CHINA RAMPS UP "PATRIOTIC EDUCATION" OF TIBETANS IN WESTERN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CHENGDU 000247

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP/CM, DRL, AND G

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/10/2032
TAGS: PGOV PHUM CH
SUBJECT: CHINA RAMPS UP "PATRIOTIC EDUCATION" OF TIBETANS IN WESTERN
SICHUAN

REF: CHENGDU 231 AND PREVIOUS

CHENGDU 00000247 001.2 OF 002


CLASSIFIED BY: James A. Boughner, Consul General, U.S. Consulate
General, Chengdu.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)




1. (C) Summary: Local contacts confirm Ganzi Prefecture
government authorities in China's western Sichuan Province are
making an all-out effort to implement a political cleanup of the
majority Tibetan area in the wake of public disturbances that
occurred during August. "Patriotic education" sessions for
government and religious officials end in the mandatory signing
of anti-Dalai Lama statements. Official press bulletins have
been stridently anti-Dalai Lama -- and sometimes anti-U.S.-- in
tone. End Summary


2. (C) It remains difficult to get precise information on what
is happening in western Sichuan's Ganzi (Tib: Kardze)
Prefecture following tightened political and security controls
implemented in response to the "August 1 Litang Incident" when a
Tibetan nomad called for the return of the Dalai Lama at a major
public gathering (ref). Local contacts confirmed to us,
however, that Liu Daoping, the prefecture's new Party Secretary,
has implemented under strict instructions from both provincial
and central government higher-ups a widespread program of
"patriotic education" for ethnic Tibetan officials as well as
Buddhist monks and nuns.


3. (C) We have not been able to get a sample copy, but
understand that local Tibetan political and religious figures
are being required to attend long political meetings conducted
by Party officials after which they are required to sign
statements pledging their opposition to the "Dalai Clique."
Such statements are always written in Chinese, resulting in the
need for ad hoc and informal translations for those who cannot
read Chinese. Some individuals required to attend the
"patriotic education" sessions complain of the significant
amount of time they are "wasting" in political lectures.


4. (SBU) Congen translations of September official reports from
the "Ganzi Daily" are also indicative of the sharp ratcheting up
of anti-Dalai Lama rhetoric and sometimes include either
explicit or veiled attacks on the United States. A sampling of
such reports follows:

-- 9/28 editorial entitled "The Reason the International
Anti-China Forces have decided on the `Dalai Clique:'" ~First of
all, there is a natural connection between the "Dalai Clique"
and imperialism. Most members of the "Dalai Clique" are very
hostile to the Socialist System; they are rebels against the
people and betrayed their own country. Therefore, the members
of the "Dalai Clique" have survived with the support of the
international anti-China forces. Second, the Dalai (Lama) is
able to influence religious believers in the TAR and other
Tibetan areas through radio and TV in order to reach his
political goal of splitting China. Third, the Dalai (Lama) was
the head of the old feudal serf system in Tibet and he is now
reviving his old dream. Therefore, the international anti-China
forces headed by America think that it is worthwhile to use the
"Dalai Clique" to destroy China's sovereignty~.They also use the
"Dalai Clique" to meddle in China's ethnic and religious
policies and damage China's international image~

-- 9/28 news article: On September 27, a 10-day training course
for all township party secretaries in Ganzi Prefecture ended in
Kangding. Liu Daoping, the General Party Secretary of Ganzi
Prefecture and other senior officials attended the closing
ceremony. According to China's official media reports, the
training course greatly helped the rural party secretaries to
understand the importance of the program "Enriching People and
Stabilizing Kham," -- (Congen note: Kham is an eastern Tibetan
region - including today's Ganzi-- inhabited by the
traditionally fierce Khampa people. End note) -- ;
anti-separatism, patriotic education, and the leadership of the
Chinese Communist Party. It is reported that 59 district
directors and 325 rural township party secretaries fully
participated in the training course.

-- 9/28 news article: All schools in Litang County have been
conducting a series of patriotic education since September.
According to Lotse Ring, Litang County Education Bureau General
Director, the goal of all these activities on patriotic
education is to further strengthen political education among all
teachers and let them understand the political sensitivities.

-- 9/28 news article: The Traffic Bureau of Ganzi Prefecture is
conducting patriotic education, and all participants have been
required to adhere to five principles. It is reported that the

CHENGDU 00000247 002.2 OF 002


first principle is respecting history, for example, using
historical facts to prove Taiwan, Tibet, and "Uygur," as well as
Inner Mongolia have been inseparable parts of China since
ancient times~The fourth principle is "all-people
participation." All people must participate in criticizing the
"Dalai Clique"~

-- 9/20 news article: On September 19, Sichuan Provincial
United Front Work Department Deputy Director Zhou Jialin made a
special report on anti-separatism and patriotic education in
Ganzi Prefecture. According to official media reports, Zhou
said that the cadres are the key, the masses are the foundation,
and monks and nuns are a major target in effectively fighting
separatism.

-- 9/17 editorial: There is no way to improve peoples
livelihood in the prefecture without criticizing the "Dalai
Clique" and fighting separatism~There is no way to develop the
economy and stabilize society in the prefecture without fighting
the "Dalai Clique"~.There is no way to build a normal order for
Tibetan Buddhism in the prefecture without fighting the "Dalai
Clique."

-- 9/13 news article: On September 11, patriotic education for
all cadres above sub-section level began in Litang County. Liu
Daoping, the General Party Secretary of Ganzi Prefecture
attended the event and made a number of important speeches. Liu
said, "Litang County has always been an important strategic
location for China, particularly southern Kham Tibetan
areas~.This patriotic education must deeply criticize and expose
the Dalai's reactionary nature that brings calamity to Tibetan
people and religion~.The Dalai (Lama) is absolutely not the
`spokesman' for Tibetans, he is just a loyal instrument of
international anti-China forces and an ethnic separatist who
just wears religious robes~ Liu said that patriotic education
is not an indication of the government's distrust in the people
or cadres of Litang County, but added that the government is not
`making a mountain out of a molehill' and the activity is not a
mere formality. It is reported that important instructions from
Du Qinglin, the General Party Secretary of Sichuan Province, and
Jiang Jufeng, the Governor of Sichuan Province, were passed on
to participants during the patriotic education.

-- 9/05 news article: With instructions from Sichuan Party
Secretary Du Qinglin and Governor Jiang Jufeng, Sichuan Deputy

SIPDIS
Party Li Chongxi noted~..The "August 1 Litang Incident" is not
merely an issue of some reactionary leaflets and slogans, it is
a splittist and destructive activity created by some separatists
with a certain international background. The "Incident" has
provided a good opportunity for us to fight the "Dalai Clique"
and separatists~.As to monastic management, there are a lot of
religious believers, monasteries, `exit-people' and
`returned-people' in Ganzi Prefecture. The problems in monastic
management are extremely complicated; the "Dalai Clique" and
western hostile forces are attempting to infiltrate and control
monastic affairs; monastic management is very weak and
monasteries are developing without any plan.

End text of Congen translations.
BOUGHNER