tibet could add |
the thrust of Communist power
to whatever appeal the Marxist
creed might make
Success would bring direct Com
munist force to the edge of
India's thronging, but impover-
ished, Ganges Valley.
The basic trouble in tabled |
Tibet stems from the onslaught
of modern times. The ancient |
rule of Buddhist monks has failed l
to seal itself off from the ferment
now running through Asia.
Monkdom Challenged.
Recent visitors to Lhasa say the
hereditary monkdom faces chal-
lenges from lowlier Tibetans who
may be losing their traditional
awe of the religious state AS else
where in the world, economic and
political problems are rising to ]
haunt the rulers.
The question is whether only
Communism can provide the /
necessary bridge between monas- i
terry rule and the modern world
Tibetan affairs are complicated
by enmity between the courts of
the Dalai Lama, whose religious
station gives him temporal power,
and of the Panchen Lama, an
even more august religious symbol /
but one who now lacks worldly |
authority.
Both Lamas are still minors
That fact does not lessen the ten
sion between their adherents.
While the Dalai Lama's court
struggles to protect Tibet's free 4
dom, the Panchen Lama group |
is reported to be maintaining its
traditional pro-Chinese attitude. !.
Tibetans Dislike Chinese.
In Lhasa, Tibetans' old re- l
pugnance to Chinese authority is
undisguised. Last July the Tibetan
Government ordered the expulsion
of Chang Kaishek's Kuomintang
Mission and of Chinese residents.
Even before that,-~sthe Dalai
Lama's regime had turned to
India, as the heir to British in
fuence in Tibet, to help them re-
sist Chinese ambitions.
Prime Minister Nehrus govern
ment consequently made available
to Tibet foreign exchange for the
purchasing necessary equipment
and supplies in world markets.
An Indian political officer, sta
toned in Sikkim on the border of
Tibet. recently made trip to
Lhasa.
For its interest, Mr.. Nehru's
government has been labeled by
the Peiping Communist radio, it
is reported, as the mouthpiece of
the Anglo-American policy of
separating Tibet from China"
Mr.. Nehru himself appears un-
certain how far India should go
to aid Tibet. At a recent press
conference he was asked directly |
whether India. in recognizing
Communist China, had also rec 1
orgnized Peiping's dominion over
Tibet. He replied evasiyely. He
may be waiting to see what Lon
don and Washington will do.
Meanwhile, Peiping radio broad
casts and reports circulating in
Lhasa are said to suggest that
Communist Chinas Liberation"
move against Tibet may take sew
eral courses.
First, Chinese Communists may
utilize dissatisfied Tibetans living
IN the Chinghai and Kansu areas
OF China to organize a partisan
force aimed at rallying opposition
to the Dalai Lama and sweeping
him from his throne.
OecoIlu, support may be given
the Panchen Lama to press his
contest against the Dalai Lama as
far as he is able.
Third, Chinese Communist
mission may seek to enter Lhasa
with the purpose of establish Il
ing Chinese authority.
If internal revolution and re-
ligious contests had failed to clear
the way for Chinese authority.
the fourth course open to Peiping
would be armed invasion.