1962 and the McMahon Line Saga by Claude Arpi

Author:Claude Arpi [Arpi, Claude]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781935501572
Publisher: Lancer Publishers LLC
Published: 2013-06-01T22:00:00+00:00

The Lhundrup case

In the autumn of 1944, a group of nine to ten monks from the Che and Ngagpa Colleges of Sera monastery, went to Lhundrup Dzong, north of Lhasa in Phembo district, to collect some interest on earlier loans. However before they arrived, a group of local farmers petitioned the Dzongpon12 and told him that this particular year, they were unable to pay the interest.

In 1944, the Kashag13 had exempted farmers on the principal of the loan and in some cases, also exempted interest on old loans. The Kashag requested to fix decent annual repayments on loans contracted within the last ten years. It became illegal to seize land, houses, wealth, or domestic animals from debtors in lieu of interest due.

In his Declaration of Independence in 1911, the 13th Dalai Lama already stated the Government's policy:

The Tibetan government's civil and military officials, when collecting taxes or dealing with their subject citizens, should carry out their duties with fair and honest judgment so as to benefit the government without hurting the interests of the subject citizens. Some of the central government officials posted at Ngari Korsum in western Tibet, and Do Kham in eastern Tibet, are coercing their subject citizens to purchase commercial goods at high prices and have imposed transportation rights exceeding the limit permitted by the government. Houses, properties and lands belonging to subject citizens have been confiscated on the pretext of minor breaches of the law. Furthermore, the amputation of citizens' limbs has been carried out as a form of punishment. Henceforth, such severe punishments are forbidden.

The Dalai Lama had asked that it should not happen again.

In 1944, Lhundrup Dzong peasants asked the Dzongpon to examine their old loans and adjust their repayment; their request was eventually forwarded to the Kashag for final decision. In the meantime, the Dzongpon informed the farmers that they did not have to immediately repay the loans.

During the autumn, when the monks came to Lhundrup to collect their 'dues,' the Kashag's decision had not yet been taken, the Dzongpon accordingly told them about the situation and requested them not to use force to collect taxes before the government had taken a decision.

The monks went back to Lhasa and complained to Ngawang Gyatso, the abbot of Sera Che,14 who instructed the monks to appeal again to the Dzongpon and if he refused to help to "do whatever had to be done to collect the loans."

The Sera monks went again to the Dzonpon who refused to be bullied. As a result he was beaten by the monks; a few days later, he unfortunately died. Here is Shakabpa's version of the facts; he was then one of the members responsible for the enquiry ordered by the Kashag:

For years, grain had been lent to Tibetan subjects on interest by the government, by landholding monasteries, and by wealthy individuals.

Though the interest rate was low, there had been instances where the subjects failed to pay on schedule and, in time, these unpaid interests increased considerably. The poor debtors suffered a great deal.

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