DEVELOPMENT OF REGIONAL AUTONOMY IN NORTHWEST CHINA MINORITY NATIONALITY AREAS, 1951

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000700070050-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 19, 2011
• Sequence Number: 50
• Publication Date: June 7, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

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CENTRALSfhitLUGE i NCr REPORT
COUNTRY China DATE OF
SUBJECT Sociolo
ical
Mi
g
-
nority nationalities
HOW Political - Government organization
PUBLISHED Daily newspaper
WHERE
PUBLISHED Peiping
DATE
PUBLISHED 10 Feb 1952
LANGUAGE Chinese
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DATE DIST. 1 Jun 1952
Top leaders of minority nationality affairs in the Northwest,
Southwest, and Central and South China regions gave progress re-
ports on the establishment of nationality regional autonomy and
democratic administration in their areas before the second
plenary conference of the Commission of the Affairs of Nation-
alities of the Central People's Government from 14 to 31 Dec-
ember 1951.
Conference statements made by the chairmen of the national-
ities affairs committees of the Military and Administrative
Committees of the Northwest China, Southwest China, and Central-
South China included progress reports un other important developments
in the field of agriculture, trade, health, education, and cultural
affairs.
On 10 February 1952, the Peiping Jan-min Jih-peo published the
statement of WaZ Feng , ), Chairman of the Nationalities
Affairs Committee of the Northwest China Military and Administrative
Committee, entitled "All Minority Nationalities Advance in Unison
Under the Banner of Mao Tse-tung" which included the following re-
port concerning the progress and problems of autonomy and democratic
administration in the. Northwest China.
In the minority nationality areas, regional autonomy has been advanced
and self-governing organs above the ch'u lsvel have been: established. The
localities include the Tung-hsiang tribal area of Tung-hsiang, the Mongol
nationality areas of A-la?shan Ch'1, 0-chi-na Ch'I. and Su-pei Esden, and the
tibetaz nationality areas of Cho-ni Esien. Tung-te Esien, Esia-ho Esiea,
Tien-chu Enien, and Wu-piing Esien. In addition, in the Yu-shu Special'Ch'u
and in?all the,hsien of the nomadic districts of Tringhai Province, preper-
ations are being actively made to complete regional autonomy and to establish
democratic administration.
- 1 -
CLASSIFICATION CONFIDENTIAL
ARMY AIP. Fal
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In accordance with the practical conditions of the minority nationalities
in each province, Sinkiang, Kansu, and Ningsia are coordinating all types of'
practical work and are earnestly and gradually pushing these projects.
Although many minority nationalities in various ch hi, hsiang, and hsien have
not announced the establishment of self-governing organs, the local nationality
cadres have assumed essential leadership responsibilities,.and many of the
working personnel are also local nationality cadres. For example, in Tung-hsin
Hsien in Ningsia, where Moslems constitute 77 percent of the population, not
only is the hsiang magistrate a Moslem, but one half of the cadres are Mcslems.
In the five provinces of Sinkiang, Kansu, Ningsia, Tsinghai, and Shensi.,
nationalities democratic coalition governments have been established wher-
ever there are multinationality districts. In general, all nationalities in
the government have representatives, proportionate to their population, to
carry on important respon,,bilities or to participate in leadership work.
Minority nationalities, whose umbers are few, are given special consideration.
In the provinces of Sinkiang, Kansu, Tsinghai, and Ningsia. Rmono the 16
chairmen and vice-chairmen of the provincial people'e government.- And the 117
committee members, there are 55 minorit?" nationality committeemen and six
minority nationality chairmen and vice-chair,-LL. iignty percent of the ad-
ministrative cadres in all the offices and departments of the Sinkiang People's
Government, and in the ten special ch'u under its control. (including 80 hsien
and municipalities) above the ch'u level, are minority nationality cadres.
According o statistics, in May 1951, in 35 hsien and municipalities of
lsiugnai and Ningsia, there were 22 hsien magistrate, and deputy magistrates
belonging to the Moslem, Tibetan, and Mongol nationalities. In the six hsien
and one municipality under the control of the Lin-hsia Special Ch'u in Kansu,
there were three hslen magistrates and two deputy magistrates and one munici-
pal mayor who were Moslem cadres. In Kung-ho Hsien, Tsinghai, there was one
Kazakh autonomous hsiang which had one Kazakh on the membership list of the
hsien people's government evsn though the hsiang population was only 130. In
this way the minority nationalities really have equal rights in the organs of
administrative authority.
All-nationalities, all-circles _
people's representativ.- -fer.r^.- %,,,,p
been held from one to five tines in minority nationality districts or multi-
nationality districts. In some localities, these conferences have exercised
the authority of the people's congresses. The number of minority nationality
representatives is generally in proportion to the size of the minority national-
ity population and are rationall? distributed ,among the list of representatives.
For instance, in Lin-hsia Hsien, the Chinese constitute 52 percent of the popu-
lation and t*:?i Moslems 48 percent. The ratio of representatives for each
nationality is generally proportionate to its population, 56 percent of the
representatives are Chinese and 44 percent ere Moslems. At the third session
of the First All-Natioralities All-Circles People's Representatives Conference
in Yin-ch'uan there were 43 Moslem representatives among the 211 representatives
attending. The ratio of Moslem representatives was slightly higher than their
??~. population warranted.
Wherever the system- of democratic centralism and the F^ople'a representative
conference are applied in establishi?* regional self-governing organs or
coalition governments, they have been universally welcomed by the minority
nationalities. They are valuable instruments in pushin- forward the unity of
the masses, the implementation of administrative ciders, the ~ru-ning or
cadres, and the restoration and development of political, economic, and cultural
activities of the people of all nationalities, It is difficult to describe the
degree of enthusiasm shown by the minority na+inilitiec .,.bcn they observe their
ova cadres undertaking 1 e4ership in al levels of adLnietr_tive authority and
ase their owu . thois to manace their iieticnali_y a---,._.
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Hereafter we must universally and earnestly push regional autonomy in
the minority nationality districts. This is the central point of political
development in the minority nationality localities. During 1952 - 1953, we
must definitely reach the goal of establishing self-governing organs in all
localities where they should exist. In the localities where coalition gov-
ernments have been established and regional autonomy has been advanced, the
governments, should thoroughly carry out the people's :apresentativea con-
ference system so that it can advance toward complete establishment.
The coalition governments of the multinationality localities must be set
up in accordance with the population ratio, properly apportioning represent-
ation and participation by all classes and levels of pennle in the adminis-
trative organs of government. All levels c" all-nationalities, all-circles
people's representatives conference must convene on -cnecuu.. aroc iualuae
representatives from all levels and clae:es of the people to discuss and de-
cide all important problems confronting, them. When conditions are ripe, they
should immediately assume the authority delegated to the people's congresses,
elect all responsible officials of all levels of the people's government, and
thereby make the people's representatives conferences a truly strong organi-
zation to unify the masses, tc promote the implementation of administrative
orders by the masses, and to realize self-management, of their own affairs.
Moreover, in accordance with concrete conditions and mast experience in
Northwest China, there must be orderly implementation f nationality regional
autonomy.
Ni
During the implementation of nationality regional autonomy, the agricul-
tural districts must Join together in rent reduction and land reform; the
nomadic livestock farming districts must Join together in prov'ding mec:icr.1
services, and promoting trade and other practical work activities. In any
event, the agriculture and nomadic districts must unite in the Resist America,
Aid Korea Movement, the Patriotic Movement, and the Internationalism Move-
ment.
At the same time, before the establishment of self-governing organs,
they must establish preparatory organizations, in accordance with the size
of the minority nationality localities. They must use individual methods of
nomination, election, and appointment to bring in persons who broadly rep-
resent ail levels to particip,te and actively promote all activities that
relate to the establishment of autonomous administration. They must especially
expand the educational and propaganda movement for the advancement of regional
autonomy, among all levels of people, and stimulate discussions among the
electors of the people's governments of autonomous regions.
Because E. segment of the minority nationality masses at first failed to
understand the promot..,i. of regional autonomy, many of them incorrectly
believed that after regional cu`onomy is in effect, the Communist Party must
leave, and they feared that after the dennrtore of the Communist Party there
would be no policy on ho',, to carry out autonomy. Those who still embraced
feelings of "narrow nationalism" thought that after establishing regional
autonomy, they could go their own way independently and leave the Communist
Party. Therefore, it is absolutely imperative that systematic educational
and propaganda compaign must be expanded smorg the masses to advance regional
autonomy collectively.
Consequently, the process of advancing regional autonomy is a process
of education and of raising the political consciousness of the masses. To
pusu regional autonomy successfully, there must be continuous prevention and
surmounting of the remnant deviations of t':e dos--t^e ^f "great nationalism,"
and such impressions as "uin.:_ ity :at:ocvz _r.v cam-es _e back,=rd and do not
know how t,o menace affa__s. and if admin_;trati'?e au!hor-_ty is giver, to them
CONFIDENTIAL
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they would ruin everything." Experience proves that in advancing regional
autonomy the attitudes of procrastination and impulsiveness are incorrect
and so are unpreparedness, disorderliness, and irresponsibility.
The organizational form of regional autonomous administration must be
appro*+riate to the immediate conditions and level of politi"al and economic
development. It must have passed through a period of consultation and study,
and obtained the willing consent of a majority of the local minority national-
ities. We cannot tranfer'the system of administrative authority from a ch'u,
hsiang, or ts'un of a Chineee nationality or of an agricultural district and
mechanically apply it to a minority nationality or nomadic livestock farming
area.
The organizational form of nomadic tribes of 1,000 cr 100 families and the
meng ans. ch'i, with the consent of these minority nationalities, can be retained
and gradually indoctrinated with the people's democracy principles. When there
are a new progressive developments in the minority nsti"nrlity democratic
economy, politics, and culture that require the use of new forms of government
organization to replace the present which may become inadequate, and if the
broad masses and the leadership that is capable of unifying the masses desire
a change, naturally there should be one.
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