Dawa, male, was born in 1931 in Gyangze, Tibet. He served in the Tibetan army before the Democratic Reform in 1959. He deserted when he could not stand the ill-treatment in the army, and worked as a servant for a serf-owner. After the Democratic Reform, he served as a road maintenance worker. He has retired from the post and is now living in Lhasa.

I am 69 years old. Had it not been for the Democratic Reform, I would not be able to lead a good life today. Compared with life in the pre-Democratic Reform period, I am in the paradise today.
The young generation can hardly believe the bitterness of our life in old Tibet, as they have never experienced it. When I recall that segment of the history, even my son says I am telling stories. But it is a fact.
I am an ordinary worker, and has not received much education. According to my understanding, Tibet has experienced earth-shaking changes.
Before the peaceful liberation of Tibet in 1951, the Tibetan society was divided into two parts: the first part was composed of manorial lords, officialdom and aristocrats-known as the three estate holders; and the second part of serfs and slaves. The three estate holders owned almost all land and pastures, and enjoyed the right to dictate the life of the serfs and slaves. So far as the serfs and slaves were concerned, they had the bounden duty to obey their master. Though they worked for the three estate holders like beasts of burden, they often went hungry and lived in dilapidated huts or cowsheds. Today, however, we have enough to eat and pay much attention to nutrition. In addition to having enough to wear, we pursue quality materials and fashions. Houses are cozy and spacious, and were built in area with easy access to transport facilities and shopping centers. In the past, we went out on foot, and carried whatever we were made to carry on shoulders and backs. Now, we have automobiles, bicycles and motorcycles. Taxi service is developed in Lhasa. One can also take planes to go to faraway places. In the past, we spent seven or eight days walking from Lhasa to Xigaze. Today, it takes only five hours. Going to China's hinterland was a long journey, and one had to spend one year for this purpose. Now, it takes only a few hours.
Everything has changed. With social changes, we have improved the quality of our lives.
As many say, "without comparison, one can hardly tell how happy his/her life is today."I have experienced lives in the old and new societies. So, I know what life was like in the past and what life is like today.
I was born into a tailor's family in Gyangze. The whole family lived on Father's meager income by making clothes for others. Mother often worked for rich families.
In 1955, when I was 24, I married Lhamo and lived with her family of 11: eight brothers and sisters, parents and grandmother-in-law. Lhamo's elder sister and elder brother worked for a manor and seldomly came back home. I had to till the land for the whole family. Two years later, however, I was made to serve in the Tibetan army in Lhasa. Lhamo followed me to the city, too. Tibet had been peacefully liberated in 1951. I had no idea why the Gaxag government was still recruiting new armymen at that time.
Of course, I now understand it was making preparation for an armed rebellion in 1959.
I was issued army uniforms for winter and summer. But I was warned against the fact that there would be no more new supplies in three years. On the second day, I was issued a rifle with five bullets, which had to be returned to the army officer for unified preservation. During the training period, we ate our own zanba and drank collectively prepared tea three times a day. We seldomly had chance to taste butter or buttered tea. Lhamo rented a hut nearby our barracks, and made adobes for others. From this she earned 120 25-gram bronze coins a month. My monthly pay and provisions amounted to 28 kg of qingke barley. We lived a poor life.
In addition to military training which was compulsory every day, we dug and transported grass as fuel from the west suburb. We had to make 15 return trips, and for each trip the officer affixed one seal in our face. A total of 15 seals were demanded. Anyone who failed to have the 15 seals would be tormented. It was very common for officers to beat soldiers, who were not allowed to complain to others. Those who had made complaints in front of others would be beaten severely. I could not stand such a treatment, and fled with my wife. It was a rule that deserted soldier would be coated with excrement or have his feet chopped off. To avoid being taken back, we fled toward the direction of our hometown. When we reached a place which is about 20 kilometers away from Lhasa, we turned north and then east, reaching Maizhokunggar.
We worked as servants for the Renqenling family, with a negotiated annual payment amounting to 168 kg of qingke barley. When we started to work, the payment was cut greatly. We were arranged to sleep at a corridor with wall only on one side. Imagine how we managed to sleep at night. Master supplied us zanba and tea for daily consumption. Occasionally, we were lucky enough to have a taste of butter and broth. We had never had a chance to taste vegetables. We worked like animals day and night, under the tight supervision of a vicious butler.
Such a life lasted for more than one year until the Democratic Reform in 1959. A local reform leading group official arranged us to work as road maintenance workers. Finally, we were masters of our own fate!
We were given free accommodation (a house with a floor space of over 20 square meters), free meals and free work uniforms. When rice was brought to us for the first time in our lives, tears of happiness rolled down our cheeks.
We enjoyed a monthly payment of 55 yuan. The commodity price was so low that we spent only up to 40 yuan a month. Before long, we had our first son. Our colleagues sent us many nutritious food, and my wife enjoyed one-month maternity leave. And leaders of our work unit visited us at home, and even sent doctors to conduct physical examination for wife and son. Before the Democratic Reform, however, giving births was taken as something fowl, and was often arranged in cowshed or sheep shed.
We sent our son to a nearby school when he reached six. He stayed there until he finished middle school studies and started to work as a road maintenance worker, too. We retired in 1990, and were given a two-bedroom house in Lhasa. Our house is complete with a courtyard where I raise flowers and grow vegetables. My daughter-in-law operates a small store at the Barkor Street. Business is good. In 1993, we have our first grandson. Two years later, we spent 48,400 yuan purchasing an apartment with a floor space of 50 square meters southwest of the Jokhang Monastery in Lhasa.
Now, wife and I enjoy a combined monthly pension amounting to over 2,000 yuan. Son enjoys a monthly salary of 1,500 yuan. And daughter-in-law enjoys a monthly profit from sales to the tune of up to 2,000 yuan. With so much income, we are financially in a position to buy whatever we wish to buy, such as eggs, meat, mutton, rice and wheat flour. Son and daughter-in-law often dine outside. Our grandson, wife and I consume several kg of butter and 10 kg of meat a month. Our home is well stocked with dairy products, sour milk, sweetened tea and milk dregs.
Each of us has quality clothes of Han, Tibetan and Western style, for four seasons in a year. In 1996, daughter-in-law bought a motorcycle for herself. In 1997, son spent more than 10,000 yuan purchasing a Beijing jeep, a boon for the whole family to visit lingka woods during weekends and holidays. Our houses are furnished with color TV sets, videocorders, VCDs, a washing machine and a camera. Our beddings are made of silk. Though we love plank bed, son and daughter-in-law enjoy spring bed very much.
Wife and I often take ritual walks around the nearby monastery. We do this partly as a kind of physical exercise. We were Buddhist followers. But this was the case before. It is the Communist Party of China which lifted us out of the bitter sea. The Democratic Reform made it possible for us to live a life much better than the nobles in old Tibet. It is our only wish to see Tibet enjoy sustained economic and social development, and we live longer to enjoy the happy life.

(Recorded by Liu Hongji)