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

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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."

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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