A mysterious online bidder paid nearly $19,000 for the private papers of Sir Basil Gould, formely of the Indian Civil Service, who was the political officer for 10 years in Sikkim, Bhutan and Tibet (1935-45).
A report in The Telegraph, said this may have passed unnoticed were it not for fears raised by a former representative of the Dalai Lama, that the papers may have been acquired by China. Although Sonam Tsering Frasi bid for it, clearly his offer did not match that of the online buyer.
Why would the Chinese want the papers? Sir Basil Gould’s private archive is said to include documents written by him that proves Tibet’s “de facto independence in both internal and external affairs” from 1912 until China’s tightening control in the 1950s.
Britain acknowledged China’s suzerainty while affirming Tibet’s autonomy. However this stance is often lost in narratives.
In that sense, the documents are crucial to the narratives of both China and Tibet: the Chinese would rather that the documents never became public because it contradicts their view that Tibet was always a part of China. Beijing is intent on erasing any historical evidence about Tibet’s autonomy or independence.
For the Tibetans, it is further proof that their homeland was independent until it was invaded and forcibly occupied by China in 1950.
The auction of the documents raised a deeper question: Can a nation stripped of sovereignty also be denied access to its own history?
Sir Basil served as the British trade agent in Gyantse, Tibet, from 1912 to 1913. He attended the 1940 enthronement of the 14th Dalai Lama and with the help of an Indian artist, Kanwal Krishna, covered the entire event in the series of watercolour. These watercolour paintings were also auctioned for over $6,17,000.
That Sonam Frasi had to compete in a public auction to secure evidence of his own country’s past, underscored the tragedy of Tibet. Reportedly, many Tibetans in Tibet who tried to access the auction online through VPN, were disappointed when the Chinese authorities blocked access to the site.
