Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07CHENGDU252
2007-10-19 09:06:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Consulate Chengdu
Cable title:
ETHNIC TIBETANS REACT TO DALAI LAMA'S GOLD MEDAL
how-toVZCZCXRO3900 RR RUEHGH RUEHVC DE RUEHCN #0252 2920906 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 190906Z OCT 07 FM AMCONSUL CHENGDU TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2636 INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0167 RUEHCI/AMCONSUL KOLKATA 0068 RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 3198
C O N F I D E N T I A L CHENGDU 000252
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP/CM, DRL, AND G
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/19/2032
TAGS: PGOV PHUM CH
SUBJECT: ETHNIC TIBETANS REACT TO DALAI LAMA'S GOLD MEDAL
CLASSIFIED BY: John Hill, Acting Consul General, AmCongen
Chengdu, State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L CHENGDU 000252
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP/CM, DRL, AND G
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/19/2032
TAGS: PGOV PHUM CH
SUBJECT: ETHNIC TIBETANS REACT TO DALAI LAMA'S GOLD MEDAL
CLASSIFIED BY: John Hill, Acting Consul General, AmCongen
Chengdu, State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)
1. (C) Summary: Despite stepped-up security, a number of
ethnic Tibetans both inside the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR)
and in other areas of southwest China reacted to the Dalai
Lama's Congressional Gold Medal by praying in monasteries and by
setting off firecrackers. Unconfirmed reports indicate that
several people may have been arrested as a result. However,
government employees, students, and teachers were warned not to
celebrate. The Internet, telephone calls, the Voice of America,
Radio Free Asia and satellite television were instrumental in
spreading word of the award. End summary.
2. (C) Consulate contacts reported that ethnic Tibetans in
southwest China reacted positively to the award of the
Congressional Gold Medal to the Dalai Lama on October 17.
Those contacts said that in Lhasa, many people (mostly monks,
nuns and elderly people) commemorated the award by giving
prayers of thanks at the city's major monasteries. However,
authorities increased their monitoring of public areas in Lhasa,
and at one point supposedly erected barriers in the Barkor area
of central Lhasa in an effort to prevent crowds from gathering
there. In addition, TAR government employees and students
received warnings to stay away from celebrations or face
unspecified punishment.
3. (C) Other contacts told us that, in Labrang Monastery in
Xiahe County of the Gannan Autonomous Prefecture of Gansu
Province, monks and lay people celebrated the events of October
17 with firecrackers. As a result the authorities allegedly
arrested four monks and "some" lay people.
4. (C) Asked how Tibetans received news of the award, contacts
reported that telephone calls from friends and relatives outside
China (some nomads supposedly climb mountains to get in range of
cell telephone towers to receive calls from Nepal),the
Internet, Voice of America, and Radio Free Asia, as well as
clandestine satellite television receivers set up in monasteries
by technically skilled monks, are all instrumental in spreading
news of such events. Note: The Ganzi Ribao newspaper on
September 28 remarked that the Dalai Lama is using radio and TV
"to achieve his goal of splitting China" - which perhaps can be
read as backhanded confirmation of the penetration of outside
mass media into Tibetan areas. End note.
HILL
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP/CM, DRL, AND G
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/19/2032
TAGS: PGOV PHUM CH
SUBJECT: ETHNIC TIBETANS REACT TO DALAI LAMA'S GOLD MEDAL
CLASSIFIED BY: John Hill, Acting Consul General, AmCongen
Chengdu, State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)
1. (C) Summary: Despite stepped-up security, a number of
ethnic Tibetans both inside the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR)
and in other areas of southwest China reacted to the Dalai
Lama's Congressional Gold Medal by praying in monasteries and by
setting off firecrackers. Unconfirmed reports indicate that
several people may have been arrested as a result. However,
government employees, students, and teachers were warned not to
celebrate. The Internet, telephone calls, the Voice of America,
Radio Free Asia and satellite television were instrumental in
spreading word of the award. End summary.
2. (C) Consulate contacts reported that ethnic Tibetans in
southwest China reacted positively to the award of the
Congressional Gold Medal to the Dalai Lama on October 17.
Those contacts said that in Lhasa, many people (mostly monks,
nuns and elderly people) commemorated the award by giving
prayers of thanks at the city's major monasteries. However,
authorities increased their monitoring of public areas in Lhasa,
and at one point supposedly erected barriers in the Barkor area
of central Lhasa in an effort to prevent crowds from gathering
there. In addition, TAR government employees and students
received warnings to stay away from celebrations or face
unspecified punishment.
3. (C) Other contacts told us that, in Labrang Monastery in
Xiahe County of the Gannan Autonomous Prefecture of Gansu
Province, monks and lay people celebrated the events of October
17 with firecrackers. As a result the authorities allegedly
arrested four monks and "some" lay people.
4. (C) Asked how Tibetans received news of the award, contacts
reported that telephone calls from friends and relatives outside
China (some nomads supposedly climb mountains to get in range of
cell telephone towers to receive calls from Nepal),the
Internet, Voice of America, and Radio Free Asia, as well as
clandestine satellite television receivers set up in monasteries
by technically skilled monks, are all instrumental in spreading
news of such events. Note: The Ganzi Ribao newspaper on
September 28 remarked that the Dalai Lama is using radio and TV
"to achieve his goal of splitting China" - which perhaps can be
read as backhanded confirmation of the penetration of outside
mass media into Tibetan areas. End note.
HILL