China has released a documentary film that describes the social situation in Tibet before 1959 with first-hand eye-witness accounts and precious historic video clips.

The 25-minute documentary, titled Past Affairs in Tibet, paints a picture of Tibet's political, social, economic and religious conditions before 1959.

"It is very important to present the real history of Tibet to Chinese and overseas audiences," said Lhapa Phuntsok, director-general of the China Tibetology Research Center.

Those who glorify the feudal serf regime and slander the positive changes that have taken place since 1959 will have to think again, he said.

The film, made by the China Central Newsreel and Documentary Film Studio, is produced from a series of historical video clips all shot before 1959, when 95 percent Tibetan population were serfs and had no freedom and dignity under the theocratic rule of the Dalai Lama.

It is a distortion of history for the Dalai Lama and his cliqueto describe the pre-1959 Tibet as a Shangri-la, said Lhapa Phuntsok.

Serfs were emancipated after the democratic reform began in Tibet in 1959.

Source: Xinhua