Look from the surface, "freedom of religion" is one of the writing China constitution "basic national policy". But1958"Qingdao conference", Li Weihan has a clear interpretation of the constitution of the "freedom of religion":

   Our party's policy has two kinds, one kind is the basic policy of freedom of religious belief, such as, the equality of nationalities, the United Front, is absolutely correct, is unchanged for a long time. There is a specific policy, is the basic policy and implement the party's line, the strategies of the policy, it is the change according to the change of objective circumstances....... As for the religion, we used to protect the freedom of religious belief policy, the future is still the policy. We always think religion is to weaken or even eliminate, so we never talked about religion is forever, no more about religious system cannot reform.("The speech recording Comrade Li Weihan at the Forum on Islamic issues". "The national religious work file collection1949-1959",749Page)

   1958Years10Month7Day, Wang Feng in the central United Front Work Department held a "Lamaism Issues Forum" on the speech, also illustrates the real meaning of "freedom of religious belief": "why the protection of freedom of religious belief? This one is not lost, this one is the provisions of our constitution, with this one, makes the counter revolutionaries cannot say we kill religion, we take the initiative". (Wang Feng: "Comrade Wang Feng October 7, 1958 in Lamaism problem of speech forum". "The national religious work file collection1949-1959",784Page)

   1958Years11In March, Ulav, Wang Feng in the four proposals submitted to the central of the first item is: "in order to take care of people's religious beliefs, blocking the domestic counter revolutionary rumor, provoke, convenient centralized management has not done the Lama, retain some temples are necessary." Ditto.730Qinghai provincial Party Committee United Front Page) minister Ji Chunguang's understanding of "liberty" religion more clearly show the essence, the "freedom of religious belief": "we have repeatedly emphasized comprehensively implement the policy of freedom of religious belief, emphasis on strengthening the religious work just to get the masses of believers and gradually restricted and finally destroy religion." ("the national religious work file collection",432Page)

   As for the specific method, Li Weihan and Wang Feng advocated "thorough masses," social mobilization and utilization in the temple, "temple outside the masses" and "poor Lama Temple a crossfire", in order to receive greater effect. In addition, the army is also one of the destroyed Temple monastery is by the military forces, some by shelling and bombing directly destroyed.

    However, because of the constitutional "freedom of religion" is used to "plug the domestic counter revolutionaries" slander, therefore in the implementation of the name of "religious system reform", had to change the name. Wang Feng put forward in his speech: "in the fight against counter revolutionaries, against bad people and bad things, as opposed to religious privileges exploitation under the slogan (not to mention the reform of religious institutions, the slogan" the temple outside the masses and the poor Lama together mobilized, causing both sides attacked the great in strength and impetus the reform of religious system mass movement, at the same time, the counter revolutionaries and anger big reactionary upper the arrest of arrest, the training camp, firmly off the lid." ("the national religious work file collection",785Page)

   This is the "reformation" referred to as "the four movement". After a few years, the CCP had to touch on lightly to admit in Tibetan areas through a "detour", but the blame to the cultural revolution and the "Gang of four". In fact, the Cultural Revolution destroyed the second wave is religious, destroyed is just1958A few years after the temple remained "religious system reform", including the Tibetan national minority's most sacred temple -- the Jokhang temple. The later in the cultural revolution, the Communist Party of China began to consider a limited opening of Tibet, will be occupied for the Jokhang Temple renovated hostel.

-- excerpts from a scholar article, October 20, 2011.