Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BEIJING13023
2006-06-20 11:20:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Beijing
Cable title:  

HENAN STUDENTS RANSACK COLLEGE CAMPUS

Tags:  PGOV PHUM SOCI CH 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO4651
OO RUEHCN RUEHGH
DE RUEHBJ #3023 1711120
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 201120Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9685
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIJING 013023 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/20/2031
TAGS: PGOV PHUM SOCI CH
SUBJECT: HENAN STUDENTS RANSACK COLLEGE CAMPUS

REF: A. FBIS CPP20060619488002

B. FBIS CPP 20060620710004

C. BEIJING 8479

Classified By: Classified by Acting Political Internal Unit
Chief Susan A. Thornton. Reasons 1.4 (b/d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIJING 013023

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/20/2031
TAGS: PGOV PHUM SOCI CH
SUBJECT: HENAN STUDENTS RANSACK COLLEGE CAMPUS

REF: A. FBIS CPP20060619488002

B. FBIS CPP 20060620710004

C. BEIJING 8479

Classified By: Classified by Acting Political Internal Unit
Chief Susan A. Thornton. Reasons 1.4 (b/d).


1. (C) Post has confirmed foreign news reports that
thousands of students at Shengda Economics, Trade and
Management College in Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan
Province, engaged in violent demonstrations in recent
days. Quiet has been restored on campus, according to
a journalist named Zhang (who declined to give her
first name) at Dongfang Jinbao, a local Zhengzhou
newspaper. She told Poloff that students protested to
show their dissatisfaction with the school, adding
that only a few participated in the severe acts of
vandalism about which western media is reporting.
Zhang said her newspaper has been prohibited from
publishing articles on the protests. Mainland media
have not reported on the story and searches of local
websites by Embassy staff turned up no internet
chatter on the subject. Meanwhile, a Shengda
University telephone operator who did not want to be
identified said protest activity is continuing on
campus.


2. (C) The overseas Chinese Internet news portal
Wenxue City reported June 19 that thousands of Shengda
University students protested against the school
administration on June 15-16. The reports (refs A,B)
indicated that students shattered windows at the
administration building, overturned cars and destroyed
school equipment. Shengda's failure to award
graduates with diplomas from more prestigious
Zhengzhou University, with which Shengda is
affiliated, touched off the demonstrations, Wenxue
City and other foreign and Hong Kong media outlets
reported. The reports noted that Shengda students had
paid premium tuitions based on promises of a Zhengzhou
University degree. The Wenxue site ran dramatic photos
showing a bank with its windows smashed, vandalized cars
and courtyards full of debris.

Comment
--------------


3. (C) While the details remain sketchy, student
anger over perceived fraud/mistreatment by university
officials appears to have touched off the violence in
this case. The proliferation of "branch schools"
(ref C) combined with official crackdowns on
diploma issuance have caused similar tensions and
problems at other schools, as students vying for
employment in a tight job market demand that their
diplomas match earlier commitments made by school
administrators. It is not clear how the situation in
Zhengzhou was allowed to get so out of hand, but the
incident will likely serve to reinforce official Chinese
views on the dangers of student protests.
RANDT