BEIJING 2008 SUMMER OLYMPICS: USG SITUATION REPORT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 06 BEIJING 003035 SIPDIS DEPT, FOR, DS/IP/EAP, DS/DSS/DO, DS/TIA/OSAC, DS/P/MECU, DS/TIA/ITA, DS/DO/P, DS/ICI/CI, DS/T/ATA, DS/TIA, DS/TIA/PII, DS/CC, EAP/CM, S/CT, CA/OCS/ACS/EAP, PASS TO TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION (TSA) OPERATIONS CENTER, HONG KONG FOR RSO AND LEGAT AND USSS, SHANGHAI FOR RSO, SHENYANG FOR RSO,CHENGDU FOR RSO, GUANGZHOU FOR RSO, USSS HQS FOR INV, OPO, HNL E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/06/2033 TAGS: ASEC CASC CH CMGT ECON KOLY OVIP PREL PTER SUBJECT: BEIJING 2008 SUMMER OLYMPICS: USG SITUATION REPORT #6, 08/06/2008 REF: A. BEIJING 3002 ¶B. BEIJING 2994 ¶C. BEIJING 3018 Classified By: DCM Dan Piccuta for reason 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (SBU) The following cable provides information on security, public diplomacy, and consular activities related to the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic Games as of 08/06/2008. Copies of this and previous situation reports can be found on the following ClassNet/SIPRNet link: http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Olym pics(underscore )Summer(underscore)2008. ¶2. (U) The interagency USG Joint Operations Center (JOC) can be contacted on a 24-hour basis at the following numbers: - JOC Direct Line: 011-86-010-6532-6966. - U.S. Embassy Beijing: 011-86-010-6532-3431, JOC extension ¶6200. - JOC fax: 011-86-010-6532-4763. - STE and fax: 011-86-010-6532-5163. KEY CONCERNS -------------- ¶3. (SBU) JOC agencies are reviewing information regarding the Beltsville Information Management Center,s power outage scheduled for 08/16/2008-08/17/2008; the outage will affect international and domestic data circuits, IVG lines, and OpenNet connectivity (ref. a). A number of JOC agencies have responded with serious concern to the proposal, noting that the projected outage will negatively affect agencies, communications between the JOC and the field, as well as between the JOC and headquarters, for at least six hours during the middle of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. SECURITY ISSUES -------------- ¶4. (U) Threats: There is no significant threat information to report. ¶5. (SBU) Incidents: At an 08/05/2008 press conference reported by China's official media, Kashgar Party Secretary Shi Dagang called the 08/04/2008 Kashgar incident "a pre-planned terrorist attack." He claimed the two attackers in custody "confessed to their crime, describing it as 'holy war.'" Earlier, according to Chinese press reports, Xinjiang public security officials were quoted as saying that guns and explosives found at the attack site point to the involvement of "East Turkestan terrorists" since the items were "similar to those seized by police from an East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) training base in January last year." "Propaganda posters calling for jihad" were also allegedly found at the attack site. BEIJING 00003035 002 OF 006 Press reports quoted Shi as saying that 18 ETIM members, all trained overseas, had been arrested this year. (Note: Other reports picked up this reference as "18 foreign terrorists.") The 18 are likely among the 82 Uighur "terrorists" that Chinese officials claim to have arrested in Xinjiang since the beginning of the year. In response to questions about the Kashgar incident, Chinese Olympic officials in Beijing have stated that security forces are prepared to respond to all security threats in the city and that China has the capability to host a safe Olympic Games. ¶6. (SBU) Olympic Protests: American Protesters Detained for Raising "Free Tibet" Banners: Four pro-Tibetan activists, two from Great Britain and two from the United States, were detained in the early morning of 08/06/2008 after successfully raising two banners on a light pole near the National Stadium (the Bird's Nest) in Beijing. One banner read, "One World, One Dream, Free Tibet" in English and the other banner read "Tibet Will Be Free" in English and "Free Tibet" in Chinese. Separately, American Citizen Services (ACS) received a phone call from the U.S. with a similar report. The four reportedly belong to the organization "Students for a Free Tibet." A BOCOG spokesman expressed "strong opposition" to the action and reiterated China's objection to any attempts to "politicize" the Olympic Games. ACS has contacted local authorities and is seeking to confirm the whereabouts of the Amcits. SECURITY OPERATIONS -------------- ¶7. (SBU) On 08/04/2008 the Olympic Security Coordinator (OSC) received permission from Chinese officials for USG Field Liaison Officers (FLO) to use handheld radios and satellite phones during the Olympic Games (ref. a). In conjunction with TDY personnel from the Regional Information Management Center (RIMC) in Bangkok, JOC staff are currently programming the field radios for use. In addition, the OSC is awaiting the receipt of barcodes from the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG) so that the radios can be identified as officially-sanctioned equipment when used in the field. ¶8. (SBU) The OSC continues to work with Chinese counterparts to obtain the five outstanding accreditations for FLOs assigned to the Men,s Soccer team and to Qingdao. While 58 of the 63 promised credentials were received by the OCS on 08/04/2008, the final five were delayed by processing issues. The OSC anticipates receiving the Qingdao accreditations by tomorrow, allowing the final five FLOs to travel to their venue site. All other FLOs were deployed upon the receipt of their credentials on 08/04/2008. BEIJING 00003035 003 OF 006 ¶9. (U) The Regional Security Officer (RSO) at the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong has reported that the Consulate General and all Hong Kong Government offices are closed due to the landfall of Tropical Cyclone Kammuri. The RSO advised that the Olympic equestrian venue at Shatin is also closed. Consular Affairs has disseminated a warden message to American citizens in the area urging them to monitor local weather reports. All offices will re-open once the weather system has passed through the area. ¶10. (SBU) Providing insight into Chinese Olympic security measures outside of Beijing, officers assigned to the U.S. Consulate General in Shanghai have verified media reports that all stores located within the Shanghai subway system have been closed down as of 08/05/2008. The closure of the more than 1,000 shops at over 70 stations was reportedly done to address public security concerns during the Olympic Games; the stores are scheduled to reopen in a month, though the exact date has not been set. VIPS -------------- ¶11. (SBU) Former President George H. W. Bush is scheduled to arrive in Beijing on 08/06/2008. The Former President will be the first member of the USG Delegation to the Olympics Opening Ceremony to arrive in China; the remainder of the Delegation, headed by the President of the United States, will arrive on 08/07/2008. PUBLIC AFFAIRS/PUBLIC DIPLOMACY -------------- ¶12. (SBU) China Revokes Visa of Team Darfur Co-Founder: The Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC revoked the visa of 2006 Olympic gold medal speed skater and Team Darfur co-founder Joey Cheek on 08/05/2008, one day prior to his planned departure for Beijing. Media reports indicate 2004 bronze medal synchronized swimmer Kendra Zanotto and other Team Darfur members were also denied tourist visas to attend the Beijing Olympics. U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) representatives in Beijing told us they are aware of Cheek's visa revocation and are referring inquiries to the U.S. Embassy. The Embassy has raised the issue with Chinese authorities. CONSULAR AFFAIRS -------------- ¶13. (SBU) U.S. Citizens Denied Entry: The U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong on 08/05/2008 reported to the JOC that three U.S. citizens were refused entry to Hong Kong by the Immigration Department. One of the individuals reportedly had ties to Falun Gong; the other two may have also had such ties. No additional details about the incident are available at this time. ¶14. (U) Sichuan Earthquake: An earthquake measuring 6.1 BEIJING 00003035 004 OF 006 on the Richter scale shook part of Sichuan Province in southwestern China on 08/05/2008 at approximately 6:00 pm local time, shortly after the Olympic Torch relay made its final stop in the provincial capital of Chengdu. The epicenter was located about 30 miles north-northwest of Guangyuan City near the border of Sichuan and Gansu Provinces and about 174 miles from the capital of Chengdu. Media reports of casualties include one death and 23 injured. There are no reports of loss of life or injury to U.S. citizens and the U.S. Consulate in Chengdu continues to operate normally. ¶15. (U) Fraudulent Olympics Tickets: According to Reuters, sports fans around the world have been caught in an Olympic ticket scam involving the sale of hundreds of non-existent tickets via the Internet. This is the most recent in a series of ticket scams and allegedly involves the site www.beijingtickets.com, which appeared to use official Olympic logos to lure buyers. The International Olympic Committee is currently taking action to have the site closed down. The RSO in Beijing has advised that any American citizens caught with fraudulent tickets will be detained by police regardless of whether their possession of the tickets was purposeful or inadvertent. POLITICAL AFFAIRS -------------- ¶16. (C) Press Freedom and the Kashgar Incident: A New York Times journalist in Xinjiang told U.S. Embassy officers on 08/06/2008 that he does not believe the Chinese are "keeping their promises" about press freedom in the lead-up to the Olympics. He said he believes the police in Kashgar have "heavily discouraged" citizens from speaking to journalists. He was unable to interview any Kashgar residents due to what he described as "a pervasive fear" of talking to reporters. Separately, the editors of two Beijing publications told an Embassy officer that they received specific guidance to downplay the Kashgar attacks, and therefore mentioned it only as a blurb below the fold on the front page of their papers and buried the rest of the story deep inside. Separately, Western news media has reported that Chinese authorities blocked local Internet access and began monitoring journalists in Kashgar in the wake of the attack. The report alleges that plainclothes police officers have been assigned to follow journalists, but that there was "no obvious increased police presence" in the city. ¶17. (SBU) Xinjiang Border Police Apologize to Japanese Reporters: China,s state media outlet, Xinhua, reported that officials from the border police and the regional Foreign Affairs Office apologized on 08/05/2008 to two Japanese journalists after they were detained and beaten by police on 08/04/2008 while attempting to report on the Kashgar attack. According to Nippon Television (NTV) BEIJING 00003035 005 OF 006 Tokyo's representative Kenji Chihata, the apology was more "an expression of regret." The Chinese will compensate the journalists monetarily for damage to their camera and the cost of treatment at the hospital, he said. As "reasons for the violence," the Deputy Commander cited the border police officers' loss of their "senses and presence of mind" and claimed that they "could not understand what Mr. Katsuta (the NTV reporter) was saying." (Please see Beijing 3023, dated 08/05/2008, for additional information.) ¶18. (SBU) "Voluntary Code" for Journalists in Tiananmen Square: A notice posted on the Beijing Government's official website asks journalists to make a "voluntary" advance appointment through a 24-hour contact number to report in Tiananmen Square. Journalists making appointments 24 hours in advance will be given priority in entering the square and provided with a "guide service." All journalists are being asked to enter through a channel on the east side of the square. Xinhua reported that the management committee in Tiananmen Square does not have the authority to ban journalists from working in the Square, but there was no description of how journalists that did not make advance appointments would be handled. ¶19. (C) Dissidents Monitored: According to U.S. Embassy reporting, the Chinese Government has increased efforts to monitor and control dissidents in the run-up to the Olympics. Olympics-related restrictions vary: some high-profile dissidents have been placed under house arrest, while others have been warned to keep a low profile. Dissidents and activists contacted by the U.S. Embassy in recent days report that they have received a personal visit, or at least a phone call, from Ministry of State Security (MSS) agents. The MSS reportedly has also been pressuring dissidents to leave Beijing. (Please see Beijing 3021, dated August 5, for additional information.) ¶20. (U) Affront to Chinese hosts?: U.S. Olympic cyclists got off the plane wearing face masks (to avoid inhaling unfiltered Beijing air) 08/05/2008, immediately making front-page news in some Western media. ¶21. (U) Torch Run, Cultural Zones: The evening of 08/05/2008 and the morning of 08/06/2008 the U.S. Embassy sent observers to a number of torch run and cultural zone sites within Beijing. The officers noted that security along the route appeared to be adequate to the occasion and no protests or other activities were observed. ¶22. (U) Tibetan Protesters Detained in India: According to the Associated Press, on 08/03/2008, police in India detained 56 Tibetan exiles who were attempting to cross the border into China in order to protest the Olympic Games. The group has reportedly been held as a "preventive BEIJING 00003035 006 OF 006 measure" and has not yet been charged. The Indian Government has allowed some peaceful Tibetan-led protests in country but recently announced that it will not tolerate actions that would embarrass China. RANDT