CONFIDENTIAL
нив oid i
CONFIENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO ROUTINE FCO
TELNO 1744
OF 130209Z OCTOBER 1987
INFO ROUTINE WASHINGTON, NEW DELHI, KATHMANDU, HONG KONG.
INFO SAVING SHANGHAI
MY TELNO'S 1725, 1726 AND 1739:
RIOTS IN TIBET.
013363
MDLIAN 1205
193
SUMMARY:
1. THE SITUATION ON THE GROUND IS NOW QUIET. THE PANCHEN LAMA HAS
CHINA S POKEN PREDICTABLY IN CONDEMNATION OF THE DISTURBANCES. CONTINUES TO DENOUNCE INTERFERENCE IN ITS INTERNAL AFFAIRS BY THE US CONGRESS. BUT THIS IS UNLIKELY SERIOUSLY TO AFFECT SINO-US RELATIONS. IN TIB ET CHINESE RULE WILL BE FIRMER, BUT THERE WILL BE NO LARGE REVERSAL OF POLICY. THE PARTY CONGRESS WILL NOT BE GREATLY
AFFECTED.
DETAIL:
2. NO FURTHER DISTURBANCES HAVE BEEN REPORTED FROM TIB ET AS THE SECURITY FORCES HAVE MAINTAINED A TIGHT GRIP ON THE SITUATION IN LHASA AND ELSEWHERE.
3. THE FOREIGN JOURNALIST WHO WERE ORDERED TO LEAVE HAVE LHASA. ACCORDING TO REPORTS IN THE WESTERN PRESS THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES ARE NOW ONLY ALLOWING TOURIST GROUPS TO VISIT TIBET, ALTHOUGH OFFICIALS IN THE TIBET FOREIGN AFFARIS BUREAU HAVE DENIED THAT INDIVIDUAL TRAVELLERS HAVE BEEN FORMALLY BANNED FROM VISITING THE
REGION.
HE
4. ON 8 OCTOBER, THE PANCHEN LAMA, WHO HAD BEEN RATHER CONSPICUOUSLY SILENT, CAME OUT WITH HIS INEVITABLE DENUNCIATION OF THE RIOTS. SAID THAT ''IN ENGINEERING THE RIOTS, THE SPLITTIST CLI QUE ABROAD HAVE TWO SINISTER AIMS IN MIND: ONE IS TO ECHO AND AND CO-ORDINATE THEIR SPLITTIST ACTIVITIES ABROAD IN AN ATTEMPT TO SHOW THE WORLD THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE INSIDE CHINA SUPPORTING THEM: AND THE OTHER TO TEMPT THE PARTY AND GOVERNMENT TO AB ANDON THEIR POLICIES ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM AND REPEAT THEIR LEFTIST MISTAKES'' HE STRONGLY DENOUNCED THE ACTIVITIES OF THIS SPLITTIST CLIQUE WHICH HE SAID HAD THE SUPPORT OF IMPERIALIST REACTIONARY FACTIONS ABROAD. WHILE THE
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