BEIJIN 09637 010608Z
P R 300745Z SEP 80
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7347
TAGS: PINT, CH
SUBJECT: COURTING THE MINORITIES
1. C - ENTIRE TEXT.
2. SUMMARY: OVER THE PAST MONTH BEIJING'S
EFFORTS TO WIN THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF ITS NATIONAL MINORITIES HAS INCREASED,
AMID INDICATIONS THAT CONDITIONS REMAIN UNSETTLED IN
SOME AUTONOMOUS REGIONS. NATIONAL SECURITY IS ALMOST CERTAINLY AN
IMPORTANT FACTOR IN CHINA'S INITIATIVES TOWARD ITS MINORITIES. END SUMMARY.
3. BEIJING IS FLUSH WITH MINORITY AFFAIRS AS IT REDOUBLES
EFFORTS TO WIN THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF THOSE ALONG ITS DISTAN BORDERS. IN AN
UNPRECEDENTED GESTURE, CHINA RECENTLY OPENED A MASSIVE
CULTURAL FESTIVAL IN BEIJING FEATURING TROUPES REPRESENTATIVE OF ALL THE COUNTRY'S
NATIONALITIES. THE MONTH-LONG EVENT COMES ON THE HEELS OF A PLENARY
SESSION OF THE NPC'S MINORITY AFFAIRS COMMISSION. THIS BODY ADOPTED A NUMBER OF
MEASURES DESIGNED TO IMPROVE ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS IN THE
BORDERLAND. IN THE KEYNOTE SPEECH TO THE PLENARY SESSION, A RANKING OFFICIAL OF THE COMMISSION CALLED FOR GREATER
MINORITY REPRESENTATION IN TOP POSTS IN THE AUTONOMOUS REGIONS. HE ALSO
INDICATED THAT MINORITY REGIONS WILL HAVE GREATER LEEWAY THAN OTHER PARTS OF
CHINA IN CARRYING OUT ECONOMIC POLICY. AT THE NPC ITSELF, THE LEADERSHIP
AVAILED ITSELF OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW ITS CONCERN FOR MINORITY DELEGATES' VIEWS,
AND TO UNDERSCORE THE PRINCIPLE OF AUTONOMY. PERHAPS THE MOST VISIBLE GESTURE
IN THIS REGARD WAS THE APPOINTMENT OF NATIONALITY AFFAIRS
COMMISSION CHIEF WANG JINGREN TO THE RANKS OF THE VICE PREMIERS.
4. THIS FLURRY OF ACTIVITY CONTINUES AN EMPHASIS ON BETTERING
THE LOT OF CHINA'S MINORITIES WHICH BEGAN LAST SPRING WHEN SECRETARY GENERAL HU
YAOBANG AND VICE PREMIER WAN LI MADE A HIGLY PUBLCIZED TRIP TO TIBET. THERE ARE
SEVERAL APPARENT REASONS FOR BEIJING'S NEW CONCERN FOR THE MINORITIES. IN A
GENERAL SENSE, THE REFORMS ARE IN KEEPING WITH THE PRAGMATIC, MODERATE APPROACH
TAKEN BY THE DENGIST LEADERSHIP IN OTHER POLICY AREAS. THE CHINESE MAY ALSO
HOPE THAT BE EASING UP IN THE AUTONOMOUS AREAS, SOME ELEMENTS IN TAIWAN WILL BE
ENCOURAGED TO CONSIDER CONTACTS WITH THE PRC.
5. MORE SPECIFICALLY, THE LEADERSHIP SEEMS TO BE REACTING
TO RUMBLINGS OF UNREST AND THE POSSIBLITY THE SOVIETS COULD EXPLOIT MINORITY
GRIEVANCES. SPORADIC DISTURBANCES HAVE BEEN AN ENDEMIC PART OF LIFE IN THESE AREAS
OVER THE YEARS, BUT A RANKING OFFICIAL IN THE NATIONALITIES
AFFAIRS COMMISSION, DURING A CALL AT HIS OFFICE, TOLD US THAT IN THE YEARS
FOLLOWING THE FALL OF THE GANG OF FOUR, SOCIAL UNREST IN THE AUTONOMOUS REGIONS
HAS WORSENED. HE WENT ON TO SAY THAT IN TIBET THE
PLA IN THE PAST OFTEN DEALT ROUGHLY WITH THE LOCAL POPULACE. WE HAVE
HEARD THAT THE AUTHORITES IN LHASA UNSUCCESSFULLY
ATTEMPTED TO PERSUADE BEIJING TO CANCEL A RECENT VISIT TO TIBET BY WESTERN
JOURNALISTS FROM HONG KONG. A MARK OF BEIJING'S CONCERN LIES IN ITS
EFFORTS OVER THE PAST YEAR TO WOO THE DALAI LAMA AND HIS FOLLOWERS BACK TO
TIBET. A MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OFFICIALS RECENTLY
TOLD AN EMBASSY OFFICER THAT LONG TIME FIRST PARTY SECRETARY REN RONG WAS
REMOVED FROM HIS POSITION LAST SPRING BECAUSE HE WAS TOO CLOSELY IDENTIFIED IN
THE LOCAL POPULACE'S EYE WITH A RIGID POLICY TOWARD THE MINORITES.
RECENT VISITORS TO TIBET GENERALLY RECOUNT SIMILAR STORIES ABOUT THE
INSENSITIVITY OF HAN CADRE TOWARD THE TIBETANS.
6. XINJIANG IS ANOTHER AUTONOMOUS REGION THAT LATELY HAS
BEEN PARTICULARLY TROUBLESOME FOR BEIJING. OUR CONTACT
AT THE NATIONALITIES AFFAIRS COMMISSION CANDIDLY ADMITTED THAT SOME URBAN AREAS
WERE SERIOUSLY UNSETTLED. HE ATTRIBUTED THESE CONDITIONS TO HIGH UNEMPLOYEMENT AMONG
URBAN YOUTH AND "BAD ELEMENTS."
7. DEVELOPMENTS IN AFGHANISTAN AND INDOCHINA OVER THE PAST
YEAR AND THE UNCERTAIN FUTURE OF SINO-INDIAN RELATIONS ALL MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED
TO A SENSE OF URGENCY ABOUT LOYALTIES ALONG THE BORDERS. A STAFFER AT THE MFA'S
INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES TOLD US RECENTLY THAT NATIONAL SECURITY
CONSIDERATIONS ARE CENTRAL TO AN UNDERSTANDING OF CHINA'S CURRENT EFFORTS TO
REFORM ITS NATIONALITIES POLICIES.
ROY
出处：美国国务院电报
没有评论:
发表评论