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PP RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHCN #0219/01 2250552
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P R 130552Z AUG 07
FM AMCONSUL CHENGDU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2588
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 3145

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CHENGDU 000219 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/CM, G, DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  8/13/2032 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM CH
SUBJECT: TENSIONS SPREADING FROM TIBETAN TOWN OF LITANG?; ANOTHER 
CLASH ON THE PLATEAU 
 
REF: A) CHENGDU 210     B) CHENGDU 206     C) CHENGDU 195 
 
CHENGDU 00000219  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: James A. Boughner, Consul General, U.S. Consulate 
General, Chengdu. 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
 
 
¶1. (C) Summary:  Although local officials may be keen for it not 
to affect the tourist trade, tensions remain high in the town of 
Litang in the west of China's Sichuan Province following the 
arrest of Runggye Adak, a Tibetan nomad who publicly called for 
the return of the Dalai Lama.  Roadblocks are in place and a 
curfew imposed following rioting that may have resulted in the 
torching of a police station.  It is also possible the incident 
is rippling out into other Tibetan areas of western Sichuan 
where pictures of the Dalai Lama and Gendun Choekyi Nyima -- the 
Panchen Lama designated by the Dalai Lama -- are being displayed 
openly.  Meanwhile in southern Qinghai Province, People's Armed 
Police (PAP) forces were called out on August 7 to put an end to 
a violent clash that broke out between ethnic Tibetan and Muslim 
Hui Chinese.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (C) A foreign national contact, who just returned to Chengdu 
after spending approximately one month in ethnic Tibetan areas 
of western Sichuan, told CG August 10 that local security 
officials have apparently still not fully brought under control 
demonstrations sparked by the arrest of a Tibetan nomad who 
publicly called for the return of the Dalai Lama during August 1 
opening ceremonies of a traditional horse racing festival in the 
town of Litang (refs a and b).  According to the contact, the 
"sincerity and courage" displayed by the relatively elderly man, 
Runggye Adak, resonated immediately with festival attendees that 
included many young Khampa -- ethnic Tibetans from the area of 
Kham historically known for producing fierce nomadic warriors -- 
who had traveled to Litang for the racing.  Our contact noted it 
is unclear which specific clan Runggye Adak is from.  What is 
clear, however, is that his actions and subsequent arrest has 
galvanized Khampa regardless of clan. 
 
¶3. (C) Although not aware of any deaths or arrests of 
individuals other than Runggye Adak, our contact said several 
days of rioting ensued following Runggye Adak's detention.  Our 
contact had heard that the police station in Litang to which 
Runggye Adak had been taken may have been overrun and set on 
fire by an angry local crowd of over 500 people.  At that point, 
however, Runggye Adak had already been moved to a prison 
approximately two hours west of the  prefecture capital of 
Kangding where he currently remains.  Some shops in Litang were 
also attacked. 
 
¶4. (C) People's Armed Police (PAP), according to our contact, 
are deployed in force throughout Litang and have established 
four roadblocks to try to control access to the town.  PAP 
continue for some reason, however, to allow tourist buses in and 
out of the area.  Our contact speculated that local officials 
may not want to cut off lucrative tourist revenue during what is 
the peak season.  While a nighttime curfew in Litang remains in 
effect, the presence of tourists, both Han Chinese and 
foreigners, may also be serving to restrain to a certain extent 
imposition of strict security measures. 
 
¶5. (C) Our contact observed that government officials may be 
trying to avoid an overly strong response in Litang that could 
lead to unrest spreading to other areas.  The contact indicated 
that pictures of the Dalai Lama and Gendun Choekyi Nyima are now 
being displayed openly in western Sichuan.  Before his arrest, 
Runggye Adak had also called for the Chinese Government to 
recognize Gendun Choekyi Nyima as the true Panchen Lama and 
release him from house arrest. 
 
---------------------------------- 
Meanwhile in Qinghai... 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (C)  Other Congen contacts confirmed a violent incident 
occurred August 7 between ethnic Tibetan and Muslim Hui Chinese 
in Maqin (Tb: Machen) County of the Guoluo (Golog) Tibetan 
Autonomous Prefecture of Qinghai Province.  Local Tibetans 
reportedly attacked and beat Hui in the county and destroyed a 
number of Hui-owned shops and restaurants following a dispute 
over sanitary conditions at a Hui restaurant.  (Note: our 
contacts could not confirm a Radio Free Asia report that a local 
mosque had also been destroyed.  End note).  When PAP forces 
intervened, the Tibetans turned their anger on the PAP.  A 
number of Tibetans and at least seven Chinese police officers 
were injured in the ensuing melee.  PAP remain on high alert and 
are out in force in Maqin.  Separately in Qinghai, according to 
a reliable contact, a number of monks were recently arrested in 
(Gande) nearby Gapde County, possibly for involvement in the 
 
CHENGDU 00000219  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
above incident. 
 
---------------- 
Comments 
---------------- 
 
¶7. (C) If it appears that tensions from Litang might spread to 
other Tibetan areas, Post assumes a more vigorous response from 
local security officials would not be far away.  Tibetan/Hui 
clashes reflect competition over economic resources rather than 
religious differences.  More Muslim Hui are pushing into 
traditionally Tibetan areas to take advantage of construction 
and service sector jobs and Hui are viewed somewhat as "carpet 
baggers" by the Tibetans.  Desertification in Ningxia, Gansu, 
and Xinjiang is also reportedly causing more Hui to move onto 
the Plateau, as is the rising price of caterpillar fungus "chong 
cao," valued as a medicinal herb.  The latest export price this 
week for good quality "chong cao" is RMB 280,000 a kilo (or over 
USD 35,000). 
BOUGHNER