BEIJING 2008 SUMMER OLYMPICS: USG SITUATION REPORT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 06 BEIJING 003241 SENSITIVE 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: 08/22/2038 TAGS: ASEC CASC CH CMGT ECON KOLY OVIP PREL PTER SUBJECT: BEIJING 2008 SUMMER OLYMPICS: USG SITUATION REPORT 22, 08/22/2008 REF: A. BEIJING 3216 ¶B. BEIJING 3200 ¶C. BEIJING 3171 Classified By: Acting DCM Michael Regan for reason 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (SBU) The following cable provides information on security, public diplomacy, political, and consular activities related to the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic Games as of 08/22/2008. ¶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 ISSUES -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Head of Presidential Delegation Arrives: U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao and Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael Leavitt arrived in Beijing on 08/21/2008 to head the USG Delegation to the Olympics Closing Ceremony. The other Delegation members--former State Department Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Karen Hughes, former Olympian Michelle Kwan, U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) President Peter Ueberroth, and U.S. Ambassador Clark Randt--are already in Beijing. ¶4. (SBU) Equestrian Events Completed as Typhoon Nuri Approaches: The Olympic Equestrian Individual Jumping final at the Sha Tin venue in Hong Kong was completed around midnight on 08/21/2008. Rains from incoming Typhoon Nuri--which is expected to make landfall in Hong Kong on 08/22/2008--did not disrupt the final Olympic equestrian competition. Weather conditions in the South China Sea have prevented Nuri from gaining strength as it approaches the Hong Kong coast and it is predicted to make landfall as a minimal tropical storm. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) representative in the JOC, United Airlines has cancelled flights into and out of Hong Kong on 08/22/2008 due to weather concerns, though Northwestern Airlines plans to continue flying; United has announced it will resume flights on 08/23/2008. U.S. Olympic Equestrian Team members have already begun their departure from Hong Kong, with the final members leaving on 08/23/2008 and 08/26/2008; it does not appear that the adverse weather will affect their return to the United States. BEIJING 00003241 002 OF 006 SECURITY ISSUES -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Threats: Pakistan Claims Report of Arrests False: A U.S. Embassy contact at the Pakistani Embassy in Beijing has denied the accuracy of media reports that Chinese authorities detained 35 Pakistani citizens on 08/20/2008 on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack during the Olympic Games (ref. a). The Pakistani official stated that the report is incorrect and affirmed that no such arrests of Pakistani citizens have taken place. ¶6. (SBU) Incidents: Alleged Hijacking Incident at Qingdao Airport: On 08/21/2008, the Hong Kong Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy--which has previously provided unsubstantiated, unconfirmed, and exaggerated reporting on bomb scares in Shanghai and Beijing--indicated that on 08/19/2008 two individuals were arrested in Qingdao after an unsuccessful attempt to hijack an aircraft from the Cankou Airport. The two subjects were reportedly carrying explosives and injured an airport guard during the incident. However, Qingdao authorities have refuted the Center's information, stating that the individuals were members of a criminal gang who were arrested on charges of petty larceny in conjunction with their attempts to break into the airport for criminal purposes. ¶7. (SBU) Police Confirm 08/17/2008 Truck Fire: Beijing police have publicly confirmed that a truck caught fire on 08/17/2008 while passing through a Baimiao Public Security checkpoint in Beijing,s suburbs, according to an 08/20/2008 Kyodo News report. Officials from the Beijing Public Security Bureau (PSB) are quoted as stating that freight on the truck caught fire "naturally;" they made no mention of injuries, though witnesses have claimed that four vehicles were destroyed and eight people were injured. On 08/20/2008, the PSB had officially denied knowledge of the incident after being contacted by the Olympic Security Coordinator (OSC) for additional information (ref. a). ¶8. (SBU) Olympic Protests: Pro-Tibet Protesters Receive 10-Day Detentions: Chinese authorities confirmed to the U.S. Embassy's American Citizens Services (ACS) unit that the six U.S. citizens from the group "Free Tibet Reporters" detained on 08/19/2008 will be released on 08/30/2008 after serving a ten-day detention; the six had been taken into custody for planning to use lasers to project "Free Tibet" messages onto Beijing buildings (ref. a). (Note: Foreigners are commonly held for a minimum of 14 days in cases such as this). The U.S. Embassy Consul General requested that the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Consular Department Deputy Director General weigh in with the PSB to shorten the detention period. ACS has similarly stressed to their BEIJING 00003241 003 OF 006 Chinese interlocutors (PSB) that the ten-day detentions are excessive and have noted that two of the detained Americans have existing medical conditions for which they require medication. ACS officers visited the detainees on 08/22/2008. Consular personnel are working with local police, the prison doctor, and MFA liaison contacts to have the necessary medications brought to the Americans as quickly as possible. ¶9. (SBU) "Students for a Free Tibet" Members Also Receive 10-Day Detentions: The two U.S. citizens members of "Students for a Free Tibet" (SFT) detained with a British and German national shortly after midnight on 08/21/2008 will also be held in administrative detention for ten days; the group was taken into custody for unfurling a "Free Tibet" banner near the Olympic Sports Center Stadium (ref. a). ACS was advised by the PSB that the Americans will be released on 08/31/2008 and ACS officers will visit the Americans on 08/22/2008. A total of 35 Americans have been detained for pro-Tibet protest activities since 08/06/2008; 27 of these were deported shortly after being taken into custody. (Note: An additional nine Americans have been detained and deported or released for ticket scalping, staging a pro-life protest, and assaulting a cab driver. End note). ¶10. (U) Photographers Roughed Up at Pro-Tibet Protest: According to an Associated Press (AP) source who contacted Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) representatives in the JOC, two AP photographers were taken into custody and treated in a "rough and disturbing" manner after attempting to photograph the 08/21/2008 pro-Tibet protest at the corner of Beichen and 4th Ring Roads in which four SFT members--including the two Americans who remain in custody--were detained (ref. a). The photographers were questioned aggressively by plainclothes police and the memory cards for their cameras were confiscated prior to their release. ¶11. (U) Hong Kong Business Owners Detained: AP also reported that Beijing police detained a group of Hong Kong business owners on 08/21/2008 after they gathered in front of the Zhongnanhai compound where China's most senior officials live and work. Police took the group into custody five minutes after they unfurled a banner stating "Hong Kong businesses want justice." Chinese authorities had previously rejected the group's application to hold a protest in an official "protest zone" to complain about a Chinese court decision in an investment dispute (ref. b). SECURITY OPERATIONS -------------- ¶12. (SBU) FLOs Continue to Depart Beijing: USG Field BEIJING 00003241 004 OF 006 Liaison Officers (FLO) have begun to depart Beijing following the completion of their teams' competitions. Pending flight availability, FLOs assigned to the U.S. Women's Softball team are scheduled to leave Beijing following the team's silver medal win on 08/21/2008. While competition for the U.S. Women's Soccer team ended with their gold medal win, the two FLOs assigned to the team will remain in Beijing to provide security support during the Paralympic Games that will take place from 09/06/2008 to 09/17/2008. ¶13. (SBU) Large Crowds Expected at the Olympic Green: The Beijing PSB has reported that 08/22/2008 is expected to be the busiest day for the Olympic Green, with an estimated total turnout of 500,000 people. Crowds are expected to peak at around 2300 hours local time, with an estimated 238,000 people attending events at the National "Bird,s Nest" Stadium, the Water Cube, the National Gymnasium, the International Broadcasting Center, and the Main Press Center. Officials have stated that extra measures will be taken to ensure crowd control, with the goal of dispersing spectators within 40 minutes after an event. Police have indicated that if the crowds converging on exit points grow too large, authorities may segment and cordon off portions of the crowds until congestion at the exits is relieved. ¶14. (C/REL TO USA, ACGU) Bomb Safety Containers Deployed to Subway Stations: U.S. Defense Attache Office (DAO) personnel have confirmed prior JOC reports of bomb safety containers at key Beijing subway stations along routes leading toward Olympic venues and high-visibility tourist sights, including the Olympic Green Line 8 and Tiananmen East Line 1 (ref. c). The one-meter diameter spherical bomb safety containers--which can be screwed closed--are mounted on heavy metal platforms, with the ability to be rolled away on four-wheeled carts. Most of the containers were painted blue, with the Chinese Government red and gold emblem mounted on the front; signs were also taped on the front of some containers with Chinese characters warning people not to touch them. (Please see IIR 6 814 1821 08, dated August 21, for additional details.) ¶15. (SBU) United Reschedules Flights Prior to Closing Ceremony: JOC personnel confirming their 08/24/2008 departures from Beijing on United Airlines have been told that the daily 1830 hours flight to Washington, DC, will depart at 1730 hours that evening due to United's expectation that Beijing Capital International Airport (BCIA) will be closed during the Olympics Closing Ceremony. However, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) representatives at BCIA have advised that there are currently no plans to shut down the airport during the Closing Ceremony and have noted that United is simply being proactive in ensuring their flight departures in case of late notice of a closure. BCIA BEIJING 00003241 005 OF 006 was closed for five hours during the Opening Ceremony on 08/08/2008 as part of the Chinese Olympic security plan. VIPS -------------- ¶16. (SBU) Please see the Key Issues section for updated information on VIPs in Beijing. PUBLIC AFFAIRS/PUBLIC DIPLOMACY -------------- ¶17. (U) There are no Public Affairs activities to report. CONSULAR AFFAIRS -------------- ¶18. (SBU) Taiwan Flag Pins Confiscated: A Taiwanese American informed ACS on 08/22/2008 that he had been detained for an hour at the 08/18/2008 U.S. vs. Taiwan baseball game for possessing several Taiwanese flag pins; the American is a volunteer for U.S. anti-doping control and was carrying his Olympic accreditation card. He reported being harassed and yelled at, but was released after the pins in question were confiscated. He also apparently answered questions from a Taiwanese reporter after the incident and his story was covered in Taiwan the following morning. ACS called the individual to follow-up and he expressed gratitude for the Embassy's attention but indicated he did not require services at this time. ¶19. (SBU) MPS Refutes Reports of Tour Guide's Death: According to the OSC liaison to the Olympics International Police Liaison Center (IPLC),on 08/22/2008 Vice Minister of the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) Liu Jing strongly refuted recent press reports alleging the death of the Chinese tour guide injured in the 08/09/2008 attack against U.S. citizens at Beijing's Drum. The Beijing Municipal Health Director had previously confirmed that the tour guide had been released from the hospital on 08/18/2008 after recovering from her wounds (ref. a). POLITICAL AFFAIRS -------------- ¶20. (U) Bibles Returned: More than 300 Chinese-language bibles were returned to a group of U.S. citizens when they departed Kunming in Yunnan Province on 08/20/2008, according to international media reports. The four Americans--who are members of the Christian group "Vision Beyond Borders"--attempted to bring the bibles with them when they flew into Kunming from Thailand on 08/17/2008 (ref. c). Chinese customs officials refused to release the bibles upon BEIJING 00003241 006 OF 006 the group's arrival in China as Chinese regulations only allow the importation of religious materials sufficient for personal use. ¶21. (U) China Blocks iTunes: International media sources report that Chinese authorities began blocking access to iTunes--Apple's popular music download site--after learning Olympic athletes were downloading free copies of a pro-Tibet album featuring songs by artists such as Sting, Moby, Suzanne Vega and Alanis Morisette. A U.S. Embassy officer who regularly downloads music from the iTunes Store confirmed the site is currently inaccessible. ¶22. (SBU) Chinese Public Security Authorities' Media Guidance Revealed: On 08/21/2008, international press freedom NGO "Reporters Without Borders" (RSF) made public three purported Chinese Public Security documents; two relate to handling reporters during the Olympics, and the third is an analysis of incidents involving pro-Tibet activists, American Christians, and a delinquent that took place in the days before the 08/08/2008 Opening Ceremony. The 08/07/2008 analysis of the incidents in the lead-up to the Olympics recommends arresting and deporting foreign activists as soon as possible and to "depoliticize" the events by "stressing the public order consequences to the public." The directives--apparently issued to police on 07/25/2008--urge police not to interfere with foreign reporters, but instruct police officials to investigate Chinese citizens who speak to foreign media and to "follow and monitor" the journalist with whom the interview was conducted. Despite these instructions, RSF notes that 10 foreign journalists have been "attacked or manhandled" by police since the start of the Games. (Note: This does not include the two AP reporters who were briefly detained on 08/21/2008 while attempting to photograph a pro-Tibet protest or a Wall Street Journal reporter who reported today being harassed and intimidated. End note.) RANDT