Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
89BEIJING15390
1989-06-03 11:43:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Beijing
Cable title:
SITREP NO. 28: TEN TO FIFTEEN THOUSAND
how-toO 031143Z JUN 89 FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING TO SECSTATE WASHDC NIACT IMMEDIATE 0043 INFO AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY AMEMBASSY SEOUL PRIORITY AMEMBASSY MOSCOW IMMEDIATE AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY AMEMBASSY BANGKOK PRIORITY AMCONSUL HONG KONG IMMEDIATE AIT TAIPEI IMMEDIATE USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI IMMEDIATE AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU IMMEDIATE AMCONSUL SHANGHAI IMMEDIATE AMCONSUL SHENYANG IMMEDIATE DIA WASHDC IMMEDIATE AMCONSUL CHENGDU POUCH)
C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIJING 15390
NIACT IMMEDIATE FOR CHINA WATCH
NSC FOR DOUG PAAL
E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR
TAGS: PGOV PHUM SOCI CH
SUBJECT: SITREP NO. 28: TEN TO FIFTEEN THOUSAND
ARMED TROOPS STOPPED AT CITY PERIMETER BY HUMAN AND
BUS BARRRICADES
REF: BEIJING 15383
C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIJING 15390
NIACT IMMEDIATE FOR CHINA WATCH
NSC FOR DOUG PAAL
E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR
TAGS: PGOV PHUM SOCI CH
SUBJECT: SITREP NO. 28: TEN TO FIFTEEN THOUSAND
ARMED TROOPS STOPPED AT CITY PERIMETER BY HUMAN AND
BUS BARRRICADES
REF: BEIJING 15383
1. CONFIDENTIAL ENTIRE TEXT.
2. TEN TO FIFTEEN THOUSAND HELMETED, ARMED TROOPS
MOVED TOWARD BEIJING DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY
EVENING HOURS OF JUNE 3. AS OF 1930, LARGE CONVOYS
HAVE BEEN STOPPED AS BEFORE BY BUS AND HUMAN
BARRICADES. THE LARGEST CONCENTRATION OF TROOP
TRUCKS IS ON THE WESTERN SIDE OF THE CITY IN FRONT
OF THE NEW WORLD TRADE CENTER, ABOUT 5-6 KILOMETERS
FROM TIANANMEN SQUARE. EMBOFFS SAW AT LEAST TWENTY
TRUCKS THERE, BUT MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED HAD BEEN
SEEN HEADING TOWARD THE CITY ON THAT ROUTE, SO WE
ESTIMATE THAT THERE ARE ONE HUNDRED PLUS TROOP
TRUCKS AT THAT LOCATION. THE TROOPS ARE HELMETED
AND ARE CARRYING AUTOMATIC WEAPONS. MOST OF THEM
SEEM TO BE STAYING IN THEIR TRUCKS FOR THE TIME
BEING. MORE THAN 35 TRUCKS FILLED WITH HELMETED,
ARMED TROOPS ARE STOPPED AT THE SECOND RING ROAD
OVERPASS, DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE JIANGUOMENWAI
DIPLOMATIC HOUSING COMPOUND. THERE ARE REPORTEDLY
82 TRUCKS BLOCKED BY FOUR LARGE DUMP TRUCKS ALONG
THE ROAD TO CAPITAL AIRPORT. WE ALSO HAVE REPORTS
OF TWENTY SIX TRUCKS STOPPED AND SURROUNDED BY CITY
RESIDENTS BETWEEN THE LIDO HOTEL AND THE GREAT WALL
HOTEL IN THE NORTHEASTERN SUBURBS. THERE ARE ABOUT
TWO THOUSAND TROOPS JUST WEST OF THE GREAT HALL OF
THE PEOPLE IN A STANDOFF WITH CITY RESIDENTS WHICH
HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE EARLY AFTERNOON. THE
POPULATION APPEARS HOSTILE TO PLA MOVEMENTS INTO THE
CITY.
3. ELITE AIRBORNE TROOPS ARE MOVING FROM THE SOUTH
AND TANK UNITS HAVE BEEN ALERTED TO MOVE. DAO
OFFICERS ARE OUT CHECKING THE WESTERN SUBURBS. DAO
IS REPORTING FURTHER DETAILS TO WASHINGTON. ALL
EMBASSY INFORMATION SO FAR SUGGESTS THAT THE UNITS
OTHER THAN THE AIRBORNE TROOPS ARE FROM THE 39TH
ARMY.
4. THE TROOPS HAVE OBVIOUSLY NOT YET BEEN GIVEN
ORDERS PERMITTING THEM TO USE FORCE. THEIR LARGE
NUMBERS, THE FACT THAT THEY ARE HELMETED, AND THE
AUTOMATIC WEAPONS THEY ARE CARRYING SUGGEST THAT THE
FORCE OPTION IS REAL.
LILLEY
NIACT IMMEDIATE FOR CHINA WATCH
NSC FOR DOUG PAAL
E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR
TAGS: PGOV PHUM SOCI CH
SUBJECT: SITREP NO. 28: TEN TO FIFTEEN THOUSAND
ARMED TROOPS STOPPED AT CITY PERIMETER BY HUMAN AND
BUS BARRRICADES
REF: BEIJING 15383
1. CONFIDENTIAL ENTIRE TEXT.
2. TEN TO FIFTEEN THOUSAND HELMETED, ARMED TROOPS
MOVED TOWARD BEIJING DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY
EVENING HOURS OF JUNE 3. AS OF 1930, LARGE CONVOYS
HAVE BEEN STOPPED AS BEFORE BY BUS AND HUMAN
BARRICADES. THE LARGEST CONCENTRATION OF TROOP
TRUCKS IS ON THE WESTERN SIDE OF THE CITY IN FRONT
OF THE NEW WORLD TRADE CENTER, ABOUT 5-6 KILOMETERS
FROM TIANANMEN SQUARE. EMBOFFS SAW AT LEAST TWENTY
TRUCKS THERE, BUT MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED HAD BEEN
SEEN HEADING TOWARD THE CITY ON THAT ROUTE, SO WE
ESTIMATE THAT THERE ARE ONE HUNDRED PLUS TROOP
TRUCKS AT THAT LOCATION. THE TROOPS ARE HELMETED
AND ARE CARRYING AUTOMATIC WEAPONS. MOST OF THEM
SEEM TO BE STAYING IN THEIR TRUCKS FOR THE TIME
BEING. MORE THAN 35 TRUCKS FILLED WITH HELMETED,
ARMED TROOPS ARE STOPPED AT THE SECOND RING ROAD
OVERPASS, DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE JIANGUOMENWAI
DIPLOMATIC HOUSING COMPOUND. THERE ARE REPORTEDLY
82 TRUCKS BLOCKED BY FOUR LARGE DUMP TRUCKS ALONG
THE ROAD TO CAPITAL AIRPORT. WE ALSO HAVE REPORTS
OF TWENTY SIX TRUCKS STOPPED AND SURROUNDED BY CITY
RESIDENTS BETWEEN THE LIDO HOTEL AND THE GREAT WALL
HOTEL IN THE NORTHEASTERN SUBURBS. THERE ARE ABOUT
TWO THOUSAND TROOPS JUST WEST OF THE GREAT HALL OF
THE PEOPLE IN A STANDOFF WITH CITY RESIDENTS WHICH
HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE EARLY AFTERNOON. THE
POPULATION APPEARS HOSTILE TO PLA MOVEMENTS INTO THE
CITY.
3. ELITE AIRBORNE TROOPS ARE MOVING FROM THE SOUTH
AND TANK UNITS HAVE BEEN ALERTED TO MOVE. DAO
OFFICERS ARE OUT CHECKING THE WESTERN SUBURBS. DAO
IS REPORTING FURTHER DETAILS TO WASHINGTON. ALL
EMBASSY INFORMATION SO FAR SUGGESTS THAT THE UNITS
OTHER THAN THE AIRBORNE TROOPS ARE FROM THE 39TH
ARMY.
4. THE TROOPS HAVE OBVIOUSLY NOT YET BEEN GIVEN
ORDERS PERMITTING THEM TO USE FORCE. THEIR LARGE
NUMBERS, THE FACT THAT THEY ARE HELMETED, AND THE
AUTOMATIC WEAPONS THEY ARE CARRYING SUGGEST THAT THE
FORCE OPTION IS REAL.
LILLEY