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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 003724 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/04/2032 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV SOCI KCUL CH
SUBJECT: DISSIDENTS HOLD VIRTUAL RALLY AS TIGHT SECURITY 
MARKS 18TH ANNIVERSARY OF TIANANMEN 
 
 
Classified By: Political Section Internal Unit Chief 
Susan A. Thornton.  Reasons 1.4 (b/d). 
 
 Summary 
------- 
 
¶1.  (C) The eighteenth anniversary of the June 4, 1989 
crackdown in Tiananmen Square passed without incident 
in Beijing.  Security presence in the Square was more 
visible and aggressive than last year, but in a break 
from past precedent, only a handful of activists were 
detained in advance of the anniversary and some were 
allowed to conduct personal remembrances on the 
Square.  Dissidents held a "virtual rally" on June 3, 
involving about 500 participants, 90 percent of whom 
were inside China.  Another virtual rally is planned 
for June 4, 8:00 p.m. Beijing time.  End Summary. 
 
Aggressive Security in the Square... 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶2.  (C) During a visit to the Square on the morning of 
June 4, Poloff saw no protest activity but did witness 
the temporary detention of a Xinhua photographer, who 
was escorted from the Square, and aggressive policing 
in and around the Square.  In addition to the usual 
sharp increase in security personnel, including a 
busload of riot police, a number of Security Bureau 
vans and squad cars circulated among the crowd of 
tourists continuously and security personnel searched 
the bags of all people entering the Square.  The 
Xinhua photographer told Poloff after the incident, 
that he had been allowed to take pictures, but then 
was asked to verify his credentials.  He said security 
officials were "afraid" of photos that might 
"embarrass China" but that nothing had happened that 
morning on the Square. 
 
¶3.  (C) There was no discernible security presence or 
June 4 activity at the family courtyard of former 
Party chief Zhao Ziyang, who spent the rest of his 
life in house arrest after supporting the students in 
¶1989.  Zhao's death two years ago sparked renewed 
calls for a reassessment of June 4.  Beijing's most 
prestigious university campuses, Qinghua University 
and Beijing University, were also quiet.  Students 
with whom Poloff talked expressed no interest in the 
anniversary, uniformly noting that the events happened 
so long ago, it made no impression on them.  However, 
several students said there would be an online student 
discussion on the events of 1989 at a popular Beijing 
University bulletin board.  When Poloff attempted to 
access the bulletin board, it was blocked.  There was 
no commentary on the anniversary in Mainland media and 
no comments were apparent on Mainland chatrooms 
monitored by Emboffs. 
 
...But Restrictions on Activists More Relaxed 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (C) Rights activist Hu Jia told Poloff June 4 that 
he was placed under house arrest on May 25 immediately 
upon returning to Beijing from Fujian Province, where 
he and his wife, fellow activist, Zeng Jinyan attended 
Zeng,s grandfather,s funeral.  Zeng told Poloff that 
she has been permitted to leave her home since 
returning to Beijing on June 2, but is followed 
closely wherever she goes.  Democracy activist Liu 
Anjun has been under house arrest since June 2 but is 
able to access the Internet and take phone calls. 
Tiananmen activist Qi Zhiyong, who lost his legs when 
soldiers fired on demonstrators in 1989, was taken 
from his home to an undisclosed location on June 1, 
where he is being held incommunicado, according to Liu 
and Hu.  The restrictions on Qi, Hu Jia said, are 
tight to prevent him from communicating with other 
activists or reporters who, he said, would certainly 
seek him out. 
 
¶5.  (C) Despite this crackdown on a few activists, 
according to Hu, measures imposed on activists by the 
Party this year are less stringent, constituting "a 
break from the trend of the previous 17 years." 
First, many activists can access Internet and 
telephone, which they could not do in previous years. 
Second, some who were placed under house arrest in 
previous years have been permitted to leave their 
homes.  Tiananmen Mothers Ding Zilin and Zhang 
Xianling were permitted to attend remembrances for 
their children on June 3 and June 4. (Note: Western 
media quoted Hu Jia as stating that Zhang Xianling was 
 
BEIJING 00003724  002 OF 002 
 
 
subsequently placed under house arrest.  End note.) 
Lawyer Pu Zhiqiang was permitted on the Square on June 
3 for an interview with VOA.  Pu was not permitted to 
enter the Square last year, when he sent out a text 
message encouraging activists to gather. Finally, 
Reuters reported on June 4 that it was not prevented 
from interviewing Bao Tong, a top aide of Zhao's who 
is generally kept under house arrest. 
 
Virtual Rally Called First Open Discussion of June 4 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶6.  (C) In addition, on June 3 Hu Jia and Liu Anjun 
participated in what they termed a "large scale 
Internet-based meeting" to commemorate Tiananmen and 
discuss Tiananmen-related issues.  The meeting began 
at about noon on June 3 and lasted for 5-6 hours.  Hu 
said that this was the first "open" discussion of its 
kind in the 18 years since Tiananmen occurred, 
involving about 500 persons both inside and outside 
China.  Ninety percent of participants, Liu estimated, 
were inside China.  Hu said the discussion had been 
initiated on the suggestion of Wang Dan, a student 
leader in the Square on 1989 who now lives abroad.  Hu 
Jia said that the large number of in-country 
participants signified that "more people are willing 
to stand up on the Tiananmen issue," particularly in 
the wake of pro-Beijing Hong Kong politician Ma Lik's 
statement last month denying that a massacre took 
place.  Liu Anjun said the meeting was not intended to 
be secret.  In fact, participants prepared for the 
possibility of interference to by pre-arranging 
several Skype "meeting rooms."  Liu said authorities 
shut down the Skype "meeting room" where the meeting 
was taking place after about 2 hours.  At that point, 
all the participants "migrated" to another room. 
Poloffs will monitor a second meeting scheduled for 
June 4 at 8 p.m. 
PICCUTA