China has abandoned the additional deployment of troops aimed at maintaining security in the Tibet region, which was requested by Japan. Instead, they have decided to dispatch a Special Police Task Unit consisting of 3.000 personnel for the purpose of security maintenance. This unit is selected from the originally planned Tibetan contingent, not just a mere change in signage.
China advertised it as a purely security maintenance force for peace, without any firearms or weapons, but the reality is that the Chinese military is facing shortages of weapons due to successive defeats and large-scale conscription. Furthermore, the Chinese military leadership did not want to allocate weapons to security maintenance in Tibet until the war with the United States was over.
There was some enthusiasm from China to respond to Japan's request. It was a significant disadvantage that despite being a security maintenance operation, the forces were unarmed, and even though they could carry batons and sticks to Tibet, they couldn't bring firearms. However, China wasn't completely unprepared. The Tibetan police force had a considerable stockpile of weapons, albeit outdated, and it was planned to use them under the pretext that the rioters (Tibetan independence movement) were armed. In a sense, it was diplomatic business as usual (a game of cat and mouse).
. . .
Britain
From Britain's perspective, Japan's diplomacy towards China was described as clumsy in one word. It would have been better if Japan could have pushed China a little more, and provoked it to go into an outburst of aggression. However, considering that Japan can also benefit from its leniency, there was no intention to correct that aspect. *1
Therefore, instructions were given to Hong Kong operatives (Chinese sleeper agents) to induce China's local security forces to erupt. Britain had already put considerable effort into smuggling large quantities of old weapons from India into Tibet and dispersing them. Additionally, volunteers (militia) armed with Japanese-made weapons, ML-157, *2 were also dispatched.
The operations by Hong Kong operatives involved contacting dissatisfied Chinese refugee groups within Tibetan territory and inciting them.
They argued that Tibet is Chinese territory and it's absurd for the indigenous people of Tibet to claim privileges just because they were there first. They pointed out that while they and their families have no homes and lack food, the Tibetan people, simply by virtue of being indigenous, have homes and plenty to eat. And so on and so forth. Such whispers, designed to awaken the conscience of listeners (trigger their sense of justice), resonated well with the ears of the Chinese people exhausted by refugee life.
They let their discontent smolder. They smoked it out for days, weeks even, taking their time to build up the groundwork. Then, finally, a gentle breeze is blown into the air.
Vigilante groups of Tibetans are attacking Chinese refugees.
Young women are being abducted and turned into sex slaves.
The fire has been lit.
. . .
Tibet
Chinese refugees who were incited to an armed uprising by Britain's trickery somehow managed to get their hands on guns and guandao that had been inexplicably left near the refugee camp, and they charged toward the Tibetan vigilante compound. Chinese police forces rushed in with riot batons, attempting to prevent a full-blown violent confrontation at all costs. However, the British took their time to guide them. Once the Chinese refugees erupted, persuaded by the police, there was no stopping them. On the contrary, the police were shouted at and accused of defiling the dignity of the Chinese people.
Eventually, after threatening the unarmed police with weapons and forcibly removing them, the group of erupted Chinese refugees attacked the vigilante group's compound. However, that was as far as their success went. Intoxicated by their victory over the police, they indiscriminately opened fire upon the vigilante group's compound without any dialogue. They shouted, "Death to the traitors (Tibetans)!" and even attempted to throw Molotov cocktails.
At this point, the story of the abducted young women had vanished from their minds. Their emotions were solely focused on venting their pent-up grievances. So, they failed to notice.
They failed to notice that they hadn't seen any ordinary Tibetans between the refugee camp and the vigilante compound. Not a single man, let alone women out shopping or children playing on the streets. Without realizing the significance of this, they fired their guns. The response came in a hundredfold, a thousandfold hail of bullets.
The welcoming barrage of bullets, utilizing weapons ranging from ML-157s and Lee-Enfields to Lewis light machine guns, struck down the unarmed Chinese, both refugees and police alike, without discrimination.
The fires that were ignited flared up in great intensity.
. . .
China
For the Chinese government, the eruption of the Chinese refugee population was a problem, but the massacre carried out by the vigilante groups, which even involved the police in the fight back, was unacceptable. They hastily attempted to conduct inspections and arrests and confiscate weapons from these groups.
However, Britain's scheme outpaced China's response. Before the police could act, they issued a statement to the media, boldly announcing that they had defended themselves with force because the Chinese police, along with the rioters, had attacked the vigilante group's facilities. Normally, this would have been discredited, but they included photos showing police officers aiming guns at the vigilante compound among the rioters. Furthermore, papers printed with the photos and their claims were distributed en masse throughout Tibet by someone (Britain), spreading the information widely.
Its impact was immense. Neutral Tibetans quickly turned against China, and supporters gathered around the vigilante compound, still reeking of bloodshed. Some extremists even staged protest demonstrations at police stations and refugee camps.
The Chinese government was in a state of panic. While Japan was intimidating, they realized that if they left this situation unchecked, Tibet would become unmanageable before the war with the US ended, so they decided to deploy the military. Initially, about 100.000 troops, comprised of units with questionable equipment and training, were to be deployed for use against the Americans and to crush the vigilante groups and potentially violent Tibetans. Furthermore, an order was issued to seize weapons and ammunition from the well-armed vigilantes. It was a brilliant plan.
Well, except for the fact that it was practically impossible to execute. The seasoned commander of the deployed forces couldn't help but sigh when he saw the smug face of the young liaison officer from the Chinese General Staff Headquarters.
However, there was no room for emotional resistance. After all, they were short on weapons to begin with. The industrial areas along the Yangtze River were desperately producing weapons and ammunition, but they were being consumed at an alarming rate in the war with the US, either melting away on the front lines, in transit, or in the factories. Moreover, the number of soldiers requiring weapons was constantly increasing due to conscription.
The Chinese government was mobilizing the entire Chinese population outside the industrial areas along the Yangtze River. *3 It was inevitable that the equipment of the Tibet deployment forces would be in poor condition.
As if to compensate for this, the Tibetan contingent was granted the freedom to requisition resources and other necessities in Tibet. Even with inferior equipment, they could make do if they dangled the bait. That's what the Chinese General Staff Headquarters believed.
. . .
Japan
Japan became aware of the situation in Tibet when the situation deteriorated rapidly—when gunfire exchanges between Tibetans and Chinese became frequent, albeit localized.
There was an inevitable aspect to it. Since China unexpectedly backed down from deploying troops to Tibet due to what seemed like an alibi-like proposal, Japan had redistributed its diplomatic capital (personnel and budget) to the Netherlands, *4 anticipating that it would take a little longer for the situation in Tibet to unfold. It was a situation that could be described as "so it goes." However, Japan couldn't just sit idly by.
Japan decided to devote its full efforts to the originally planned support for Tibetan independence.
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Notes
*1: Since the 1930s, Britain has experienced significant economic advancement, thanks to Japan's support, which came in exchange for resources. In particular, the development of the Great Britain island was so remarkable that it was referred to as the Second Golden Age (Reboot Golden Age).
Britain's honest impression was that it was all thanks to Japan's leniency. While Japan desired fair trade, it did not seek to assert dominance in the world with its absolute power (Pax Japonica). While cautious about technology transfer and outflow, Japan was more than willing to cooperate in development.
Unthinkable.
It was inconceivable to engage in actions that would nurture competitors or adopt an attitude of maximizing one's own interests by exploiting other countries' colonies. But at the same time, Britain understood that it was precisely because of this attitude that Japan was developing. Through moderate diplomacy, Japan engaged in trade not only with Britain but also with the United States, France, and countries around the world. It was precisely because of its moderation and peacefulness that the world, as Japan's trading partner, possessed the economic power to buy Japanese products.
In a sense, Britain, by looking at the world through Japan, was gradually trying to move away from imperialism. Of course, there was no intention to hesitate in resorting to the use of force for self-defense. Britain's primary pride as a world empire (there is no meaning in prosperity if honor cannot be preserved) remained undiminished.
*2: The ML-157 9mm submachine gun was developed by Japan as a compact firearm for non-infantry personnel (PDW). It was developed with reference to the M3 submachine gun and 9mm machine pistols, and its body, composed of pressed steel, lacked any aesthetic appeal despite its practicality.
Compared to the ML-371 5,56mm automatic rifle with a bullpup design that used a lot of resin, the ML-157 felt outdated in some aspects, but it was extremely cheap and quick to manufacture as a result. Additionally, the weight, due to its steel construction, served a purpose beyond the price. The aim was to reduce recoil when the ML-157 sprayed 9mm Parabellum rounds at high speeds.
The Japanese-American Self-Defense Forces officer involved in the development of the ML-157 gave it the nickname SGG (Square Grease Gun), which eventually became its official name. While the chief designer referred to it as a simplified 9mm machine pistol, that term never caught on. Not only was it easier to say, but also, inherently, people are more inclined towards blonde bombshell officers (idols) rather than middle-aged ones (leaders).
Furthermore, with its design featuring a magazine inserted into the grip, the ML-157 looked like a 9mm machine pistol, and its use of an open bolt and construction with steel pressings and welding bore many similarities to the M3 Grease Gun. In that sense, they were both close and different. If one were to stretch it, it could be likened to the situation with the CBJ-MS provided by the USFJ. Either way, it ultimately came down to a contest of charisma for the speaker.
Furthermore, some officers (the Narashino Busters) who received the ML-157 were given the vulgar nickname "Pakkun Gun" (Lady's Insert Gun) after learning about this story, which earned them disdainful looks from their colleagues, the lady-gorillas.
*3: The reckless mobilization by the Chinese government, ignoring factors like economy, food production, and daily life, had the effect of fueling dissatisfaction among ordinary Chinese people. While the Chinese government was aware of this, it couldn't fully comprehend it. Their sentiment was that if they lost the war with the US, they would simply die. However, for ordinary Chinese people, this was not the reality. They learned that those captured in combat with the US were released with souvenirs like sweets.
The casual actions taken by the US, without consideration for issues like prisoner massacres, were viewed through the lens of Confucianism—virtue—and were not insignificant. However, the Chinese government was too focused on the re-mobilization of released prisoners and couldn't fully understand the potential impact of happily released prisoners. To them, Americans were just naïve (stupid) bastards to be laughed at. Therefore, it would be a while before they remembered that the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
*4: The deterioration of the general Dutch population's feelings towards Japan, while not reaching the point of outright rejection, was deemed too dangerous to ignore by the Japanese government. Anti-Japanese sentiment was spreading not only in the Netherlands proper but also in the Dutch East Indies.
It stemmed from disgruntled individuals. They were hired by Japanese companies but were not treated as white elites, so they quit their jobs and spread slander. This became a perfect pastime for relieving daily frustrations. The Dutch government, to divert attention from the failure of its economic policies—inhibiting redistribution by concentrating wealth in a certain class—was exacerbating this aspect.
Using an external enemy to stabilize internal affairs was a precedent. Germany could have been a candidate as an external enemy, but the pro-German faction in the Netherlands was larger than the pro-Japanese faction, and Germany was a major power located next door. Politically, it couldn't afford to make such a misstep.
In a way, Japan was a suitable punching bag for the Netherlands. While Japan didn't particularly care about anti-Japanese sentiment in the Netherlands proper, any impact on economic activities in the Dutch East Indies would pose a problem, so efforts were made to appease them. As a result, proactive measures against anti-Japanese sentiment in the Netherlands were put on hold.