Enter the Dragon: Chinese Invasion
of Tibet continues....

In September 1949, Harishwar Dayal, the Political Officer in Sikkim was sent to Tibet, where he stayed for two months, and discussed the supply of arms and ammunition to the new Tibetan Army and the revival of the ‘Better Family Regiment’. Dayal contended that the main role for the Indian government was the provide training to the Tibetan troops.

In fact, an Indian Colonel had already visited Tibet a few months earlier and discussed the training with Dapon Kungsangtse, a Tibetan General, and it had been agreed principle that India would train some Tibetan troops in Gyantse.

The Tibetan government requested the supply of anti-aircraft guns, 20 two-inch mortars, 20 three-inch mortars, 10,000 two-inch mortar bombs, 10,000 three-inch mortar bombs, 2,000,000 rounds of .303 rifle ammunition and 1,000,000 rounds of Sten gun ammunition. Only the request for the anti-aircraft guns was turned down, and the entire supply was delivered during the next two months. The Tibetans were trying to build up their force strength from the existing 13,000 to 100,000. But the problem of who would equip this force remained. The Tibetans realized that even if the British or the Americans were prepared to help; they could not do so without the active collaboration of the Government of India.

When the Communist Party finally came to power in China in 1949 it was not a civilian organization like any other communist party. It had grown up as an army, and it was the People’s Liberation Army itself. It was a most formidable mix: a battle-hardened army combining the strong racial superiority complex of the Han Chinese with Marxist ideology. It was a very suitable instrument in the hands of China’s top decision-makers, battle-experienced politico-military leaders who knew the use of force and understood the practicalities of military operations. An appropriate task was the ‘liberation’ of Tibet, or its re-incorporation into the motherland of China.

To be continued...