为了维护国家的统一和西藏人民的根本利益，中央人民政府采取果断措施，与西藏人民一道坚决平息了叛乱，解散了西藏地方政府，并在西藏进行了一场彻底摧毁封建农奴制度的民主改革运动。民主改革废除了“政教合一”制度，实现了政教分离；废除了生产资料的封建领主所有制，确立了农牧民个体所有制；废除了对“三大领主”的人身依附，使农奴和奴隶获得人身自由。民主改革是西藏社会进步和人权发展史上划时代的重大变革，使西藏百万农奴和奴隶在政治、经济和社会生活多方面实现了翻身解放，有效地促进了西藏社会生产力的发展，为西藏的现代化发展开辟了道路。据统计，在民主改革中，农奴和奴隶共分得土地280多万克(15克相当于1公顷)，到1960年西藏民主改革完成时，西藏的粮食生产量比1959年增长12.6%，比民主改革前的1958年增长17.7%，牲畜存栏头数1960年比1959年增长9.9%。

(三)实行民族区域自治制度，推动西藏走上社会主义的发展道路

In order to safeguard the unity of the nation and the fundamental interests of the Tibetan people, the Central People’s Government, together with the Tibetan people, took decisive measures to suppress the rebellion, dissolved the local govern-ment and carried out the Democratic Reform in Tibet, which fundamentally uprooted the feudal serfdom. Through this reform, the theocratic system was annulled, religion was sepa-rated from government; the feudal serf owners’ right to own means of production was abolished and private ownership by farmers and herdsmen was established; the serfs’ and slaves’ personal bondage to the officials, nobles and upper-ranking monks was cancelled, and they won their freedom of the person. The Democratic Reform constituted an epoch-making change in the social progress of Tibet and its development of human rights. It emancipated a million of serfs and slaves politically, economically and in other aspects of social life, effectively promoted the development of social productive forces in Tibet and opened up the road towards modernization. The former serfs and slaves got over 186,000 hectares of land in the Democratic Reform and, in 1960, when the Democratic Reform was basically completed, the total grain yield of Tibet was 12.6 percent higher than in 1959 and 17.7 percent higher than in 1958. In addition, the total number of livestock was 9.9 percent higher than in 1959.

3. Implementing regional ethnic autonomy, making Ti-bet embark on the road of socialism

　　西藏民主改革的过程同时也是民主建政的过程。1959年3月西藏发生叛乱后，国务院发布命令，解散西藏噶厦地方政府，决定由西藏自治区筹备委员会行使西藏地方政府职权。此后，相继撤销了昌都地区人民解放委员会和班禅堪布会议厅委员会，结束了几种不同性质政权并存的局面，建立了统一的人民民主政权。1961年，西藏各地开始实行普选，昔日的农奴和奴隶第一次获得了当家作主的民主权利，选举产生了西藏各级权力机关和政权，一大批翻身农奴和奴隶担任了各级领导职务。1965年9月，西藏自治区第一届人民代表大会第一次会议在拉萨开幕，西藏自治区及其人民政府宣告成立。此后，西藏通过对农牧业的社会主义改造，走上了社会主义的发展道路。西藏自治区的成立和社会主义制度的实行，从制度上保障了各民族平等、团结、互助和共同繁荣政策在西藏的实现，保障了西藏各族人民平等参与管理国家事务和自主管理本地区本民族事务的权利，为西藏在国家的特殊支持和资助下，根据本地区特点实现与全国共同发展进步提供了制度保证。

　　(四)实行改革开放，推动西藏经济从封闭走向开放、从供给型经济走向经营型经济

The Democratic Reform in Tibet coincided with its con-struction of democratic politics. After the rebellion broke out in March 1959 the State Council issued an order to dissolve the Kashag and decided to make the Preparatory Committee for the Tibet Autonomous Region exercise the local government’s du-ties and power. Later, the Qamdo People’s Liberation Committee and the Panchen Kampus Assembly were abolished, and a centralized people’s democratic government was set up, thus ending the co-existence of several political powers of different nature. In 1961 a general election was held across Tibet. For the first time, the former serfs and slaves were able to enjoy demo-cratic rights as their own masters, as they elected power organs and governments at all levels. Many emancipated serfs and slaves took up leading posts at various levels in the region. In September 1965 the First Session of the First People’s Congress of Tibet was convened in Lhasa, at which the founding of the Tibet Autonomous Region and the Regional People’s Govern-ment were officially proclaimed. Then, through the socialist transformation of agriculture and animal husbandry, Tibet em-barked on the road of socialism. The founding of the Tibet Au-tonomous Region and adoption of the socialist system provided an institutional guarantee for the realization of ethnic equality, unity, mutual help and common prosperity. It also provided a guarantee for all ethnic groups in Tibet to enjoy equal rights to participate in the administration of state affairs and that of ethnic affairs. In this way, an institutional guarantee was put in place for Tibet to develop along with other parts of China, with special support and assistance by the state and according to its local conditions.

4. Implementing reform and opening up, promoting Ti-betan economy to change from a closed one into an open one and from a planned one to a market one