SOUTHWEST CHINA: PARTY ORDER TO ENFORCE DISCIPLINE OF

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 04 CHENGDU 000023 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP/CM, G, DRL, INR E.O. 12958: DECL: 25X1 - HUMAN TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR CH SUBJECT: SOUTHWEST CHINA: PARTY ORDER TO ENFORCE DISCIPLINE OF TIBETAN CADRES REF: A. 07 CHENGDU 21 ¶B. 07 CHENGDU 247 ¶C. 08 CHENGDU 56 CLASSIFIED BY: James A. Boughner, Consul General, U.S. Consulate General, Chengdu. REASON: 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (S/NF) Summary: Classified regulations issued in late 2007 by the Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Southwest China's Sichuan Province outline in detail sanctions to be taken against Communist Party members who participate in Dalai Lama teachings abroad or allow their children to study to become Buddhist monks or nuns. The regulations were adopted as part of a harsh "patriotic education campaign" initiated in Ganzi well before the March 2008 outbreak of unrest throughout Tibetan areas of China. It is rumored locally that Ganzi Party Secretary Liu Daoping will soon be made a Vice Governor of Qinghai Province (birthplace of the Dalai Lama) where he will be tasked with organizing a thorough patriotic education campaign in the traditionally Tibetan areas of Amdo. End Summary. ¶2. (S/NF) A local government contact (strictly protect) recently provided us a copy of a November 2007 Sichuan Province Ganzi Prefecture Communist Party order (translated by ConGen in full below) adopted as part of a patriotic education campaign to enforce Party discipline and weed out ethnic Tibetan cadres who might be supportive of the Dalai Lama. The order appears to have been issued in response to resistance encountered in implementing the pilot stage of the patriotic education campaign that was launched in Litang (Tibetan: Lithang) in Ganzi (Tibetan: Kardze) in mid 2007. Tibetan nomad Runggye Adak, whose public call for the return of the Dalai Lama at the August 2007 Litang horse race festival resulted in his arrest and prefecture-wide protests, previously attended Dalai Lama teachings in India and had children studying in schools in India (see ref a). After the "Litang Incident," Ganzi's pilot patriotic education campaign was extended as planned to the entire prefecture but became more intense as well. ¶3. (C) The principal purpose of the Ganzi patriotic education campaign had been to reduce the influence of the Dalai Lama and religious leaders among the 800,000 ethnic Tibetans who live in the prefecture. Forced denunciations of the Dalai Lama and harsh treatment of monks, nuns and believers raised local tensions in Ganzi that became more intense after the March 2008 outbreak of unrest that began in Lhasa. Promotion for Ganzi Party Secretary? -------------- ¶4. (C) According to a rumor circulating among Tibetans in Ganzi in early 2009, Prefecture Party Secretary Li Daoping may soon be made vice governor of Qinghai Province, perhaps to implement a strong patriotic education campaign there. Li Daoping's October 2007 speech on the aims of the Ganzi patriotic education campaign is discussed and translated in full in ref c. Monks and intellectuals from and in the Amdo area (Qinghai, and adjacent Tibetan parts of Gansu and Sichuan Provinces) played a major part in the March 2008 demonstrations in Lhasa and their aftermath. ¶5. (SBU) Summaries of Ganzi newspaper reports on the patriotic education campaign in the prefecture are available on the ConGen Chengdu website on Intelink-SBU at URL www.intelink.gov/communities/state/chengdu/ti bet. ¶6. (S/NF) Begin ConGen Translation of Ganzi Party Order: Secret Chinese Communist Party Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture Party Committee Ganzi Party Committee (2007) No.110 Opinion of the Chinese Communist Party Ganzi Committee and Ganzi Prefecture People's Government on Specific Issues in Properly Handling the Patriotic Education Campaign CHENGDU 00000023 002 OF 004 To county party committees, county people's governments, prefecture level departments, provincial level administration and enterprise units, and enterprise units directly under the prefecture: In order to properly implement the patriotic education campaign throughout the prefecture and specifically to handle problems that showed up in the implementation of the patriotic education pilot program at Lithang that reflect prefecture-wide problems, according to laws, regulations and orders from the central, provincial and prefecture levels such as the "Chinese Communist Party Charter" and the "Chinese Communist Party Disciplinary and Punishment Regulations;" the "Civil Service Law of the PRC;" the "Regulations on Administrative Punishments of Civil Servants;" the "PRC Compulsory Education Law;" the "Ministry of Supervision Notice on Application of Administrative Punishments to Retired Civil Servants;" the "Chinese Communist Party Sichuan Party Committee Organization Department Regulation Five Applicable to Party Members and Cadres for Opposing Dalai Lama Clique Splittist Activities," and the "Chinese Communist Party Ganzi Prefecture Draft Regulations on Further Strengthening Political Discipline," following the principles of seeking truth from facts, of learning from past mistakes to avoid future ones, treating the illness to save the patient, the following opinions on handling these problems are set forth. ¶I. Participation in Teachings and Other Religious Activities Held by the Dalai Lama Clique ¶1. For Communist Party members and government workers (understand to include personnel on leave or retired),before the start of the patriotic education campaign throughout Ganzi Prefecture, the following opinions are set forth for the proper handling of the cases of personnel who previously participated in teachings (henceforth referred to as teachings held outside mainland China's borders) or other religious activities held by the Dalai Lama clique: ¶A. Whoever voluntarily comes forward and admits to having participated in teachings held outside China's borders and provides a written explanation, an investigation that stresses education and includes a written acknowledgement is made, then that case shall not be handled as a disciplinary or organizational matter. ¶B. Whomsoever has, during the period in which teachings are held, gone abroad to India or Nepal, and cannot during the All Ganzi Prefecture Patriotic Education Campaign, make a clear explanation and prove that they have not participated in a teaching held outside of China's borders, shall, in the case of a leading Communist Party member or cadre, be admonished to resign their membership in the Chinese Communist Party or if they refuse to resign, be expelled. -- If the Party member is an ordinary cadre, and they do not resign from the Party after admonishment, then they shall be reduced administratively in rank and subject to organizational discipline. -- If the cadre is not a Party member, then they shall be administratively reduced in rank and subject to organizational discipline. -- In the case of a retired or on leave Party cadre, they shall be admonished to resign from the Party and expelled if they do not. -- Furthermore, their pension will be reduced as an organizational punishment. In the case of a retired cadre who is not a member of the Communist Party, their pension shall be reduced as an organizational punishment. ¶C. Whomsoever, on the false pretext of visiting relatives, visiting friends, or travel intentionally conceals their participation in teachings outside China's borders and, after an organizational investigation, still refuses to make a written explanation of the matter, and does not take part in an investigation and make written acknowledgements, then if that person is a Party cadre, they shall be subject to the punishment of "double expulsion" (expulsion from the Chinese Communist Party and firing from their government job). If they are not a Communist Party cadre, they shall be punished by dismissal from CHENGDU 00000023 003 OF 004 their government job. ¶D. During the All Ganzi Prefecture Patriotic Education Campaign the deadline for voluntarily making a written explanation of having participated in teachings or other religious activities held outside China's borders is November 30, 2007. ¶2. After the All Ganzi Prefecture Patriotic Education Campaign, any Communist Party member or government worker (to be understood as including personnel who are retired or on leave) who violates this opinion by participating in teachings or religious activities outside China's borders shall once discovered as a rule be fired from their government job. If the person is a Party member, they will also be expelled from the Chinese Communist Party. II. Sending Children Outside China's Borders to Study at Schools Operated by the Dalai Lama Clique ¶1. Cases of any Communist Party member or government worker (to be understood to include personnel retired or on leave) who before the All Ganzi Prefecture Patriotic Education Campaign sent a child to a school outside China's borders operated by the Dalai Lama Clique or receives an introduction and assistance from the Dalai Lama Clique in studying in any country shall be handled according to the following opinions: ¶A. Whomsoever, during the Patriotic Education Campaign, voluntarily provides the organization a written explanation and undergoes a deep examination that stresses education and makes written acknowledgements may in some cases be exempt from discipline and organizational handling of the case. However, they must bring their children back from overseas within one year and, if the children are of compulsory education age, send them to a public school to study. ¶B. Whomsoever makes an explanation to the organization, undergoes an examination and makes a written acknowledgement, but did not bring their children back to China within the period stipulated by regulations, shall in the case of a Party members be punished with a "double expulsion" (expulsion from the Party and loss of government job). In the case of a non-Party member, they shall be fired from their government job. ¶C. During the All Ganzi Prefecture Patriotic Education Campaign the deadline for voluntarily making a written explanation and examination about having sent a child to a school outside China's borders operated by the Dalai Lama Clique or receives an introduction and assistance from the Dalai Lama Clique in studying in any country is November 30, 2007. ¶2. Any Chinese Communist Party member or government worker (understand to include personnel who are retired or on leave) who after the All Ganzi Prefecture Patriotic Education Campaign, violates this opinion and still sends his child to a school outside China's borders operated by the Dalai Lama Clique or receives an introduction and assistance from the Dalai Lama Clique in studying in any country, once it is discovered, shall be fired from their government job and Party members also expelled from the Party. III. Minor Children Who Enter the Monastery as Monks or Nuns Or Persons Who Have Illegally Reincarnated as Living Buddhas Without Government Permission (no age restriction) ¶1. Communist Party members and government workers (to be understood to include personnel who have retired or are on leave) who before the All Ganzi Patriotic Education Campaign had already sent their children (minors) become monks or nuns in monasteries or allowed their children (no age limit) to become a reincarnated Buddha without government permission, should be handled according to the following opinions: ¶A. If, during the Patriotic Education Campaign, a voluntary written report is made to the organization, and within three months the minor child who became a monk or nun returns home from the monastery or the minor child who became a reincarnated lama without government permission returns home and acknowledges to the county news media and society that they have terminated their religious status and illegal reincarnate Buddha status; or CHENGDU 00000023 004 OF 004 acknowledges to the county media and society that their adult child's status as an illegal non-government recognized status as an incarnate Buddha has terminated, then that person might not be subject to Party discipline or governmental organizational disposition. Moreover, if the children are of compulsory education age, they shall be sent to a public school to study. ¶B. If a written explanation of the situation is provided to the organization and an examination is done, but the person does not as required: -- get their minor children who have become monks or nuns back home from the monastery; or -- has not gotten back home a minor child who has become an illegal reincarnated Buddha without government permission; or -- has not publicly acknowledged that their religious status or status as an illegal reincarnated Buddha has terminated; or -- has not publicly terminated the status of the adult child as an illegal incarnated lama not recognized by the government, shall in the case of a leading Party cadre (including a leader who does not have a leadership position) be expelled from the Communist Party and punished by being relieved from their government duties or more serious administrative punishment. In the case of a Party member who is an ordinary cadre, they shall be expelled from the Communist Party and they shall be administratively reduced in rank in their government job. In the case of a non-Party government worker, they shall be given an administrative punishment of reduction in rank. ¶2. If after the conclusion of the All Ganzi Patriotic Education Campaign, a Party member or government worker violates this opinion, and still sends their child to become a monk or nun in a monastery or to become an illegal reincarnate lama not recognized by the government, then once this is discovered they shall be fired from their government job. In the case of a Party member, they shall be expelled from the Party at the same time. IV. Cases of Workers in State Organizations and Enterprise Units Shall be Handled According to this Opinion ¶V. The Disciplinary and Investigative Commission of the Ganzi Prefecture Communist Party Commission and the Prefecture Supervisory Bureau are responsible for the interpretation of this opinion. The Disciplinary and Investigative Commission of the Ganzi Prefecture Communist Party Committee, the Organization Department of the Ganzi Prefecture Communist Party Committee, the Ganzi Prefecture Government Supervisory Bureau, the Prefecture Personnel Department, the Prefecture Labor and Social Security Bureau are responsible for implementing this opinion. VI. This opinion is effective from the date of its publication. Ganzi Prefecture Communist Party Committee (seal) Ganzi Prefecture People's Government (seal) November 6, 2007 End Translated Text. BOUGHNER