Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07BEIJING6864
2007-10-26 10:16:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Beijing
Cable title:  

PRC LIMITS COVERAGE OF BURMA "DISTURBANCE,"

Tags:  PHUM PGOV PROP CH BM 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO0186
PP RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #6864/01 2991016
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 261016Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3099
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEHGO/AMEMBASSY RANGOON 4631
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 006864 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/27/2032
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PROP CH BM
SUBJECT: PRC LIMITS COVERAGE OF BURMA "DISTURBANCE,"
FORBIDS DISCUSSION OF CHINA'S ROLE

Classified By: Classified by Political Internal Unit Chief
Dan Kritenbrink. Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

Summary
-------

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 006864

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/27/2032
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PROP CH BM
SUBJECT: PRC LIMITS COVERAGE OF BURMA "DISTURBANCE,"
FORBIDS DISCUSSION OF CHINA'S ROLE

Classified By: Classified by Political Internal Unit Chief
Dan Kritenbrink. Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

Summary
--------------


1. (C) Despite having taken a largely hands off
approach to managing coverage of Burma by relying on
editors to engage in "self-censorship," Chinese
authorities nevertheless have required reporters to
restrict their description of events in Burma to words
like "disturbance," so as not to legitimize the
actions of anti-junta demonstrators. Discussion of
China's role in Burma is forbidden. While Burma is a
sensitive story given China's experience during the
1989 democracy movement, some journalists tell us that
Burma is also just one of many international stories
and is not particularly newsworthy to Chinese readers.
End summary.

Don't Say "Protest"
--------------


2. (C) PRC propaganda officials are giving China's
media reasonable latitude to cover the ongoing crisis
in Burma, Zhou Qingan (protect),Tsinghua University
journalism professor and editorial writer for several
major metropolitan newspapers, told Poloff October 25.
The only propaganda guidelines specific to Burma that
Zhou is aware of is a rule forbidding journalists from
referring to anti-junta activities as "protests" (kang
yi) or "marches" (you xing). Such words, Zhou said,
imply that Burmese demonstrators have a legitimate
cause and would, authorities fear, conjure up images
of the 1989 Tiananmen democracy movement. Rather,
Zhou explained, reporters must refer to the
demonstrations as "disturbances" (sao luan, which can
also mean "riot" or "turmoil"). Tang Lu (protect),a
senior editor at Xinhua News Agency, agreed with Zhou
regarding the sensitivity of the Burma story in light
of China's recent history. The images of monks
demonstrating with soldiers and military equipment in
the background are certainly reminiscent of Tiananmen,
Tang said.

And Don't Mention Chinese Policy
--------------


3. (C) Several journalists we spoke with said
propaganda authorities have not attempted to directly
manage Burma coverage but are instead relying on
individual media outlets to conduct "self-censorship."
All contacts agreed, based on established guidance
applicable to any sensitive international story, that
discussion of China's role in Burma, especially its
support to the military regime, is forbidden. Huang
Shan (protect),international editor for Caijing
magazine, told Poloff that, in his own reporting, he
has only referred obliquely to Chinese policy. Huang
said he recently wrote a piece analyzing India's
influence in Burma, but in reality, he was using India
as a proxy for China.

Sensitive Does Not Always Mean Newsworthy
--------------


4. (C) Some contacts warned against exaggerating the
significance of the Burma crisis in China. Zhao Li
(protect),publisher of the Economic Observer (one of
China's few privately owned newspapers),told Poloff
October 25 that he did not think Burma was
particularly important to the Observer's business-
focused readership. Zhao said his paper had decided
not to cover the Burma story at all because, lacking
its own correspondent in Rangoon, the Observer is
unable to offer any unique insights or new
information. Cheng Mingxia (protect),the Observer's
international page editor, added that she would rather
not print anything than rely on pre-packaged Xinhua
News Agency copy.

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


5. (C) China's press has provided a regular, though
restrained, stream of reporting on Burma. Xinhua
stories have mentioned protestor deaths, and the
Beijing News (Xin Jing Bao),among other papers, has
run photos of demonstrating monks. As our contacts
noted, however, there is no discussion of Chinese

BEIJING 00006864 002 OF 002


policy beyond Foreign Ministry statements in support
of U.N. mediation and against sanctions. In addition
to the restrictions placed on media coverage of Burma
due to PRC sensitivities, the Burma story here has
also been overshadowed by other events, being just one
of many stories relegated to the back pages by the
Party-directed media blitz surrounding the just-
completed 17th Communist Party Congress.
Randt