Publication details
Czechoslovak Filmmakers, Journalists and Traders : Six Years in Tibet
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2022 |
| Type | Chapter of a book |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | Tibet has always been a difficult destination for foreigners, as it has consistently applied strict entry rules keeping the number of visitors, especially Western visitors, to a minimum. After its final occupation by the People's Republic of China in October 1951, the possibility of a visit worsened. The first visitors after 1951 were Czechoslovaks, film director Vladimír Sís and cameraman and photographer Josef Vaniš. Our second visitor to Tibet was journalist Karel Beba, accredited as a correspondent for the Czech News Agency in Beijing. He was the only one in Czechoslovakia to take part in the first expedition of foreign journalists to Lhasa, organized by Beijing in September and October 1955 for ten progressive and pro-Chinese journalists from eight countries, both the Soviet bloc and the great western states. In 1956, the Motokov foreign trade company organized an expedition, which, in addition to Beba, was also attended by journalists Alois Svoboda and Jiří Ployhar, and nine other participants, who were drivers and technicians. An important role was also played by the diplomat Augustin Palát, who also worked as a Chinese interpreter. The primary goal of was a load test of vehicles: three Tatra 111 trucks, two Praga V3S and one Jawa 250 motorcycle, which took place under the leadership of Stanislav Černý. The last journalistic expedition was to show the world that the anti-people uprising of feudal lords and slavers in March 1959 was completely suppressed, the perpetrators were punished, and Tibetan society was once again moving in the right direction to build Maoist socialism. It was attended by a total of eighteen foreign journalists from ten countries and lasted from September to October 1959. From our side were Zbyněk Málek from Rudé právo, who published several articles in these newspapers in autumn 1959, and Jan Vinař, a radio reporter accredited in Beijing. |
| Related projects: |