BACK TO SCHOOL -- NORTHEAST CHINA STREETS ARE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SHENYANG 01285

BEIJING PASS CHENGDU
DEPARTMENT PASS ELECTRONICALLY TO USTR

E.O. 12356: DECL/OADR
TAGS: PGOV SOCI CH
SUBJECT: BACK TO SCHOOL -- NORTHEAST CHINA STREETS ARE
QUIET AS STUDENTS AND THEIR MOVEMENT RETURN TO CAMPUSES

REF: SHENYANG 01251, AND PREVIOUS


1. CONFIDENTIAL -- ENTIRE TEXT.


2. SUMMARY: LIFE IN THE NORTHEAST HAS BEEN DRIFTING
BACK TO NORMAL. THERE HAS NOT BEEN A PUBLIC STUDENT
DEMONSTRATION SINCE MONDAY, MAY 29, WHEN SMALL BANDS OF
SHENYANG AND CHANGCHUN STUDENTS STAGED FUNERAL MARCHES
(WEARING WHITE HEADBANDS AND CARRYING WREATHS). HARD
CORE GROUPS OF MORE COMMITTED ACTIVISTS CONTINUE THE
STRUGGLE AT SHENYANG'S NORTHEAST UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
AND CHANGCHUN'S JILIN UNIVERSITY. THE MAJORITY OF THE
STUDENTS ARE TURNING THEIR ATTENTION TO CLASSES WHILE
WAITING FOR SIGNALS FROM BEIJING STUDENTS. END SUMMARY.

STUDENTS KEEP FLAMES BURNING ON CAMPUSES
--------------


3. STUDENTS ARE BEGINNING TO RETURN TO CLASSES IN THE
NORTHEAST. OTHER THAN IN A FEW ISOLATED SCHOOLS --
WHERE STUDENT LEADERS CONTINUE TO LEAD CLASS BOYCOTTS --
CLASSROOMS ARE BEGINNING TO FILL UP WITH STUDENTS BACK
FROM BEIJING, BACK FROM LOCAL DEMONSTRATIONS, OR BACK
FROM HOME WHERE THEY SAT OUT THE MOVEMENT.


4. ONE OF THE FEW REMAINING POCKETS OF ACTIVITY IS
SHENYANG'S NORTHEAST UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY (NEUT)
WHERE THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT UNION WAS MAKING DEMANDS
AS LATE AS YESTERDAY (JUNE 1) FOR ACCESS TO THE CAMPUS
RADIO STATION, A PROMISE OF NO RETRIBUTION AGAINST
STUDENT LEADERS OF THE MOVEMENT, THE DISMISSAL OF THE
HEAD OF THE STUDENT UNION WHO DID NOT SUPPORT THE
DEMONSTRATORS, AND THE REMOVAL FROM THE PARTY OF THOSE
STUDENT PARTY MEMBERS WHO DID NOT SUPPORT THE MOVEMENT.
THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT UNION HAS ALSO CALLED FOR A
CONTINUED BOYCOTT OF CLASSES UNTIL JUNE 20TH.


5. EVENING GATHERINGS OF NEARLY A THOUSAND PEOPLE AT
CHANGCHUN'S JILIN UNIVERSITY TO HEAR THE LATEST VOA AND
BBC BROADCASTS AS TRANSLATED BY JILIN UNIVERSITY
STUDENTS ALSO CONTINUE. IN SPITE OF THIS SPARK THAT
HAS NOT GONE OUT, THE UNIVERSITY HAS SEEN MORE AND MORE
STUDENTS RETURNING TO THEIR STUDIES.

BACK TO BOOKS, WAIT AND SEE
--------------


6. SHENYANG APPEARS QUIET, OTHER THAN THE ACTIVITY
AT NEUT. BY MONDAY MORNING (MAY 29),LEAFLETS AND POSTERS
WERE NOWHERE TO BE SEEN IN TOWN OUTSIDE OF UNIVERSITY
WALLS. THE LUXUN ACADEMY OF ART -- WHICH WAS A MAJOR
POINT OF INFORMATION DISSEMINATION TO THOUSANDS DAILY
VIA POSTERS CHANGED EVERY FEW HOURS -- HAS NOT SEEN
ANY ACTIVITY.


7. AMERICAN TEACHERS IN DALIAN REPORTED THAT THERE
HAS NOT BEEN A DEMONSTRATION THERE SINCE MONDAY (MAY
29). THE CHIEF ISSUE AT DALIAN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
IS WHETHER SCHOOL WILL BE EXTENDED INTO AUGUST TO MAKE
UP FOR THE TIME LOST DUE TO THE STUDENT MARCHES. IN
HARBIN (HEILONGJIANG),STUDENTS ARE SLOWLY RETURNING
TO CLASS. ATTEMPTS BY STUDENT LEADERS THERE TO CONTINUE
CLASS BOYCOTTS HAVE NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL.


8. COMMENT: NORTHEAST STUDENTS -- WITH THE POSSIBLE
EXCEPTION OF NEUT -- SEEM TO BE MARKING TIME, WAITING
FOR A CUE FROM BEIJING STUDENTS. FAILING THAT, SOME
LOOK FORWARD TO THE MEETING OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE
OF THE PEOPLE'S CONGRESS SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 20TH.
THE LIAONING UNIVERSITY STUDENT COMMITTEE, HOWEVER,
HAS TOLD ITS STUDENTS TO RETURN TO CLASS IN PREPARATION
FOR "THE NEXT STRUGGLE" AND FOR THE MEAN TIME TO
ANALYZE WHAT WORKED AND WHAT DIDN'T. END COMMENT.


HARRIS