Phuntsok Wangyal
Encyclopedia
Phuntsok Wangyal Goranangpa, also known as Phuntsog Wangyal, Bapa Phuntsok Wangyal or Phünwang, is a Tibetan
politician born in 1922 in Batang
, in the province of Kham
, Eastern Tibet
. He is best known for having founded the Tibetan Communist Party
and was a major figure in modern Sino-Tibetan relations.
He was arrested by the Chinese authorities in 1960 and subsequently spent 18 years in the infamous
Chinese high security prison Qincheng in solitary confinement
. He lives in Beijing
.
, in the province of Kham
in Tibet
. Phünwang began his political activism at school at the special academy run by Chiang Kaishek’s Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission
in Nanjing
, where he secretly founded the Tibetan Communist Party. Until 1949, he organized a guerilla movement against the Chinese Guomindang which expanded military influence in Kham
.
The strategy of the Tibetan Communist Party under his leadership during the 1940s was twofold: influence and gain support for his cause amongst progressive Tibetan students, intellectuals and members of the powerful aristocracy in Central Tibet
in order to establish a program of modernization and democratic (i.e. socialist
) reform, while at the same time sustain a guerilla war against the rule of Liu Wenhui
, an important warlord who affiliated with the Guomindang. For sometime, Wangyal lectured at Tromzikhang
on Barkhor
square in the 1940s when it was used as a Republican school.
Phünwang's political goal was to see an independent and united Tibet, and to achieve a fundamental transformation of Tibet's feudal social structures. He was expulsed by the Tibetan government in 1949, and after joining the Chinese Communist Party's fight against the Guomindang he fused his Tibetan party with the Chinese Communist Party, at the behest of the Chinese military leaders, which meant that he had to abandon his goals of an independent socialist Tibet.
He played an important administrative role in the organization of the party in Lhasa
and was the official translator of the young 14th Dalai Lama during his famous meetings with Mao Zedong
in Beijing
in the years 1954-55.
In the 1950s, Phünwang was the highest-ranking Tibetan in the Chinese Communist Party, and although he spoke fluent Chinese, was habituated to Chinese culture and costums and was completely devoted to the cause of socialism and to the Communist Party
, his intensive engagement for the well-being of the Tibetans made him suspicious to his powerful party comrades.
Eventually, in 1958, he was placed under house arrest and two years later disappeared from the public eye. He was imprisoned in solitary confinement in the Chinese equivalent of the Bastille
in Beijing
for 18 years.
An as-told-to biography has been published in English, where he particularly emphasizes the need to better understand the interests of the Tibetan people
in the context of peace and unity in the People's Republic of China
Phuntsok Wangyal Goranangpa was officially rehabilitated a few years after his release in 1978 but remained in Beijing without any outside contact.,
Recently, he declared in an open letter to Hu Jintao
that he should accommodate for the return of the Dalai Lama
to Tibet, suggesting that this gesture would be "...good for stabilizing Tibet."
In a third letter dated 1 August 2006, he wrote : "If the inherited problem with Tibet continues to be delayed, it is most likely going to result in the creation of 'The Eastern Vatican of Tibetan Buddhism' alongside the Exile Tibetan Government. Then the 'Tibet Problem', be it nationally or internationally, will become more complicated and more troublesome."
In a letter Hu Jintao in 2007, Phuntsok Wangyal criticised cadres of the CCP whom, to support Dorje Shugden
, "make a living, are promoted and become rich by opposing splittism".
Tibetan people
The Tibetan people are an ethnic group that is native to Tibet, which is mostly in the People's Republic of China. They number 5.4 million and are the 10th largest ethnic group in the country. Significant Tibetan minorities also live in India, Nepal, and Bhutan...
politician born in 1922 in Batang
Batang Town
Batang Town , or Xiaqiong Town , is a town in Batang County, Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, in the China on the main route between Chengdu and Lhasa, Tibet, and just east of the Jinsha River, or Upper Yangtse River...
, in the province of Kham
Kham
Kham , is a historical region covering a land area largely divided between present-day Tibetan Autonomous Region and Sichuan province, with smaller portions located within Qinghai, Gansu and Yunnan provinces of China. During the Republic of China's rule over mainland China , most of the region was...
, Eastern Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
. He is best known for having founded the Tibetan Communist Party
Tibetan Communist Party
Tibetan Communist Party was a small socialist group in Tibet, which functioned in secrecy under various names. The group was founded by Phuntsok Wangyal and Ngawang Kesang in the 1940s...
and was a major figure in modern Sino-Tibetan relations.
He was arrested by the Chinese authorities in 1960 and subsequently spent 18 years in the infamous
Infamous
Infamous may refer to:* Infamous , a 2006 film* Infamous Mobb, Queens rap group* The Infamous, a 1995 album by Mobb Deep* DJ Infamous, a record producer and former world champion DJ...
Chinese high security prison Qincheng in solitary confinement
Solitary confinement
Solitary confinement is a special form of imprisonment in which a prisoner is isolated from any human contact, though often with the exception of members of prison staff. It is sometimes employed as a form of punishment beyond incarceration for a prisoner, and has been cited as an additional...
. He lives in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
.
Biography
Phünwang was born in 1922 in BatangBatang Town
Batang Town , or Xiaqiong Town , is a town in Batang County, Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, in the China on the main route between Chengdu and Lhasa, Tibet, and just east of the Jinsha River, or Upper Yangtse River...
, in the province of Kham
Kham
Kham , is a historical region covering a land area largely divided between present-day Tibetan Autonomous Region and Sichuan province, with smaller portions located within Qinghai, Gansu and Yunnan provinces of China. During the Republic of China's rule over mainland China , most of the region was...
in Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
. Phünwang began his political activism at school at the special academy run by Chiang Kaishek’s Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission
Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission
The Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission is one of two ministry-level commissions of the Executive Yuan in the Republic of China. Inaugural addresses are delivered by the Chairman of the Commission...
in Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
, where he secretly founded the Tibetan Communist Party. Until 1949, he organized a guerilla movement against the Chinese Guomindang which expanded military influence in Kham
Kham
Kham , is a historical region covering a land area largely divided between present-day Tibetan Autonomous Region and Sichuan province, with smaller portions located within Qinghai, Gansu and Yunnan provinces of China. During the Republic of China's rule over mainland China , most of the region was...
.
The strategy of the Tibetan Communist Party under his leadership during the 1940s was twofold: influence and gain support for his cause amongst progressive Tibetan students, intellectuals and members of the powerful aristocracy in Central Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
in order to establish a program of modernization and democratic (i.e. socialist
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
) reform, while at the same time sustain a guerilla war against the rule of Liu Wenhui
Liu Wenhui
Liu Wenhui was one of the warlords of Sichuan province during China's Warlord era. Liu who rose to prominence in Sichuan in the 1920s and 1930s, came from a peasant family. At the beginning of his career, he was aligned with the Kuomintang , commanding the Sichuan-Xikang Defence Force from 1927 to...
, an important warlord who affiliated with the Guomindang. For sometime, Wangyal lectured at Tromzikhang
Tromzikhang
Tromzikhang , is a historic building in Barkhor, Lhasa in Tibet. It is located northwest of Jokhang temple at the corner of the left side of Barkhor Tromshung Jang . It was demolished in the 1990s except for the magnificent facade...
on Barkhor
Barkhor
The Barkhor is an area of narrow streets and a public square located around Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, Tibet.The Barkor is a popular devotional circumabulation for pilgrims and locals...
square in the 1940s when it was used as a Republican school.
Phünwang's political goal was to see an independent and united Tibet, and to achieve a fundamental transformation of Tibet's feudal social structures. He was expulsed by the Tibetan government in 1949, and after joining the Chinese Communist Party's fight against the Guomindang he fused his Tibetan party with the Chinese Communist Party, at the behest of the Chinese military leaders, which meant that he had to abandon his goals of an independent socialist Tibet.
He played an important administrative role in the organization of the party in Lhasa
Lhasa
Lhasa is the administrative capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China and the second most populous city on the Tibetan Plateau, after Xining. At an altitude of , Lhasa is one of the highest cities in the world...
and was the official translator of the young 14th Dalai Lama during his famous meetings with Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
in the years 1954-55.
In the 1950s, Phünwang was the highest-ranking Tibetan in the Chinese Communist Party, and although he spoke fluent Chinese, was habituated to Chinese culture and costums and was completely devoted to the cause of socialism and to the Communist Party
Communist party
A political party described as a Communist party includes those that advocate the application of the social principles of communism through a communist form of government...
, his intensive engagement for the well-being of the Tibetans made him suspicious to his powerful party comrades.
Eventually, in 1958, he was placed under house arrest and two years later disappeared from the public eye. He was imprisoned in solitary confinement in the Chinese equivalent of the Bastille
Bastille
The Bastille was a fortress in Paris, known formally as the Bastille Saint-Antoine. It played an important role in the internal conflicts of France and for most of its history was used as a state prison by the kings of France. The Bastille was built in response to the English threat to the city of...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
for 18 years.
An as-told-to biography has been published in English, where he particularly emphasizes the need to better understand the interests of the Tibetan people
Tibetan people
The Tibetan people are an ethnic group that is native to Tibet, which is mostly in the People's Republic of China. They number 5.4 million and are the 10th largest ethnic group in the country. Significant Tibetan minorities also live in India, Nepal, and Bhutan...
in the context of peace and unity in the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
Phuntsok Wangyal Goranangpa was officially rehabilitated a few years after his release in 1978 but remained in Beijing without any outside contact.,
Recently, he declared in an open letter to Hu Jintao
Hu Jintao
Hu Jintao is the current Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China. He has held the titles of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China since 2002, President of the People's Republic of China since 2003, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission since 2004, succeeding Jiang...
that he should accommodate for the return of the Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
to Tibet, suggesting that this gesture would be "...good for stabilizing Tibet."
In a third letter dated 1 August 2006, he wrote : "If the inherited problem with Tibet continues to be delayed, it is most likely going to result in the creation of 'The Eastern Vatican of Tibetan Buddhism' alongside the Exile Tibetan Government. Then the 'Tibet Problem', be it nationally or internationally, will become more complicated and more troublesome."
In a letter Hu Jintao in 2007, Phuntsok Wangyal criticised cadres of the CCP whom, to support Dorje Shugden
Dorje Shugden
Dorje Shugden , "Vajra Possessing Strength", or Dolgyal Shugden , "Shugden, King of Dhol" is a deity in Tibetan Buddhism, especially its Gelug school, who is regarded as a Dharma Protector or "guardian angel." The practice of Dharma Protectors is central to most religious Tibetans and...
, "make a living, are promoted and become rich by opposing splittism".
Published works
- Liquid Water Does Exist on the Moon, Beijing, China, Foreign Languages Press, 2002, ISBN 7119013491
- Witness to Tibet's History, Baba Phuntsok Wangyal, New Delhi, Paljor Publication, 2007, ISBN 818623058-0
See also
- Melvyn GoldsteinMelvyn GoldsteinMelvyn C. Goldstein is a US-American anthropologist and Tibet scholar. His research focuses on Tibetan society, history and contemporary politics, population studies, polyandry, studies in cultural and development ecology, economic change and cross-cultural gerontology.-Personal...
, Dawei Sherap, William Siebenschuh. A Tibetan Revolutionary. The political life of Bapa Phüntso Wangye. U. of California Press, pp. 371, 2004
- Political prisonerPolitical prisonerAccording to the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, a political prisoner is ‘someone who is in prison because they have opposed or criticized the government of their own country’....