BEIJING 2008 SUMMER OLYMPICS: USG SITUATION REPORT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 07 BEIJING 003253 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: 08/23/2033 TAGS: ASEC CASC CH CMGT ECON KOLY OVIP PREL PTER SUBJECT: BEIJING 2008 SUMMER OLYMPICS: USG SITUATION REPORT 23, 08/23/2008 REF: A. BEIJING 3241 ¶B. BEIJING 3171 Classified By: DCM Dan Piccuta 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 08/23/2008. ¶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) Olympic Protests: Consular Visit to Detained Americans: On 08/22/2008, U.S. Embassy American Citizen Services (ACS) officers visited with the eight U.S. citizens currently being detained for pro-Tibet activities (ref. a) to ascertain their condition and treatment while being held. All eight stated they are in good condition and are not being mistreated; they also signed full Privacy Act Waivers, which allows the Embassy to publicly discuss their status. Particular attention was paid to the potential medical needs of three of the individuals, who have conditions that require daily medication. At ACS's request, the Beijing Public Security Bureau (PSB) has briefed detention center medical personnel on these conditions and all three will undergo further medical exams and be kept under close observation. Detention facility medical staff has access to medication from their hospital; however, if the detainees' conditions were to become serious, they will be allowed access to their own medication, which is currently located in their luggage under the custody of the PSB. One individual, however, indicated to the ACS officers that he does not wish to take his immune suppressing medication while he remains in custody. (Note: ACS subsequently discussed this issue with the individual's relative in the U.S., who said the family's doctor agreed he should not take the medication while in detention. End note). ¶4. (SBU) Details on Detentions: During the consular visit, the two U.S. citizen members of "Students for a Free Tibet" (SFT) reported they were taken into custody along with a British and a German national after unfurling a Tibetan flag near the Olympic Green early on 08/21/2008. The six other BEIJING 00003253 002 OF 007 American detainees--members of the group "Free Tibet Reporters"--stated they were picked up late on 08/19/2008 or early on 08/20/2008. Of these six, two were sleeping in their hotel rooms when Chinese police took them into custody and four were detained outside the Passby Bar in the Gulou area of Beijing. All eight Americans reported being taken to a hotel, then to a banquet facility--where they were held for nearly 24 hours and were extensively questioned by police--before being taken to their current location at the Chongwen Detention Center in Daxing District. ¶5. (SBU) Embassy Actions: Following the visit, ACS contacted the detainees' families and sent arrest notification cables to the Department of State confirming that consular access had occurred. Separately, U.S. Embassy officials have met with senior Chinese authorities to press for the detainees' early release. Ambassador Randt met with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yecui on 08/23/2008 and requested the immediate release of the Americans. Earlier on 08/22/2008, Embassy Consul General Donahue pressed the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to lobby the PSB (ref. a). The Deputy Chief of Mission similarly pressed Chinese Ministry of Public Security (PSB) Standing Deputy Director General (SDDG) Xue Dongzhen on 08/23/2008. ACS officers plan will meet with British and German consular colleagues to coordinate efforts on seeking the early release of all ten detainees (eight Americans, one British citizen, and one German citizen). In response to the detentions, the State Department has received Congressional inquiries regarding seven of the detainees and ACS in addition replied to two written Congressional inquiries on 08/23/2008. ¶6. (SBU) Students for a Free Tibet (SFT) Press Conference: According to an AFP report, two members of SFT held an impromptu press conference on 08/22/2008 and declared the recent series of pro-Tibet protests a success. One of the SFT members indicated it was unlikely there would be further pro-Tibet protests in Beijing, saying "we're the last two standing." Following the press conference, an SFT representative contacted the JOC seeking advice on how the two spokespersons could avoid detention by Chinese authorities before their scheduled departure on 08/23/2008. The caller said Chinese authorities were closely monitoring the movements of the two SFT members. ACS confirmed the two checked out of their hotels at 0500 local time on 08/23/2008, and they were scheduled to depart Beijing at 0800 local time on 08/23/2008. SECURITY ISSUES -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Threats: There is no significant threat information to report. BEIJING 00003253 003 OF 007 ¶8. (U) Incidents: ETIP Again Claims Responsibility for May and July Incidents: The East Turkestan Islamic Party,s (ETIP) website on 08/18/2008 carried an undated article reiterating the group,s claims of responsibility for alleged bus explosions in Kunming on 07/21/2008, a tractor explosion in Wenzhou on 05/17/2008, and two alleged bus explosions in Shanghai on 05/05/2008. The article claimed extremists are preparing other, unspecified operations in China. ETIP previously claimed responsibility for these three attacks--as well as an alleged 07/17/2008 factory explosion in Guangzhou--in a 07/25/2008 YouTube video posting. Chinese authorities on 07/26/2008 publicly denied that terrorists were responsible for the incidents. ¶9. (SBU) Olympic Protests: Please see the Key Issues section for an update on the status of U.S. citizens currently detained for participating in pro-Tibet activities in Beijing. ¶10. (SBU) Protests Planned for NYC: Since 08/08/2008, a number of small anti-Chinese and pro-Tibet demonstrations have occurred at Chinese diplomatic missions in the United States. Diplomatic Security's New York Field Office has learned that the Tibetan Youth Conference is planning two large protests on 08/23/2008 and 08/24/2008 to coincide with the Olympics Closing Ceremony. According to protest organizers, on 08/23/2008 approximately 3,000 people will form a human peace chain spanning Manhattan before moving to the Chinese Consulate and marching to Dag Hammarskjold Plaza near the UN. On 08/24/2008, the group estimates that 2,000 participants will take part in a protest march to the Chinese Consulate. Negotiations between Tibetan Youth Conference representatives, NYPD and New York City officials are ongoing and city approval for the demonstrations is still pending. SECURITY OPERATIONS -------------- ¶11. (SBU) Foreign Delegations Visit JOC: On the afternoon of 08/22/2008, the Olympic Security Coordinator (OSC) and JOC personnel hosted a UK delegation of Metropolitan Police associated with the 2012 Summer Olympics in London; the group was given an overview of JOC operations and received an informal briefing on USG security support for the Olympics. Canadian officials associated with the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics again visited the JOC on 08/23/2008; a similar meeting with Canadian Olympics officials and U.S. corporate Olympic sponsors was conducted on 08/15/2008. Also on 08/23/2008, the OSC gave Ministry of Public Security Standing Deputy Director General (SDDG) Xue Dongzhen and a small Chinese delegation an official tour of the JOC; SDDG Xue was the Chinese official responsible for signing the Memorandum BEIJING 00003253 004 OF 007 of Understanding facilitating U.S. Olympic support. The tour was well-received by the Chinese and served to underscore the spirit of security cooperation fostered by the OSC throughout the U.S. preparations for the Olympics. ¶12. (SBU) Increased Security Support for Men's Basketball: According to the USG Field Liaison Officers (FLO) assigned to the U.S. Men's Basketball team, security in the team press area has been improved in the wake of two incidents in which unauthorized personnel gained access to the press area and the team locker room (ref. b). However, autograph seekers and individuals attempting to be photographed with the team--both fans and credentialed personnel--remain an ongoing problem. On 08/22/2008, the FLOs reported that two women with Olympic "infinity" credentials--which allow access to all venues--made their way to the locker room area; a brief scuffle ensued when Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG) volunteers asked them to leave. The incident ended when security personnel confiscated the women's credentials and forcibly removed them from the area. ¶13. (SBU) FLOs Prepare for Closing Ceremony: The remaining FLOs are preparing for the Olympics Closing Ceremony to be held on the evening of 08/24/2008. According to information received from the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) by the FLO assigned to the Olympic Village and Beijing Normal University (BNU)--training site for the U.S. teams--U.S. athletes participating in the Closing Ceremony will be stationed in a holding area at the National "Bird's Nest" Stadium prior to the grand finale in which athletes from all countries march into the venue. The USOC confirmed that the U.S. Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, Men's Gymnastics, Men's Soccer, Men's Tennis and Women's Gymnastics (with the exception of Shawn Johnson) teams will not be taking part in the Olympics' closing event. Following the Closing Ceremony--which is scheduled to end at 2200 hours local time--athletes will either walk or take a team bus back to the Olympic Village. ¶14. (SBU) Departure of Teams Projected for Next Week: According to the USOC, 300 staff and coaches remain at the BNU training site to support U.S. athletes in medal contention. Among the U.S. teams advancing to gold medal competition in the final days of the Games are the U.S. Men's and Women's Basketball and Men's and Women's Indoor Volleyball teams, as well as the Men's Water Polo teams. The USOC has confirmed to the JOC that the majority of Olympics staff, coaches, and athletes will depart Beijing on 08/26/2008 and 08/27/2008. The JOC will remain operational through the afternoon of 08/26/2008 to cover the initial departures of U.S. athletes and staff. ¶15. (U) Nuri Hits Hong Kong: As predicted, Typhoon Nuri BEIJING 00003253 005 OF 007 made landfall directly over Hong Kong on 08/22/2008. Much of city was shut down due to the weather and the majority of flights into and out of the area were cancelled. Nuri--now downgraded to a tropical storm--continues to move inland to the northwest and is predicted to dissipate within the next 12 to 24 hours. Media reports indicate that authorities in the Guangdong Province of China have ordered the evacuation of 250,000 people from coastal areas as Nuri makes its way to the mainland. The typhoon did not disrupt Olympic events in Hong Kong as they were completed prior to the storm making landfall; there are no indications that the weather will adversely affect the Olympic Closing Ceremony in Beijing on 08/24/2008. VIPS -------------- ¶16. (SBU) Preparations for Delegation Closing Ceremony Attendance: The U.S. Presidential Delegation headed by Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao will attend the Olympics Closing Ceremony on 08/24/2008. Federal agents assigned to the Delegation's protective detail were loaned field radios formerly used by FLOs for venue communications; the radios will allow the agents to maintain contact with the JOC for situational awareness and security support should it become necessary. ¶17. (U) High-Profile Celebrities to Participate in Closing Ceremony: According to press reports, the Closing Ceremony will feature approximately 7,000 performers, half the number that was included in the Opening Ceremony. The event is also expected to include an eight-minute segment broadcast from London--site of the 2012 Summer Olympics--that will feature U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps; Phelps traveled to the UK upon his departure from Beijing on 08/21/2008. Among the celebrities expected to participate in the Beijing Closing Ceremony are soccer star David Beckham, singer Leona Lewis, Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The USOC has announced that the U.S. flag-bearer for the Closing Ceremony will be archer Khatuna Lorig--a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in Tbilisi, Georgia. PUBLIC AFFAIRS/PUBLIC DIPLOMACY -------------- ¶18. (U) Harassment of Journalists: The Foreign Correspondent's Club of China (FCCC) reported on 08/21/2008 it has received more than 30 confirmed cases of reporting interference, including 10 cases of violence and eight cases of damage to equipment or destruction of photos. The FCCC,s total number of reporting interference incidents between 01/01/2008 and 08/20/2008 is 152, just short of the figure BEIJING 00003253 006 OF 007 for all of 2007. Reporting interference includes violence, destruction of journalistic materials, detention, harassment of sources and staff, interception of communications, denial of access to public areas, being questioned in an intimidating manner by authorities, being reprimanded officially, being followed, and being subjected to other obstacles not in keeping with international practices. According to an 08/22/2008 "Reporters Without Borders" (RSF) statement, 22 foreign journalists have been detained or manhandled by police or authorities during the Beijing Olympics. RSF reports that at least 50 Beijing-based human rights activists have been detained, harassed or forced to leave the Chinese capital. CONSULAR AFFAIRS -------------- ¶19. (U) Please see the Key Issues section for updated information on Consular activities. POLITICAL AFFAIRS -------------- ¶20. (C) Few Petitioners During Olympics: During an 08/20/2008 reconnoiter of Beijing's State Bureau for Letters and Calls (where petitioners from across China submit petitions to seek redress for grievances),a U.S. Embassy officer observed a heavy security presence but few petitioners. The officer witnessed security guards dragging a woman away from the entrance of the office and a plain-clothed policeman checking a man's ID card. Around the Bureau and nearby Dong Zhuang neighborhood--which until late 2007 was home to Beijing's "petitioner village"--the officer observed Public Security Bureau (PSB) vehicles from nine different provinces. One contact in Dong Zhuang said the out-of-province PSB officials are responsible for rounding up and returning petitioners to their hometowns. The heavy police presence appears to be keeping petitioners away from the State Bureau for Letters and Calls, but perhaps only temporarily; Embassy contacts say that while local PSB officials have forcibly returned many petitioners to their hometowns, other petitioners are lying low until the Olympics are over. (See Beijing 3240, dated August 22, for more details). ¶21. (U) PM Brown Raises Tibet and Press Freedoms with President Hu: UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, in Beijing to attend the Closing Ceremony on 08/24/2008, urged Chinese President Hu Jingtao to reach a "productive" conclusion to talks with representatives of the Dalai Lama and to lift permanently restrictions on the press, according to the BBC. Brown said engagement with China's leaders was crucial and called the Beijing Olympics a "spectacular success." BEIJING 00003253 007 OF 007 ¶22. (U) Dalai Lama to Lead Post-Olympic Fast for Tibet: According to AFP, the Tibetan government-in-exile announced 08/22/2008 that the Dalai Lama will lead a global fast after the conclusion of the Beijing Olympics to highlight the "Tibetan Cause." The "symbolic 12-hour fast" will take place on 08/31/2008, according to a statement from the Dalai Lama's office. Referring to the post-Olympic period as a "very crucial period for Tibet," Prime Minister Samdhong Rinpoche of the government-in-exile characterized the fast as an "extremely important non-violent action by Tibetans," according to the AFP report. The announcement came after the Dalai Lama met French First Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy at the inauguration of a Buddhist temple during his 12-day tour of France.Q23. (U) Chinese Officials Comment on Tibet: Local Chinese Government officials in Garze, a Tibetan majority town in Western Sichuan province, denied the Dalai Lama's claims that a violent protest had taken place there earlier in the week, AFP reports. In an interview with a French newspaper on 08/21/2008, the Dalai Lama said security forces in Garze had opened fire on ethnic Tibetan protesters on 08/18/2008. Separately, VOA reported that BOCOG Spokesman Wang Wei lashed out at reporters 08/22/2008 for raising criticisms of China on Tibet and other issues, including reports of a China-Tibet propaganda opera. "There,s so much criticism in this room," Wang said. "It just reflects how biased some of the media are about China, and how little they understand China." ¶24. (U) Memorial Vigil for Hua Guofeng Begins: According to a South China Morning Post report, a four-day official vigil for former Communist Party Chairman Hua Guofeng began on 08/22/2008 at People's Liberation Army Hospital 305 in Beijing; Hua succeeded Mao Zedong as the head of the Chinese Communist Party. No top leaders made a public appearance at Hua's vigil, but individual officials who attended included former State Councilor and Defense Minister Chi Haotian, Chongqing Party Secretary Bo Xilai, All-China Women,s Federation Chairwoman Gu Xiulian, and former Shanxi Governor Wang Senhao. Although the service was open to the public, it was not announced publicly and few ordinary people attended. RANDT