SITREP NO. 29: ARTICLE JUSTIFIES MARTIAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 05 BEIJING 15407

FOR SECRETARY BAKER
NSC FOR DOUG PAAL
CINCPAC FOR FPA

E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR
TAGS: PGOV PHUM SOCI CH
SUBJECT: SITREP NO. 29: ARTICLE JUSTIFIES MARTIAL
LAW; PLA TO USE ANY AND ALL MEANS TO ENFORCE MARTIAL
LAW; DEFENSE MINISTER APPEARS, SO DOES LI PENG; TENSION
ON TIANANMEN SQUARE

REF: A. BEIJING 15288 B. BEIJING 15383


1. CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT.


2. SUMMARY: THE JUNE 3 EDITION OF THE PEOPLE'S
DAILY CARRIED A FRONT PAGE ARTICLE INDICTING "A SMALL
GROUP OF PEOPLE" WHO ALLEGEDLY INCITED THE PRESENT
TURMOIL IN BEIJING AND JUSTIFIED MARTIAL LAW. THE
ARTICLE WAS ISSUED BY THE BEIJING MUNICIPAL PARTY
COMMITTEE, PROBABLY UNDER THE DIRECTION OF
CONSERVATIVE POLITBURO MEMBER LI XIMING. LI APPEARS
TO BE SPEARHEADING THE ATTEMPT TO BRAND ZHAO ZIYANG
AS A COUNTER-REVOLUTIONARY.


3. THE EVENING TELEVISION NEWS ON JUNE 3 BROADCAST A
STERNLY WORDED MARTIAL LAW HEADQUARTERS ANNOUNCEMENT
STATING THAT TROOPS WILL USE ANY AND ALL MEANS TO
ENFORCE MARTIAL LAW IN BEIJING. AS THIS CABLE IS
DRAFTED, THE MARTIAL LAW HQ IS WARNING BEIJING
CITIZENS TO STAY OFF THE STREETS IN REPEATED
TELEVISION BROADCASTS. DEFENSE MINISTER QIN JIWEI
ALSO APPEARED ON THE EVENING NEWS. QIN, WHO IS
RUMORED TO HAVE OPPOSED MARTIAL LAW, MAY HAVE BEEN
REHABILITATED BY DENG XIAOPING IN ORDER TO COUNTER
ENHANCED INFLUENCE AMONG PARTY ELDERS. THE TV NEWS
ALSO BROADCAST A BAFFLING ADDRESS BY LI PENG ON
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES.


4. TENSION MOUNTED THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON AS
BEIJING RESIDENTS VENTED THEIR ANGER BY HARASSING
MILITARY AND POLICE PERSONNEL AND ATTACKING THEIR
VEHICLES. STUDENTS DISPLAYED CAPTURED WEAPONS,
MILITARY EQUIPMENT AND VEHICLES, INCLUDING IN FRONT
OF THE ZHONGNANHAI LEADERSHIP COMPOUND. AN EFFORT TO
FREE STILL CAPTIVE MILITARY PERSONNEL OR TO CLEAR THE
SOUTHERN ENTRANCE TO ZHONGNANHAI MAY HAVE BEEN THE
CAUSE OF A LIMITED TEAR GAS ATTACK IN THAT AREA
AROUND 1500 HOURS LOCAL. AROUND THE SAME TIME
SEVERAL THOUSAND UNARMED, BUT HELMETED, TROOPS TOOK
UP POSITIONS ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE GREAT HALL OF
THE PEOPLE. EARLIER IN THE AFTERNOON, STUDENT
LEADERS AND THE FOUR HUNGER STRIKERS HELD A PRESS
CONFERENCE IN WHICH THEY THANKED THE PEOPLE FOR THEIR
SUPPORT.


5. THE AMBASSADOR HAS REQUESTED THAT ALL EMBASSY
PERSONNEL NOT ENGAGED IN REPORTING TO REMAIN AT
HOME. END SUMMARY.


PEOPLE'S DAILY ARTICLE CONDEMNS CONSPIRATORS,
JUSTIFIES MARTIAL LAW
--------------


6. THE FRONT PAGE OF THE JUNE 3 PEOPLE'S DAILY
CARRIED A LONG ARTICLE ISSUED BY THE BEIJING MUNICIPAL
PARTY COMMITTEE PROPAGANDA BUREAU INDICTING THE "SMALL
GROUP" OF CONSPIRATORS RESPONSIBLE FOR CREATING
TURMOIL IN THE CAPITAL AND JUSTIFYING MARTIAL LAW AND
THE POSSIBLE USE OF TROOPS. THE OPENING SECTION OF
THE ARTICLE ARGUES THAT A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE
PLANNED TO CREATE TURMOIL FROM AS EARLY AS LATE LAST
YEAR. THESE PEOPLE'S POLITICAL GOAL IS TO NEGATE THE
LEADERSHIP OF THE PARTY AND THE SOCIALIST SYSTEM.
THEY PLANNED SECRETLY IN COLLUSION WITH INTERNAL AND
DEMOCRATIC LEAGUE AND THE PUBLISHERS OF CHINA SPRING
MAGAZINE. AFTER THE DEATH OF HU YAOBANG, THE
CONSPIRATORS SPREAD RUMORS TO ENFLAME THE SITUATION,
ACCORDING TO THE ARTICLE. FINALLY, THESE PEOPLE
MALEVOLENTLY TRAMPLED DEMOCRACY AND LAW TO SPREAD
SERIOUS SOCIAL DISORDER.


7. IN A SECOND SECTION, THE ARTICLE EXPLAINS THAT
DESPITE THE CESSATION OF THE MAY 13-21 STUDENT HUNGER
STRIKE, THE CONTINUATION OF MARTIAL LAW IS NECESSARY
TO RESTORE ORDER AND TO COUNTER THE MACHINATION OF
THE "SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE." A FINAL SECTION EXHORTS
READERS TO "UNITE WITH THOSE WHO CAN BE UNITED AND
EXPOSE THE SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE INCITING TURMOIL."
IT VOWS THAT THE PARTY AND GOVERNMENT WILL CONTINUE
DIALOGUE WITH STUDENTS AND OTHER GROUPS WITH
GRIEVANCES. IT NOTES THAT SOME WORKERS, CITIZENS,
AND CADRES WHO SUPPORT THE PARTY AND GOVERNMENT AND
WHO MAY HAVE PARTICIPATED IN DEMONSTRATIONS WILL NOT
BE PURSUED. THOSE GROUPS OF "HOOLIGANS" SUCH AS THE
"FLYING TIGERS" MOTORCYCLE BRIGADE AND THE "SUICIDE
BICYCLE BRIGADES" WILL BE PUNISHED, THE ARTICLE
STATES. FINALLY, THE ARTICLE DEMANDS THAT THE "SMALL
GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO INCITED THE TURMOIL" BE EXPOSED.


8. WE BELIEVE THE ARTICLE TO HAVE BEEN DRAFTED UNDER
THE GUIDANCE OF POLITBURO MEMBER AND BEIJING PARTY
COMMITTEE SECRETARY LI XIMING. AS WE HAVE REPORTED
IN THE PAST, THE ARCH CONSERVATIVE LI HAS RESOLUTELY
SIDED WITH LI PENG AND THE ELDERS AND APPEARS TO BE
SPEARHEADING THE ATTEMPT TO LABEL ZHAO ZIYANG AS A
COUNTER-REVOLUTIONARY. IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING AN
IDEOLOGICAL BASIS FOR MARTIAL LAW, THE ARTICLE
EMPLOYS A VENOMOUS TONE THROUGHOUT IN ITS ATTEMPT TO
TO ESTABLISH CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE SMALL GROUP OF
CONSPIRATORS -- READ ZHAO ZIYANG AND HIS FOLLOWERS --
WITH ALLEGEDLY ANTI-PARTY AND ANTI-GOVERNMENT
ACTIVITIES OF STUDENTS AND DEMONSTRATORS. THE
ARTICLE EVEN QUOTES ANTI-DENG AND ANTI-LI PENG BIG
CHARACTER POSTERS PUT UP ON UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES SINCE
THE DEATH OF HU YAOBANG.


BEIJING MARTIAL LAW HEADQUARTERS ANNOUNCES THAT THE
PLA WILL USE ANY AND ALL MEANS TO IMPLEMENT ORDERS
-------------- --------------


9. THE JUNE 3 CCTV EVENING NEWS REPORTED THAT
MARTIAL LAW HEADQUARTERS ISSUED AN ANNOUNCEMENT
CONCERNING THE ENTRY OF SOME TROOPS INTO THE BEIJING
CITY CENTER ON THE NIGHT OF MAY 2 (SEE REFS. A AND
B). THE ANNOUNCEMENT CLAIMED THAT THE PLA IS BACKED
BY THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE, BUT FEW HOOLIGANS
INSULTED, HELD, AND BEAT PLA TROOPS WHO ENTERED THE
CITY. SOME PEOPLE EVEN STOLE WEAPONS, THE
ANNOUNCEMENT SAID. IT FURTHER STATED THAT NO ONE HAS
THE RIGHT TO INTERFERE WITH TROOPS ATTEMPTING TO
IMPLEMENT ORDERS. THE PLA WILL USE ANY AND ALL MEANS
TO ENFORCE MARTIAL LAW IN THE CAPITAL. ANYONE
ORGANIZING RESISTANCE TO THE TROOPS WILL SUFFER THE
CONSEQUENCES, THE ANNOUNCEMENT STATED. AS THIS CABLE
IS DRAFTED, BEIJING TELEVISION IS REPEATEDLY
BROADCASTING A MARTIAL LAW HQ WARNING TO BEIJING
CITIZENS TO STAY OFF THE STREETS.


DEFENSE MINISTER QIN JIWEI APPEARS
--------------


10. CCTV NEWS ALSO REPORTED THAT ON JUNE 3, DEFENSE
MINISTER QIN JIWEI VISITED PLA TROOPS ENCAMPED
OUTSIDE OF BEIJING. QIN WAS WIDELY BELIEVED TO HAVE
OPPOSED THE MAY 20 MARTIAL LAW DECLARATION. HOWEVER,
HIS APPEARANCE FOLLOWS BY SEVERAL DAYS A SIMILAR
APPEARANCE BY PARTY CENTRAL MILITARY COMMISSION
MEMBER HONG XUEZHI, WHO ALSO WAS RUMORED TO OPPOSE
MARTIAL LAW. QIN WAS SEEN IN THE COMPANY OF A GROUP
OF HIGH RANKING PLA OFFICERS CASUALLY CHATTING WITH
TROOPS.


11. THE TV NEWS QUOTED QIN AS DELIVERING GREETINGS
FROM DENG XIAOPING AND YANG SHANGKUN. THE
APPEARANCES OF BOTH QIN AND HONG STRONGLY SUGGEST
THAT THEY HAVE CUT A DEAL WITH AT LEAST DENG XIAOPING
IN WHICH THEY SUPPORT SOME FORM OF MARTIAL LAW IN RETURN
FOR THEIR CONTINUED POLITICAL HEALTH. IT HAS BEEN RUMORED
IN BEIJING THAT DENG MAY NEED THE TWO IN ORDER TO
COUNTER THE INCREASED INFLUENCE OF PARTY ELDERS,
PERHAPS INCLUDING YANG SHANGKUN, IN THE WAKE OF
ZHAO ZIYANG'S POLITICAL DEMISE.


LI PENG DISCUSSES ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES (|?)
--------------


12. THE LEAD ITEM ON THE JUNE 3 EDITION OF THE
NIGHTLY TELEVISION WAS RESERVED FOR PREMIER LI PENG,
WHO APPARENTLY DELIVERED AN ADDRESS ON CHINESE
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES ON THE SAME DAY. LI WAS SHOWN
SITTING STIFFLY AT A TABLE WITH A MICROPHONE. HE
FACED THE CAMERA RIGIDLY AND READ FROM A TELEPROMPTER
WITH A TONE OF VOICE SIMILAR TO THAT OF HIS MAY 19
SPEECH ON THE NEED FOR LAW AND ORDER. WE WERE
BAFFLED BY THIS APPEARANCE, IN WHICH THE PREMIER MADE
NO OBVIOUS REFERENCES TO THE SITUATION IN BEIJING.
IT COULD HAVE BEEN A NOT VERY REFINED ATTEMPT TO SHOW
THAT LI IS IN CHARGE AND STILL ABLE TO FOCUS ON
DAY-TO-DAY STATE COUNCIL BUSINESS. HOWEVER, THE
BEIJING MARTIAL LAW HQ ANNOUNCEMENT IMMEDIATELY
FOLLOWED THIS SEGMENT.


THE AFTERNOON OF MAY 3
--------------


13. TENSION MOUNTED THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON ALL
OVER BEIJING AS RESIDENTS VENTED THEIR ANGER OVER THE
ENTRANCE OF TROOPS IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OF
JUNE 3. EMBOFFS ENCOUNTERED A NUMBER OF INCIDENTS IN
DIFFERENT LOCATIONS IN WHICH CROWDS HARASSED MILITARY
OR POLICE PERSONNEL, FORCED THEIR VEHICLES TO TURN
AROUND, JEERED AT DISPLAYS OF CAPTURED MILITARY
EQUIPMENT, OR VANDALIZED CAPTURED MILITARY VEHICLES.
ONE OF THE HOTTEST AREAS WAS ON CHANGANDAJIE BETWEEN
THE SOUTH ENTRANCE OF THE ZHONGNANHAI LEADERSHIP
COMPOUND AND THE BUS-BARRICADE AT THE XIDAN
INTERSECTION. A BAMBOO TRIPOD SET UP DIRECTLY IN
FRONT OF THE ENTRANCE TO ZHONGNANHAI BORE CAPTURED
MILITARY EQUIPMENT INCLUDING A BAYONET, A TENT STAKE,
MILITARY SHOES AND CLOTHING. FURTHER DOWN THE STREET
TOWARD THE XIDAN INTERSECTION A DISABLED MILITARY BUS
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET ALSO DISPLAYED CAPTURED
EQUIPMENT. ON TOP OF THE BUS A SMALL TABLE HAD BEEN
PLACED ON WHICH THERE WAS A MACHINE GUN ON A TRIPOD,
TWO AK-47S, A HELMET, A PLA HAT, AND A BANNER (ONLY
PARTIALLY VISIBLE) READING "THIS IS LI PENG'S..."
THOUSANDS OF ONLOOKERS CROWDED AROUND THE DISPLAYS,
TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS AND CHEERING THE IMPROMPTU
SPEECHES DENOUNCING THE GOVERNMENT.


A STRIKE PLANNED?
--------------


14. A BEIJING REVIEW JOURNALIST STOPPED ONE POLOFF
NOT FAR FROM THE XIDAN INTERSECTION, EAGER TO EXPLAIN
THE DAY'S EVENTS. THE JOURNALIST REPORTED THAT A
MASSIVE DEMONSTRATION WAS PLANNED FOR 1400 HOURS
LOCAL AND HE SAID IT HAD BEEN PROPOSED THAT A GENERAL
STRIKE BE CALLED.


STUDENT PRESS CONFERENCE
--------------


15. EARLIER IN THE DAY AROUND NOON LOUDSPEAKERS IN
TIANANMEN SQUARE BROADCAST A LENGTHY SPEECH BY
SOMEONE IDENTIFYING HIMSELF AS A JOURNALIST REPORTING
ON THE ENTRANCE OF TROOPS INTO THE CITY. THOUSANDS
OF BYSTANDERS LISTENED ATTENTIVELY AS THE JOURNALIST
DESCRIBED HOW STUDENTS AND RESIDENTS EVENTUALLY
PERSUADED THE SOLDIERS TO TURN AROUND. AT 1300 HOURS
LOCAL THE STUDENTS HELD A PRESS CONFERENCE NEAR THE
"GODDESS OF FREEDOM." STUDENT LEADER WUERKAIXI LED
OFF THANKING THE PEOPLE FOR THEIR SUPPORT AND THEIR
CONCERN. HE ALSO THANKED THE REPORTERS WHO AT "GREAT
RISK" HAD COME TO COVER THE CONFERENCE. HE THEN
INTRODUCED THE FOUR HUNGER STRIKERS. LIU SHAOBO, A
DOCTOR OF LITERATURE AT BEIJING NORMAL UNIVERSITY,
THANKED THE PEOPLE FOR THEIR SUPPORT FOR THE
STUDENTS, ESPECIALLY DURING THE PREVIOUS NIGHT WHEN
LI PENG, UNDER THE "RUSE OF ENFORCING MARTIAL LAW,"
HAD SENT IN ARMED TROOPS. LIU SAID EVERYONE HAD A
RESPONSIBILITY TO UPHOLD THE IDEAL OF DEMOCRACY FOR
WHICH THE PEOPLE LONGED. LIU SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS
COMPLETELY UNREASONABLE. HE SAID IT WAS CONTROLLED
BY A SMALL MINORITY AND DID NOT REFLECT THE WISHES OF
THE PEOPLE.


16. TAIWAN-RAISED MUSICIAN HOU DEJIAN ANNOUNCED THAT
DONATIONS FROM THE MAY 27 CONCERT FOR FREEDOM IN HONG
KONG HAD SO FAR TOTALLED 13,700,000 HONG KONG
DOLLARS. SUCH SUPPORT, HE SAID, SHOWED THE
IMPORTANCE AND THE CORRECTNESS OF THE MOVEMENT. GAO
XIN, BEIJING NORMAL UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR AND
COMMUNIST PARTY MEMBER, SPOKE ABOUT HOW AS A PARTY
MEMBER HE WAS DOING THE CORRECT THING BY FASTING. HE
WAS RESPONDING TO THE WISHES OF THE PEOPLE WHICH WAS
WHAT THE PARTY AND ITS MEMBERS WERE SUPPOSED TO DO.


17. IN RESPONSE TO A REPORTER'S QUESTION, LIU
XIAOBO SAID THE MOVEMENT MUST CONTINUE ITS PEACEFUL
METHODS TO ACHIEVE ITS GOALS AND THAT THE PEOPLE MUST
DO NOTHING OUT OF ANGER. THE PRESS CONFERENCE ENDED
WITH WUERKAIXI BEING RAISED UP ON OTHER STUDENTS'
SHOULDERS AND CARRIED AROUND THE SQUARE.


A TEAR GAS ATTACK
--------------


18. ACCORDING TO SOME REPORTS, A FEW PLA SOLDIERS
REMAINED CAPTIVE THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON ABOARD
THEIR DISABLED BUSES IN THE FUYOUJIE INTERSECTION
BETWEEN ZHONGNANHAI AND XIDAN. AN EFFORT TO FREE
THESE TROOPS MAY HAVE BEEN THE CAUSE OF A TEAR GAS
ATTACK IN THE AREA SOMETIME AFTER 1500 HOURS LOCAL.
IT MAY HAVE ALSO BEEN AN EFFORT TO CLEAR JEERING
CROWDS FROM THE FRONT OF ZHONGNANHAI. IN EITHER
CASE, IT APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN A LIMITED ATTACK.
THERE WERE ALSO SOME UNCONFIRMED REPORTS OF BEATINGS.


19. ABOUT THE SAME TIME, SEVERAL THOUSAND TROOPS,
UNARMED BUT WEARING HELMETS, APPEARED ON THE WEST
SIDE OF THE GREAT HALL OF PEOPLE WHERE THEY SAT IN
ROWS TWO-TO-THREE MEN DEEP. THEY APPEARED
WELL-DISCIPLINED. SEVERAL BYSTANDERS WERE OBSERVED
THROWING THINGS AT THE TROOPS, BUT THEY DID NOT
RESPOND. MEANWHILE THE EAST SIDE OF THE GREAT HALL,
ON TIANANMEN SQUARE REMAINED RELATIVELY NORMAL.


EMBASSY SECURITY
--------------


20. THE AMBASSADOR HAS REQUESTED THAT ALL EMBASSY
EMPLOYEES NOT ENGAGED IN POLITICAL OR MILITARY
REPORTING AND DEPENDENTS TO REMAIN AT HOME. SECTION
HEADS HAVE PASSED THE WORD TO EMPLOYEES. EMBOFF IN
VICINITY OF TIANANMEN SQUARE IS NOTIFYING ALL
AMERICANS THAT HE ENCOUNTERS IN THE AREA TO LEAVE.


LILLEY