ON THE ROAD THROUGH SICHUAN'S ABA PREFECTURE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 CHENGDU 000014 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/CM, DRL/IRF AND G/STC BANGKOK FOR USAID/MSTIEVATER AND SKISSINGER E.O. 12958: DECL: 1/11/2027 TAGS: PGOV ECON PHUM SCUL SENV CH SUBJECT: ON THE ROAD THROUGH SICHUAN'S ABA PREFECTURE CHENGDU 00000014 001.2 OF 003 CLASSIFIED BY: James Boughner, Acting Consul General, Chengdu, Department of State. REASON: 1.4 (b),(d) CLASSIFIED BY: James Boughner, Acting Consul General, Chengdu, Department of State. REASON: 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (C) Summary. During a recent unofficial visit by Congenoff to Sichuan's Aba Prefecture (an ethnic Tibetan area),head monks at two temples complained of heavy-handed oversight by the Religious Affairs Bureau (RAB),and police and military presences were heavy. Although the prefecture seat of Aba Township appeared relatively peaceful, social and ethnic tensions in the town of Heishui were obvious. Significant resources appeared to be devoted to developing hydropower projects downriver from Heishui. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) Congenoff drove his POV from Chengdu to Aba Township, accompanied by two ethnic Han companions (one a professional tour guide, the other a Chengdu artist with connections to the local Buddhist community). After leaving Aba Township, Congenoff passed through the cities of Heishui and Maoxian. The area visited is inhabited mainly by ethnic Tibetans speaking Amdo dialect, which is also spoken throughout large areas of Qinghai Province and in southern Gansu. -------------- -------------- -------------- ABA TOWNSHIP: SUNNY, FRIENDLY, HAPPY TO SEE AMERICANS -------------- -------------- -------------- ¶3. (C) On January 6, Congenoff visited the Langyi Temple in Aba Township, a complex of buildings devoted to the Bon religion (a native religion predating the arrival of Buddhism in Tibet). Temple facilities appeared to be in good shape overall, and many pilgrims were circumambulating the buildings. Following a tour of the complex, Congenoff was received by the temple's leader, a 24 year-old reincarnate lama, colloquially referred to as "living buddha," known as Nangshik Rinpoche (original Tibetan name Kabsang Ladro) (strictly protect). ¶4. (C) Nangshik Rinpoche's manner was open and friendly, and he seemed happy to receive visitors. He said that although the temple was home to about 620 monks at present, it had space for many more. However, the provincial and central-level RAB 
monitored the number of monks at the temple closely, and because of political sensitivities those authorities refused to allow a larger number. He also claimed that, due to those same political sensitivities, the RAB would not allow him to travel overseas. ¶5. (C) Asked about the state of the temple's finances, he acknowledged that the temple was under considerable economic pressure. He noted that monks coming from the nearby area often received considerable support from their families, but the temple was forced to house and feed monks from more remote areas. In addition to direct donations, sources of income for the temple included fees charged to tourists, and tuition paid by students at the temple's "Institute for the Study of the Bon Religion." The temple also operated a small hostel nearby for visiting pilgrims and students, and the Rinpoche said that the hostel planned to open a store to sell religious goods and souvenirs. ¶6. (C) After the Langyi Temple visit, Congenoff toured the nearby Geerdeng Temple, affiliated with the Gelugpa School of Tibetan Buddhism (the school headed by the Dalai Lama). Head monk Lobsang Peldan Jigme Gyatso, who appeared to be in his mid to late fifties, led the group through the assembly hall. Master Gyatso told Congenoff that the temple's living Buddha, known as Geerdeng Rinpoche, had been in exile in India for over 50 years, and was now 69 years old. He also said the temple's political environment was very sensitive, and that although the temple's monastery and assembly hall had room for 3000 monks, the RAB would only allow 670 monks to study there at any one time. Congenoff noted that just to the south of the temple stood a large Public Security Bureau (PSB) compound, and just to the north was a large military base, covering perhaps 100 acres. ¶7. (C) Aba Township appeared peaceful overall, with very few military vehicles on the road. To the noticeable chagrin of his Han companions, ethnic Tibetans appeared especially friendly to Congenoff, often greeting him on the street with smiles and handshakes. Many private vehicles displayed American flag CHENGDU 00000014 002.2 OF 003 decals, and Chinese flags appeared nowhere except on government buildings. Inside the Geerdeng Temple store, there was a large photograph of Geerdeng Rinpoche on display, smiling broadly in front of the U.S. Capitol. Several stores displayed pictures of the Dalai Lama, usually placed in unobtrusive locations. -------------- HEISHUI: TENSIONS GALORE -------------- ¶8. (SBU) On January 7, Congenoff drove from Aba to the small city of Heishui, located in the Minjiang River valley at a considerably lower altitude than Aba Township. Although the population still appeared to be dominated by ethnic Tibetans, there were many more Han faces in evidence than in Aba, and the overall impression was that of a border town straddling traditionally Han and Tibetan areas. One store near the center of town displayed the Dalai Lama's picture prominently. ¶9. (C) PSB officers and vehicles were out on Heishui's streets in considerable force, and a PSB van drove around the city constantly with a loudspeaker blaring commands to motorists and pedestrians. Asked why there were so many policemen on the streets, a Tibetan restaurant manager would only say nervously (and apparently nonsensically) that the town had "few social contradictions." Later a policeman told Congenoff the town had a violent disturbance that morning, caused by "gangsters." ¶10. (C) Congenoff's tour guide was obviously uncomfortable in Heishui, and refused to allow the group to spend the night there, saying that it was notorious for crime and conflicts. She told of escorting a tour group through the nearby city of Maoxian in September of 2006, and of being delayed for two hours on the road by a long military convoy. When she asked what was going on, she was told that the army was responding to a major disturbance in Heishui. ¶11. (C) Congenoff visited Heishui's shrine to PLA martyrs killed during the Long March and in the Chinese civil war, a shabby and rundown monument located on the outskirts of town (a Han companion said that it had been in excellent condition during a visit ten years before). (Note: According to the Consulate's Political Assistant, an ethnic Tibetan, the central government has placed similar monuments in many Tibetan areas, and they are a frequent flashpoint for friction between Han and Tibetan inhabitants. End note.) ¶12. (SBU) Hydropower development on the Minjiang River, which passes through Heishui, was very extensive. Congenoff passed at least seven dams and generating stations under construction, and noted that water pollution became much more obvious in the river downstream from Heishui. -------------- A VISIT TO A QIANG VILLAGE -------------- ¶13. (SBU) On January 8 Congenoff visited the village of Luobo, inhabited by members of the Qiang minority (identified by some scholars as a proto-Tibetan people) just south of the city of Maoxian. Located near the summit of a mountain, the village is promoted as the oldest Qiang settlement in existence, with over 2000 years of history. Although the village has seen development of its tourism infrastructure, including a paved access road, a parking lot, and a large restaurant, Congenoff's group were the only visitors that day. Much of the village appeared abandoned, and local residents said that most younger people had left for work in urban areas. Marijuana smoke wafted from two houses. -------------- -------------- -------------- A NOTE ON ROAD CONDITIONS AND ACCOMODATIONS -------------- -------------- -------------- ¶14. (SBU) Road conditions varied widely. The highway from Wenchuan (about three hours north of Chengdu) to Aba Township was in very good shape generally, although traffic was heavy in places, and short stretches of the road were under construction. Between Aba Township and Heishui, snow covered the road for about five miles over a treacherous mountain pass, and from Heishui to Maoxian, heavy traffic and extremely bad road conditions slowed traffic to a crawl for long periods. Nowhere was Congenoff stopped or questioned by local authorities, despite the fact that he was an obvious foreigner driving a vehicle with consulate plates. In Aba Township, hotels did not have heat, functioning toilets, or running water, although Maoxian boasted a three-star hotel with the usual amenities. CHENGDU 00000014 003.2 OF 003 -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶15. (C) Traveling unofficially gave Congenoff the advantage of making unscripted visits to relatively sensitive areas, and of direct contact with locals. The overall impression: a Tibetan population resentful of Chinese central government control, and Chinese authorities ready to assert the force needed to maintain that control. BOUGHNER