Tibetans in the Chinese Communist Party Leadership

Source: Tibetreports By Buchung K. Tsering September 28, 2012

The Chinese Communist Party has finally announced that its 18th Party Congress will be held from November 8, 2012. I would, therefore, like to look at its significance from a Tibetan point of view, but from a different angle.
Of course, the new leadership of China that will come out of the 18th Party Congress will determine the future direction of the country, which will have an impact on the Tibetans. However, I would like to look at another aspect of the issue; the nature of Tibetan presence in the highest echelons of the Chinese Communist Party.

The top three Party institutions (I am leaving aside the Politburo standing committee and the Politburo, for they are but dreams for people like Tibetans in the current scheme of things)  for which Party members can aspire for are membership of the Central Committee, alternate member of the Central Committee, and member of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.  The Central Committee is supposed to be the highest decision making body in the Party.

Signifying the importance of these institutions, their membership are announced at every Party Congress.
The Party Central Committee would certainly have a role in formulating China’s policy on Tibetans. The series of Tibet Work Forums that Beijing has held on Tibet have all been at the behest of the Communist Party.

It was interesting to see that way back on March 16, 1953, there was an “Inner-party directive drafted for the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party” on “Han Chauvinism” that said the following:
“Judging from the mass of information on hand, the Central Committee holds that wherever there are minority nationalities the general rule is that there are problems calling for solution, and in some cases very serious
ones. On the surface all is quiet, but actually there are some very serious problems. What has come to light in various places in the last two or three years shows that Han chauvinism exists almost everywhere. It will be very dangerous if we fail now to give timely education and resolutely overcome Han chauvinism in the Party and among the people. The problem in the relations between nationalities which reveals itself in the Party and among the people in many places is the existence of Han chauvinism to a serious degree and not just a matter of its vestiges. In other words, bourgeois ideas dominate the minds of those comrades and people who have had no Marxist education and have not grasped the nationality policy of the Central Committee. Therefore, education must be assiduously carried out so that this problem can be solved step by step.

Moreover, the newspapers should publish more articles based on specific facts to criticize Han chauvinism openly and educate the Party members and the people.”
It looks like that observation has not been followed up with implementation of a solution for even today, one of the factors that have exacerbated the situation in Tibet is the rise of Chinese nationalism. I hope the 18th Party Congress and the subsequent Chinese leadership will look at this issue seriously.

Now I am not sure the extend to which the Tibetan members of the Central Committee are able to put forth their candid views during the deliberations.

In any case, out of the current 204 members in the current 17th Central Committee, two are Tibetans (Lekchog and Jampa Phuntsok); while out of the 167 alternate members, two are Tibetans (Tenkho and Dorjee); and out of the 127 members of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, two are Tibetans (Rinchen Gyal and Guru Tsego).

In the previous 16th Central Committee there were three members as well as three alternate members.
Who will be the new Tibetan faces in the Central Committee and how many will there be? It appears that there may be more than 30 Tibetan delegates to the upcoming Party Congress that will elect the new Central Committee. To give you an idea of the nature of Tibetan presence so far, following are names of Tibetans in the Party Central Committee in the past several years that I have been able to compile.

17th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) October 2007
1. Lekchog (Legqog) from Gyantse
2. Jampa Phuntsok (Qiangba Puncog) from Chamdo

Alternate members of the 17th CPC Central Committee
1. Tenkho (Danko) from Tsolho
2. Dorji (Doje Cezhug) from Gyatsa.

Members of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist
Party of China (CPC) elected at the 17th CPC National Congress
1. Rinchen Gyal (Rinqengyai) from Amdo
2. Guru Tsego (Ou Zegao) from Ngapa

16th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Nov 8-14, 2002
1. Lekchog (Legqog) from Gyantse
2. Dorjee Tsering (Doje Cering) from Labrang
3. Ragdi (Raidi) from Nagchu

Alternate members of the 16th CPC Central Committee, 2002
1. Jampa Phuntsok (Qiangba Puncog) from Chamdo
2. Rinchen Gyal (Rinqengyai) from Amdo
3. Guru Tsego (Ou Zegao) from Ngapa

Members of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist
Party of China (CPC) elected at the 16th CPC National Congress, 2002
1. Bhuchung (Bu Qiong)  from Chongye
2. Pema (Baima) from Kyegudo

15th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC)
September 12-18, 1997
1. Ragdi (Raidi) from Nagchu
2. Dorjee Tsering (Doje Cering) from Labrang

Alternate members of the 15th CPC Central Committee, 1997
1. Lekchog (Legqog) from Gyantse
2. Tenzin  (Danzim) from Nagchu
3. Guru Tsego (Ou Zegao) from Ngapa

14th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Oct 12-18, 1992
1. Ragdi (Raidi) from Nagchu
2. Dorjee Tsering (Doje Cering) from Labrang

Members of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist
Party of China (CPC) elected at the 14th CPC National Congress, 1992
1. Passang  (Ba Sang) from Lhoka

Alternate members of the 14th CPC Central Committee, 1992
1. Tenzin  (Danzim) from Nagchu
2. Gyaltsen Norbu (Gyalcan Norbu)  from Bathang

13th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) October 25 to
November 1, 1987
1. Ragdi (Raidi) from Nagchu
2. Dorjee Tsering (Doje Cering) from Labrang

Members of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist
Party of China (CPC) elected at the 13th CPC National Congress, 1987
1.    Passang  (Ba Sang) from Lhoka

12th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Sept  1-11, 1982
1. Ragdi (Raidi) from Nagchu
2. Passang  (Ba Sang) from Lhoka

Members of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist
Party of China (CPC) elected at the 12th CPC National Congress, 1982
1. Dorjee Tsering (Doje Cering) from Labrang

11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Aug 12-18, 1977
1.    Passang  (Ba Sang) from Lhoka
2.    Sangye Yeshi (Tian Bao) from Kham

Alternate members of the 11th CPC Central Committee, 1977
1. Ragdi (Raidi) from Nagchu

10th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Aug-24-28, 1973
1. Passang  (Ba Sang) from Lhoka
2. Sangye Yeshi (Tian Bao) from Kham

9th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) April 1-24, 1969
Sangye Yeshi (Tian Bao) from Kham