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.

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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.


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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

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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)

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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

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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