Uprising and Crises in Lhasa
In the capitol, there was already
a rumour spread in the city about a Chinese plan
to kidnap His Holiness the Dalai Lama and take
him to China, and now the news of an unusual invitation
of the Chinese general to His Holiness the Dalai
Lama to attend a theatrical show in the Chinese
camp without any escort aroused the suspicion
of the Tibetan people. On the morning of March
10th, 1959, the day His Holiness was to proceed
to the Chinese camp later in the evening, thousands
of people, including many Khampas who for various
personal reasons could not leave Lhasa to join
the armed organization, rose up with arms and
surrounded Norbulingkha to prevent His Holiness
from going to the Chinese military camp. Although
there were many Lhasan people and only several
hundred Tibetan army troops as bodyguards to His
Holiness, it was the Khampas who took the main
responsibility of taking security measures and
guarding the palace gates. Some Khampa leaders
found themselves sitting with Tibetan government
officers in the Army headquarters to discuss security
measures and strategies. Inside the palace, His
Holiness and the members of the Cabinet were put
into a delicate position as the Chinese authorities
had given repeated threats to bomb the palace
to disperse the people unless they would leave
the palace. However, the people guarding the palace
refused to leave at any cost, as their devotion
to His Holiness far exceeded the Chinese threats.
As the situation became very tense and explosive,
the only logical course of action for His Holiness
was to escape. The decision to escape was made
known only to the inner circle of the palace and
a few of the Khampa leaders around the palace.
Chushi Gangdruk was duly informed by the Cabinet
and was asked to make necessary preparations for
a safe passage. Accordingly, to make the escape
route safe, the organization made every possible
preparation to guard His Holiness' entourage from
any possible threat from the Chinese Army.
