VZCZCXRO5354
RR RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHCN #0247/01 2830956
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 100956Z OCT 07
FM AMCONSUL CHENGDU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2631
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 3192

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CHENGDU 000247 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/CM, DRL, AND G 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  10/10/2032 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM CH
SUBJECT: CHINA RAMPS UP "PATRIOTIC EDUCATION" OF TIBETANS IN WESTERN 
SICHUAN 
 
REF: CHENGDU 231 AND PREVIOUS 
 
CHENGDU 00000247  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: James A. Boughner, Consul General, U.S. Consulate 
General, Chengdu. 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
 
 
¶1. (C) Summary:  Local contacts confirm Ganzi Prefecture 
government authorities in China's western Sichuan Province are 
making an all-out effort to implement a political cleanup of the 
majority Tibetan area in the wake of public disturbances that 
occurred during August.  "Patriotic education" sessions for 
government and religious officials end in the mandatory signing 
of anti-Dalai Lama statements.  Official press bulletins have 
been stridently anti-Dalai Lama -- and sometimes anti-U.S.-- in 
tone.  End Summary 
 
¶2. (C) It remains difficult to get precise information on what 
is happening in western Sichuan's Ganzi (Tib:  Kardze) 
Prefecture following tightened political and security controls 
implemented in response to the "August 1 Litang Incident" when a 
Tibetan nomad called for the return of the Dalai Lama at a major 
public gathering (ref).  Local contacts confirmed to us, 
however, that Liu Daoping, the prefecture's new Party Secretary, 
has implemented under strict instructions from both provincial 
and central government higher-ups a widespread program of 
"patriotic education" for ethnic Tibetan officials as well as 
Buddhist monks and nuns. 
 
¶3. (C) We have not been able to get a sample copy, but 
understand that local Tibetan political and religious figures 
are being required to attend long political meetings conducted 
by Party officials after which they are required to sign 
statements pledging their opposition to the "Dalai Clique." 
Such statements are always written in Chinese, resulting in the 
need for ad hoc and informal translations for those who cannot 
read Chinese.  Some individuals required to attend the 
"patriotic education" sessions complain of the significant 
amount of time they are "wasting" in political lectures. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Congen translations of September official reports from 
the "Ganzi Daily" are also indicative of the sharp ratcheting up 
of anti-Dalai Lama rhetoric and sometimes include either 
explicit or veiled attacks on the United States.  A sampling of 
such reports follows: 
 
-- 9/28 editorial entitled "The Reason the International 
Anti-China Forces have decided on the `Dalai Clique:'" ~First of 
all, there is a natural connection between the "Dalai Clique" 
and imperialism.  Most members of the "Dalai Clique" are very 
hostile to the Socialist System; they are rebels against the 
people and betrayed their own country.  Therefore, the members 
of the "Dalai Clique" have survived with the support of the 
international anti-China forces.  Second, the Dalai (Lama) is 
able to influence religious believers in the TAR and other 
Tibetan areas through radio and TV in order to reach his 
political goal of splitting China.  Third, the Dalai (Lama) was 
the head of the old feudal serf system in Tibet and he is now 
reviving his old dream.  Therefore, the international anti-China 
forces headed by America think that it is worthwhile to use the 
"Dalai Clique" to destroy China's sovereignty~.They also use the 
"Dalai Clique" to meddle in China's ethnic and religious 
policies and damage China's international image~ 
 
-- 9/28 news article:  On September 27, a 10-day training course 
for all township party secretaries in Ganzi Prefecture ended in 
Kangding.  Liu Daoping, the General Party Secretary of Ganzi 
Prefecture and other senior officials attended the closing 
ceremony.  According to China's official media reports, the 
training course greatly helped the rural party secretaries to 
understand the importance of the program "Enriching People and 
Stabilizing Kham,"  -- (Congen note: Kham is an eastern Tibetan 
region - including today's Ganzi-- inhabited by the 
traditionally fierce Khampa people.  End note) -- ; 
anti-separatism, patriotic education, and the leadership of the 
Chinese Communist Party.  It is reported that 59 district 
directors and 325 rural township party secretaries fully 
participated in the training course. 
 
-- 9/28 news article:  All schools in Litang County have been 
conducting a series of patriotic education since September. 
According to Lotse Ring, Litang County Education Bureau General 
Director, the goal of all these activities on patriotic 
education is to further strengthen political education among all 
teachers and let them understand the political sensitivities. 
 
-- 9/28 news article:  The Traffic Bureau of Ganzi Prefecture is 
conducting patriotic education, and all participants have been 
required to adhere to five principles.  It is reported that the 
 
CHENGDU 00000247  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
first principle is respecting history, for example, using 
historical facts to prove Taiwan, Tibet, and "Uygur," as well as 
Inner Mongolia have been inseparable parts of China since 
ancient times~The fourth principle is "all-people 
participation."  All people must participate in criticizing the 
"Dalai Clique"~ 
 
-- 9/20 news article:  On September 19, Sichuan Provincial 
United Front Work Department Deputy Director Zhou Jialin made a 
special report on anti-separatism and patriotic education in 
Ganzi Prefecture.  According to official media reports, Zhou 
said that the cadres are the key, the masses are the foundation, 
and monks and nuns are a major target in effectively fighting 
separatism. 
 
-- 9/17 editorial:  There is no way to improve peoples 
livelihood in the prefecture without criticizing the "Dalai 
Clique" and fighting separatism~There is no way to develop the 
economy and stabilize society in the prefecture without fighting 
the "Dalai Clique"~.There is no way to build a normal order for 
Tibetan Buddhism in the prefecture without fighting the "Dalai 
Clique." 
 
-- 9/13 news article:  On September 11, patriotic education for 
all cadres above sub-section level began in Litang County.  Liu 
Daoping, the General Party Secretary of Ganzi Prefecture 
attended the event and made a number of important speeches.  Liu 
said, "Litang County has always been an important strategic 
location for China, particularly southern Kham Tibetan 
areas~.This patriotic education must deeply criticize and expose 
the Dalai's reactionary nature that brings calamity to Tibetan 
people and religion~.The Dalai (Lama) is absolutely not the 
`spokesman' for Tibetans, he is just a loyal instrument of 
international anti-China forces and an ethnic separatist who 
just wears religious robes~  Liu said that patriotic education 
is not an indication of the government's distrust in the people 
or cadres of Litang County, but added that the government is not 
`making a mountain out of a molehill' and the activity is not a 
mere formality.  It is reported that important instructions from 
Du Qinglin, the General Party Secretary of Sichuan Province, and 
Jiang Jufeng, the Governor of Sichuan Province, were passed on 
to participants during the patriotic education. 
 
-- 9/05 news article: With instructions from Sichuan Party 
Secretary Du Qinglin and Governor Jiang Jufeng, Sichuan Deputy 
 
SIPDIS 
Party Li Chongxi noted~..The "August 1 Litang Incident" is not 
merely an issue of some reactionary leaflets and slogans, it is 
a splittist and destructive activity created by some separatists 
with a certain international background.  The "Incident" has 
provided a good opportunity for us to fight the "Dalai Clique" 
and separatists~.As to monastic management, there are a lot of 
religious believers, monasteries, `exit-people' and 
`returned-people' in Ganzi Prefecture.  The problems in monastic 
management are extremely complicated; the "Dalai Clique" and 
western hostile forces are attempting to infiltrate and control 
monastic affairs; monastic management is very weak and 
monasteries are developing without any plan. 
 
End text of Congen translations. 
BOUGHNER