Why did resistance to Chinese policies grow in eastern Tibet during the 1950s?

Resistance to Chinese policies in eastern Tibet during the 1950s grew primarily due to attempts by Chinese authorities to collectivize monastic properties. These actions led to violence and subsequent intervention by the People’s Liberation Army.1

By 1956, tensions were further inflamed by reports of fighting and oppression in districts east of the upper Yangtze River. Although these areas were outside the direct administration of Lhasa, they were closely bound to it by shared language, religion, and ethnicity. The resulting conflict forced many refugees to flee into central Tibet, where they carried on guerrilla warfare against Chinese forces. This unrest, compounded by the strain on local resources caused by the influx of Chinese soldiers and civilians, contributed to the escalating instability that eventually culminated in the popular uprising in Lhasa in 1959.21