VZCZCXRO7052
OO RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #3065/01 2220732
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O 090732Z AUG 08
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9070
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK IMMEDIATE 6261
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S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 06 BEIJING 003065 
 
NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT, FOR, DS/IP/EAP, DS/DSS/DO, DS/TIA/OSAC, DS/P/MECU, 
DS/TIA/ITA, DS/DO/P, DS/ICI/CI, DS/T/ATA, DS/TIA, 
DS/TIA/PII, DS/CC, EAP/CM, S/CT, CA/OCS/ACS/EAP, PASS TO 
TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION (TSA) OPERATIONS 
CENTER, HONG KONG FOR RSO AND LEGAT AND USSS, SHANGHAI FO 
RSO, SHENYANG FOR RSO,CHENGDU FOR RSO, GUANGZHOU FOR RSO, 
USSS HQS FOR INV, OPO, HNL 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/09/2038 
TAGS: ASEC CASCCH CMGT ECON KOLY OVIP PREL PTER
SUBJECT: BEIJING 2008 SUMMER OLYMPICS: USG SITUATION REPORT 
9, 08/09/2008 
 
REF: A. BEIJING 3035 
     ¶B. BEIJING 3049 
     ¶C. BEIJING 3060 
 
Classified By: DCM Dan Piccuta for reason 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
¶1. (SBU) The following cable provides information on 
security, public diplomacy, political, and consular 
activities related to the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic Games 
as of 08/09/2008. 
 
¶2. (U) The interagency USG Joint Operations Center (JOC) can 
be contacted on a 24-hour basis at the following numbers: 
 
- JOC Direct Line: 011-86-010-6532-6966. 
- U.S. Embassy Beijing: 011-86-010-6532-3431, JOC extension 
¶6200. 
- JOC fax: 011-86-010-6532-4763. 
- STE and fax: 011-86-010-6532-5163. 
 
KEY ISSUES 
---------- 
¶3.  (SBU)  The Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic Games kicked off 
at 8:08 p.m. on 08/08/2008 with a successful Opening 
Ceremony.  Over 90,000 spectators at the National "Bird's 
Nest" Stadium witnessed an event that featured thousands of 
drummers, floating Olympic rings, and acrobats who seemed to 
defy gravity, as well as highlights of China's history and 
culture.  A U.S. Embassy officer and USG Diplomatic Security 
Field Liaison Officers (FLO) present in the stadium confirmed 
the existence of concentric rings of robust Olympic security 
measures, including multiple ticket checks, the use of facial 
recognition technology, and bag and body searches with 
handheld magnetometers.  Despite the large crowd, the 
security measures were not time-consuming and the Embassy 
officer reported that it took only 14 minutes to move from 
the parking area through the security checkpoints. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  The U.S. Embassy's American Citizen's Services 
(ACS) was notified at approximately 1300 hours on 08/09/2008 
about the stabbing of three Americans at the Drum and Bell 
Tower in the Dongcheng District of Beijing.  One of the 
victims has died of their injuries while the other two have 
been taken to Peking Union Hospital.  According to the U.S. 
Olympic Committee (USOC), the victims are the father-in-law, 
mother-in-law, and wife of an assistant coach of the U.S. 
Men's volleyball team.  Preliminary information suggests that 
the incident was a murder-suicide; however, specific details 
regarding the incident, including the motive of the attacker, 
are unknown at this time.  U.S. Embassy officers, including 
medical staff, have been dispatched to the scene and to the 
hospital to assist the family. 
 
SECURITY ISSUES 
--------------- 
¶5.  (U) Incidents:  Suspicious Package in Hong Kong: 
According to Hong Kong's South China Morning Post, Hong Kong 
police cordoned off part of the Causeway Bay station--one of 
the city,s busiest train stations--on 08/08/2008 after a 
suspicious package was discovered there.  The Regional 
Security Officer (RSO) in Hong Kong advised that officers of 
the Hong Kong Explosive Ordnance Disposal Bureau evacuated 
the area and detonated the object; they later confirmed that 
it was a hoax bomb made from three wires taped to a signal 
flare.  Police have stated that the incident was not 
connected to the Olympics or to terrorism and a spokesperson 
for the railway station indicated that there were no injuries 
or damage to the station during the incident.  Causeway Bay 
is a large shopping district located next to Victoria Park, 
which contains a large screen television where the public 
could watch the Olympics Opening Ceremony. 
 
¶6.  (U)  Air China Bomb Threat:  According to the Hong Kong 
AFP, an Air China passenger plane en route to China on 
08/08/2008 was forced to return to Japan after the airline's 
Tokyo office received an e-mail from an unidentified 
individual threatening to crash Air China flights into 
Olympic sites.  Xinhua, China,s official state media, 
subsequently reported that five Air China flights that had 
been delayed at Japanese airports were allowed to depart 
after police searched the aircraft and found no explosives. 
Air China ordered other flights from Japan not to take off 
until their security could be ensured. 
 
¶7.  (S) Threats:  Bomb Threat Near Beijing:  According to 
tearline information, "Olympics security forces in Beijing 
were aware of a possible bomb threat on 08/08/2008.  The 
threatened attack was to take place within three miles of 
Beijing, and may have been planned by Tibetan separatists." 
For additional information, please refer to the 1700 Threat 
Integration Center (TIC) Olympics situation report dated 
08/08/2008, which is available via the National 
Counterterrorism Center,s NCTC Online site. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Olympic Protests:  Pro-Tibetan Demonstrators 
Detained: Three American members of the pro-Tibet group 
Students for a Free Tibet (SFT) were detained the evening of 
08/08/2008 and deported on 08/09/2008 for attempting to 
unfurl Tibetan flags near the National Stadium (the Bird's 
Nest) shortly before the start of the Opening Ceremony. 
Following the incident, SFT posted a press release, 
photographs of the protest and bios of the three protesters 
on its website (http://freetibet2008.org).  At approximately 
2140 hours the same night, a representative of SFT called ACS 
to report the detentions and to provide information on the 
protesters.  The caller had previously informed ACS about two 
Americans who unfurled "Free Tibet" banners on a light pole 
near the Bird's Nest on 08/06/2008.  (Note: The above three, 
as well as the two Americans deported for hanging "Free 
Tibet" banners and the American of Tibetan descent who was 
turned around at Beijing Capital International Airport on 
08/07/2008, are all affiliated with Students for a Free 
Tibet.  End Note). 
 
¶9.  (U)  Protest at Corporate Event:  According to 
information available to Overseas Security Advisory Council 
(OSAC) representatives in the JOC, on 08/08/2008 
demonstrators unfurled a banner at a U.S. Olympics corporate 
sponsor event in Beijing's Chaoyang Park.  According to an 
eyewitness, three men and one woman of possibly Nepalese, 
Northern Indian or Western Chinese ethnicity attempted to 
display two banners in English, Chinese and several other 
languages.  When asked by event security to desist, the 
protesters asked to stay but ultimately departed the area. 
Public Security Bureau (PSB) officers briefly spoke with the 
protesters and allowed them to leave without detaining them. 
 
¶10.  (SBU)  Olympic Protest Zones:  U.S. Embassy officers 
conducting routine observations of Beijing's designated 
protest zones have noted no significant activity in those 
areas.  As previously reported, it is unclear how many, if 
any, applications for protest have been approved by Chinese 
officials. 
 
¶11.  (U)  Protests in Hong Kong:  A number of protests 
occurred in Hong Kong on 08/08/2008 in advance of the 
Olympics Equestrian Events Opening Ceremony.   According to 
the South China Morning Post (SCMP), political activist Matt 
Pearce scaled Hong Kong,s Tsing Ma Bridge and hung two 
banners calling for freedom, democracy, and human rights in 
China.  Pearce, who is reportedly known to dress up as 
Spiderman and other characters when conducting protests, was 
subdued by firefighters and detained for questioning.  Later 
in the afternoon, a group of Chinese dissidents conducted a 
"Citizen's Walk," holding pro-democracy banners and shouting 
slogans for freedom.  Additional demonstrations are 
reportedly expected on 08/09/2008, when members of the "Hong 
Kong Alliance in Support of Democratic Movements in China" 
will protest near the Sha Tin Olympic venue to draw attention 
to China's human rights record.    Separately, SCMP reported 
that unidentified Chinese dissidents plan to "test 
immigration control at the Lo Wu border during the Olympics." 
 
 
¶12.  (SBU) Worldwide Protests: According to information 
available to Diplomatic Security, there was a significant 
uptick in China-related protests in the U.S., coinciding with 
the 08/08/2008 Opening Ceremony.  In San Francisco, Buddhist 
monks carrying Tibetan flags led several hundred protesters 
on a march across the Golden Gate Bridge.  In New York City, 
approximately 750 members of the Tibetan community gathered 
in front of the Chinese Mission to the UN and the Chinese 
Consulate.  In Chicago, approximately 350 Tibetan 
demonstrators marched to the Chinese Consulate to protest the 
treatment of Tibetans in China.  In Washington, DC, a small 
crowd demonstrated in front of the new Chinese Embassy. 
Protests also occurred elsewhere around the globe.  In 
Turkey, a member of China's Uighur minority set himself on 
fire in front of the Chinese Embassy in Ankara.  In New 
Delhi, nearly 3,000 Tibetans shouted anti-China slogans 
during a protest near India's parliament and in Nepal, 
larger-than usual crowds gathered in front of the Chinese 
Embassy in Kathmandu on 08/07/2008 and 08/08/2008 to protest 
for religious freedom in Tibet.  (Please see Kathmandu 891, 
dated 08/08/2008, for additional information on the Kathmandu 
protests.) 
 
 
SECURITY OPERATIONS 
------------------- 
¶13.  (SBU)  FLOs Present During Opening Ceremony:  USG 
Diplomatic Security FLOs provided situational awareness 
reporting from the National Bird's Nest Stadium throughout 
the Olympics Opening Ceremony on 08/08/2008.  The FLOs were 
originally assigned to accompany the U.S. Olympic team during 
the Ceremony but were forced to attend the event as 
spectators after Chinese officials earlier in the week denied 
their request for venue access (ref. b).  The FLOs were 
seated in proximity to the field and one level below the VIP 
section; four additional FLOs were strategically stationed on 
the Olympic Green to provide support in case of an incident. 
They observed that the security within the stadium was 
adequate to the event, given the size of the crowd and the 
atmosphere. 
 
¶14.  (SBU)  USG Olympic Personnel in IPC:  The Deputy Olympic 
Security Coordinator (DOSC) for Diplomatic Security and the 
Federal Bureau of Investigations' (FBI) Olympic Coordinator 
were located in the Chinese International Police Center (IPC) 
during the Opening Ceremonies.  The DOSC monitored the event 
with police counterparts from a number of nations, including 
Great Britain and New Zealand.  The IPC was set up by Chinese 
authorities to facilitate the sharing of law enforcement 
information between countries with Olympic equities. 
 
¶15.  (SBU)  Accreditations Received:  On 08/09/2008, the 
Olympic Security Coordinator (OSC) received the four 
remaining accreditations for Qingdao FLOs; the credentials 
were originally delayed by processing issues (ref. a).  All 
other FLOs received their credentials on 08/04/2008 and have 
been deployed to the Olympic venues.  A field test of FLO 
radios will be conducted on 08/09/2008. 
 
¶16.  (S/NF)  Increased Security for Opening Ceremony:  On 
08/08/2008, the U.S. Defense Attache Office (DAO) in Beijing 
observed three times as many security personnel in Tiananmen 
Square and on the Olympic Green for the Opening Ceremony as 
had been stationed in these locations during ceremony 
rehearsals.  The increased numbers included the presence of 
Beijing police and People,s Liberation Army (PLA) units. 
The use of People,s Armed Police (PAP) cadets and PLA forces 
at outer perimeter points at the Olympic Green indicate that 
more experienced units were potentially relocated to 
Tiananmen Square for crowd control.  Despite the security 
presence at the Olympic Green, some lapses did occur; at the 
start of the Opening Ceremony, DAO personnel reported that 
security forces partially lost control of over 100 Chinese 
civilians who ran up the Fourth Ring Road exit to gain access 
to the road running up the west side of the Olympic Green. 
(Please see IIR 6 814 1772 08, dated August 8, for additional 
details.) 
 
¶17.  (C/NF)  Hong Kong CBRN Response in Place:  As of 
08/01/2008, a Chemical Biological Radiation Nuclear (CBRN) 
Response Group had been set up in Hong Kong, headed by the 
Hong Kong Discipline Services (HKDS).  Within the HKDS, the 
Hong Kong Explosive Ordnance Division is the first responder 
that assesses and reacts to any potential or actual CBRN 
threat.  There are also large-scale decontamination sites 
erected at two main Olympic venues, Sha Tin and Beas River. 
The two sites are in addition to the one in the Sheraton 
Hotel where many athletes will be housed.  The equipment will 
remain on standby throughout the Olympics.  (Please see IIR 6 
842 0461 08, dated August 8, for additional details.) 
 
 
VIPS 
---- 
¶18.  (SBU)  USG Delegation:  The USG Delegation to the 
Olympics Opening Ceremony, headed by the President of the 
United States, attended the Olympics opening event without 
incident on 08/08/2008.  The Delegation is scheduled to 
depart Beijing on 08/11/2008. 
 
¶19.  (SBU)  Other U.S. VIPs:  Former Massachusetts Governor 
Mitt Romney arrived in Beijing and attended the Opening 
Ceremony on 08/08/2008.  Prior to his departure from the 
United States, Romney made public comments criticizing 
China's decision to revoke the visa of former Olympic speed 
skater Joey Cheek. 
 
 
PUBLIC AFFAIRS/PUBLIC DIPLOMACY 
------------------------------- 
 
¶20.  (U) There was no significant information or activity to 
report. 
 
 
CONSULAR AFFAIRS 
---------------- 
¶21.  (U)  Please refer to paragraph 4 for information on 
recent Consular actions. 
 
 
POLITICAL AFFAIRS 
----------------- 
¶22.  (SBU) Xinjiang Bombing Report Appears to be Inaccurate: 
On 08/08/2008, Al-Jazeera reported a bombing had killed nine 
people in Yili, Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region.  U.S. 
Embassy officers reviewed both local and foreign press for 
additional information on the alleged incident, with negative 
results.  A U.S. Embassy political officer spoke with an 
officer at the Yili Public Security Bureau, who stated that 
she could "definitively guarantee" that there were "no such 
incidents in Yili." 
RANDT