TNAG-1624-FCO40-2238-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-China-1987 — Page 232

CONFIDENTIAL

183

006760

MDHIAN 0402

CONFIDENTIAL

FM PEKING

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 1725

OF 080901Z OCTOBER 1987

INFO IMMEDIATE NEW DELHI, WASHINGTON, KATHMANDU, HONG KONG INFO SAVING SHANGHAI

MY TELNO 1679 AND WASHINGTON TELNO 2116: TIBET

SUMMARY

1. BY DINT OF SENDING IN LARGE NUMBERS OF TROOPS AND ARMED POLICE THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES SEEM FOR THE MOMENT TO HAVE CONTAINED THE DISTURBANCES, ALTHOUGH A FURTHER MINOR DEMONSTRATION OCCURRED CAND WAS SWIFTLY DEALT WITH) ON 6 OCTOBER. ALL INFORMATION REACHING THE EMBASSY SUGGESTS THAT THE SITUATION REMAINS TENSE.

DETAIL

2. THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES TOOK EVERY PRECAUTION TO PREVENT A RECURRENT OF THE 1 OCTOBER RIOTS ON 7 OCTOBER, THE THIRTY-SEVENTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ''PEACEFUL LIBERATION'' OF TIBET. ACCORDING TO LOCAL FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS, LARGE NUMBERS OF SOLIDERS AND ARMED POLICE WERE MOVED INTO LHASA AND MAIN MONASTERIES OF SERA, DREPUNG AND GANDEN WERE SEALED OFF. ARMED TROOPS AND LORRIES MOUNTED WITH MACHINE GUNS ARE STILL PATROLLING THE STREETS OF LHASA AND A CURFEW

IS IN FORCE.

3.

AGAIN ACCORDING TO LOCAL CORRESPONDENTS, THESE PRECAUTIONS DID NOT PREVENT A FURTHER DEMONSTRATION ON 6 OCTOBER BY ABOUT 80 MONKS WHO INTENDED TO MARCH ON THE REGIONAL GOVERNMENT OFFICE TO PROTEST AT THE ARRESTS MADE ON 27 SEPTEMBER. ALL 80 WERE DETAINED BY THE AUTHORITIES BEFORE THEY REACHED THEIR DESTINATION. SO FAR THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPORTS OF ANY ACTIVITY ON 7 OCTOBER.

4. THE CHINESE HAVE TIGHTENED UP ACCESS TO TIBET. THE CHINESE EMBASSY IN KATHMANDU HAS STOPPED ISSUING VISAS FOR TOURISTS. THE LAND BORDER BETWEEN TIBET AND NEPAL HAS BEEN CLOSED. NO INDIVIDUAL FOREIGNERS, INCLUDING JOURNALISTS INTENDING TO VISIT TIBET, HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO TRAVEL FROM CHENGDU TO LHASA SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE WEEK, ALTHOUGH TOURIEST GROUPS ARE STILL GOING. WITHIN LHASA NOTICES HAVE BEEN POSTED AND READ OUT IN ENGLISH FORBIDDING FOREIGNERS TO WATCH OR PHOTOGRAPH DEMONSTRATIONS. ACCORDING TO REUTERS HERE, TWO FOREIGNERS WERE SEEN BEING DRIVEN

OFF IN MILITARY TRUCKS AT THE SAME TIME AS THE EIGHTY MONKS DETAINED

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CONFIDENTIAL