Mobilizations in western Sichuan

I’ve just returned from my trip to western Sichuan province, an area with a heavy ethnic Tibetan population. The place is crawling with security, as one would expect.

But what I didn’t expect was the massive influx of paramilitary and military convoys on the main road from Sichuan toward Tibet. Each day earlier this week, we saw more than 100 military vehicles moving up the road. Nor did I expect such intense control in the cities and towns, with police cars racing up behind any vehicles stopped in the road and warning them through loudspeakers to keep moving along.

I was with a colleague from Time Magazine. We left the Sichuan capital of Chengdu Sunday morning and arrived six or seven hours later in Kangding.

Kangding is at about 8,500 feet in elevation, so it’s well into the mountains on the road to Tibet. Kangding now has walking patrols of helmeted anti-riot forces marching through the streets. The photo is of one we saw there. Notice not only the riot shields but also the automatic weapons slung over their backs.

On Monday, we left early and hit a snowstorm going over the first pass at an elevation of about 14,400 feet. It was there that we ran into the first major convoy of military vehicles. I have video of the convoys crawling through the snowy pass.

Many of the vehicles appeared to be People’s Liberation Army trucks. We heard various stories, including that they were doing a regular resupply run to Tibet. One person told us that the convoys run from March to November, when snows block the route, and that they were just getting restarted this year.

We arrived in Yajiang in the early afternoon. Police there were more aggressive, blocking all traffic from the center of the town. We found a new vehicle to take us on to our final destination of Litang. The driver was Tibetan, and two monks wanted to tag along. We said sure. As they ran a few errands, they began to get more and more agitated as police cruisers pulled up alongside and told the driver to keep moving, no stopping.

We finally got back on the road, only to be slowed down by new caravans of military vehicles and higher mountain passes, one reaching up to 15,400 feet or so.

Litang was deserted. Click here for the story I wrote about the situation there. Litang is a historic place, a center of Tibetan rebellion against Chinese Communist Party control. The big monastery there was literally bombed by PLA aircraft in 1956 to subdue one rebellion. The city of 50,000 or so is nearly all Tibetan.

The driver dropped us off at the edge of the city, saying no outside vehicles could enter. Surprisingly, we found no police checkpoint, though we were nervous about being spotted by police. We found a local vehicle willing to take us to a hotel.

The streets were deserted. The city was locked down. We hunkered in the hotel, talking to people in the reception. We learned that authorities had ordered all shops closed, all cars off the road, and for locals to stay in their houses. So far, there had been no major unrest in the city.

We were uneasy about getting detained and ordered out. After all, we were in contact with fellow correspondents who fanned out across Gansu and Qinghai provinces looking to cover the news, and virtually all of them had been stopped by police.

The next morning, with splitting headaches from the 13,100 foot altitude, we walked along the streets, snapping photos. For breakfast, we found a little hole-in-the-wall place serving beef noodle soup. In walks a group of three cops. Oops! We greet them jovially. They pay us no mind. Very curious. Two foreigners, obviously not backpackers, and they ignore us.

We walk on and head to the monastery (also have a great video from there but can’t post it yet). We speak with monks there, who were clearly tense about the situation.

As we left Litang Tuesday at noon, we see an extraordinary number of paramilitary vehicles from the People’s Armed Police, the internal security force of China. The PAP has a strength of more than one million men, and looks very military. Its troops wear olive green uniforms. The vehicles were camouflaged. What struck us is that the scores of vehicles we saw appeared to be prepared for a massive field maneuver against an insurgency or something.

We saw troop carriers, communications trucks, mobile ambulances, paddy wagons, cranes, and armored trucks that looked designed for riot control.

It hit us that these units were likely headed for the area around Litang.

As we headed back to Chengdu on Wednesday, another 150 or so PAP trucks and vehicles were chugging up the mountains. It is a massive mobilization.

While the trucks looked in good shape, we saw quite a few broken down by the side of the road. I found this interesting. China spends a lot on its military. But its Chinese-made trucks can’t avoid the quality problems that still affect many Chinese manufactures.

Update: I’ve had several other stories posted recently pertaining to the current crisis. I was in Nepal in February, and here is a link to an article about Tibetans who flee across the Himalayas, a three-minute video explaining the difficulties of the journey they undertake, and a sidebar about why they do it. Here’s another article on the frustrations of young Tibetan exiles overseas, some of whom clearly are not happy with the Dalai Lama and his pledge to non-violent means.

Another update: Here are the URLS for some of the video I shot. This first one is of military trucks rolling along the highway toward the Tibet border: http://videos.mcclatchydc.com/vmix_hosted_apps/video/1783925 And this one is of a short clip of the armed police marching in Kangding: http://videos.mcclatchydc.com/vmix_hosted_apps/video/1783937

Comments

[nanheyangrouchuan]

The PAP is almost a dumping ground for PLA rejects as the PLA downsizes, streamlines and modernizes. There are over 2 million PAP members.

[Mainlander]

Discussion on this topic is a real waste of time. Even though our leaders would not say it openly, most Chinese are already resigned to the inevitable conclusion that war with the west will not be a too distant future. There is so much pent up hatred towards the west from the 18th century to until now & most Chinese will quite literally welcome the settlement of the grand score once & for all. When this does come around, we will not be caught unprepared. The Tibet issue is merely one small issue out of mountains of life & death issues which the west uses to sabotage our very survival.

[Stan]

Hey Mainlander...MILLIONS of Chinese have left China since the 18th century. It was the only Great Leap Forward that ever worked.

[chinese buddhist]

Nothing like a little rioting, to bring ALL sorts of SPIES out of their hiding places! Most enlightening, I am sure, to the Police, to know what is happening in Western China -- ONE OF MY HOMETOWNS (large Han clan, inter-married with many local clans) is KANGDING -- so I am greatly displeased, to hear Foreign Spies (aka "foreign journalists") are CRAWLING all over MY Territory. Most locals are JUST LIKE ME -- Han-Ethnic mixture & TOTALLY SUPPORTIVE of PRC, CCP & Beijing. Long live the PRC! Down with Separatism!

[Y]

This guy really sounds disgusting. There are tons of stories that are worthwhile to work on, and he prefer to wander around like a spy (or something else). Get out of China and leave her alone, you silly.

[Y]

Are you implying that Tibetan population is so large that they are almost everywhere in China?

If that were true, it does speak for sth --- Tibetans are chinese.

[A B]

There is no reason to complain about Mr. Johnson wanting to "get the news" and in the interest of journalistic freedom and autonomy, cut him some slack.

Of course, I would have been more pleased if he had taken the path of at least formally applying for permission before he decided on his less than authorized methods. If he was turned down for no good reason, sure, I can understand.

The part about taking a couple of monks with him on his journey, however, raises interesting question as to whether he could have caused an incident and became news himself, like Benjamin Joffe-Walt, formerly of the Guardian, did.

[Pffefer]

"While the trucks looked in good shape, we saw quite a few broken down by the side of the road. I found this interesting. China spends a lot on its military. But its Chinese-made trucks can’t avoid the quality problems that still affect many Chinese manufactures."

What a hasty conclusion. I guess Tim you see the presence of car dealerships/repair shops evidence of the poor quality of cars made and sold in the US? Those trucks might look in good shape to you, might you have no idea how old they were and how frequently they have been used, do you?

And this goes to show China is not spending enough on its military. Washington can shut up now.

[Tim J]

Pffefer, blogs are about hasty conclusions. This is not a doctoral dissertation, nor even a news story. I saw trucks old and new, many in apparently good shape. It struck me as curious that many were pulled off the road, with soldiers under the hood. If you don't find it so, then ignore it.

[Mainlander]

Fellow Chinese inside China, let's start a net campaign to single out all these CNN, BBC, ABC, Times, Guardian etc journalist (spies, shit stirrers), smash up their bureaus, better still smash up their embassies like what we had done during the anti Japanese demos & anti US demos (when they bombed our Belgrade embassy) to show our anger at naked news fabrications. Tibetans are mere pawns in our struggle with the satanic US/UK/west. God curse US/UK/west! Damn your countries & race! To hell with the whitemen!

[kt]

The land that was united, will divide again. The land that is divided will unite again. And so it goes...

Pardon my paraphrasing.

That land could be China - maybe that land is the planet earth. 'Y' - Do you really think the 'west' is out to get China? I live in the 'West' - the average american or Britain (I assume that is who you are referring to) has no ill will towards the people of China.

chinese buddhist - 'down with separatism' doesn't sound very zen, to me. and stop YELLING (please).

As an american, I have the right to point out how bad and screwed up my government is... Fortunately, american government has 'avenues' for correction - we haven't given up on the process, yet. We don't intend to... What would happen to me if I was to say the same about the Chinese government if I was in China? Would I be a separatist? Are you willing to sacrifice your own abilities of rational thought at the request of your government?

Free Tibet (and your own damn mind)!

[Mainlander]

All Part Of Grand Conspiracy : China Beware

Let me repost this letter in Asia Times Online (sorry, without first asking for the author's permission) on this hot topic:

[Re India wakes to a Tibetan headache, Mar 18] Bhadrakumar is very astute in his observations about Himalayan power politics. The March 10 uprising timed to coincide with the anniversary of the failed Central Intelligence Agency-sponsored uprising in 1959 was obviously methodically planned, organized, financed and executed and coordinated in Dharamsala [in India], whatever the Dalai Lama tells the world that these were a spontaneous reaction to Chinese oppression. He knows he can count at the very least on right-wing neo-conservatives and left-wing Hollywood celebrities like Richard Gere and Mia Farrow to tarnish and bash China months before the start of the Olympic torch relay. All the gullible Western media have to do is swallow the bait, show grainy footages of Chinese police officers beating/shooting these hapless Tibetan monks in saffron robes, who are actually the ones doing most of the killing. They burned and vandalized buildings and poured acid on Han Chinese bystanders. Then the media will report it as "genocide", and the Dalai Lama, basking in [a] radiant glow as saint and liberator, will urge Western leaders to intervene like they did on Kosovo. This is part of a crafted script, and from the timing of the riots to the spreading of violence in three other Chinese provinces, these "peaceful protests" were synchronized and staged. The best case he can hope for was to instigate a "colored " revolution ala people's power, (I know too well of it here) that will attract the sympathy of outside powers and create a violent chain reaction for Tibetans to topple Chinese rule. The worst case is that Beijing will assert control and the uprising will be brutally crushed, but not before generating bad publicity to China's communist leaders, and sabotaging China's hosting of the Olympics. The Chinese will be labelled as butchers, and the Dalai Lama will capitalize on atrocities allegedly committed. The Tibetan independence cause will generate more attention than 100 congressional gold medal ceremonies combined! It is plainly obvious he has not condemned or called for a stop to the violence, instead he used the word "cultural genocide" or "rule of terror", which are inflammatory and irresponsible. The man's words betray his reputation as an agent of peace. I have to credit the Dalai Lama for being a shrewd politician and brilliant media-savvy public relations promoter. In 1959, when he asked for the CIA's help, there was no YouTube or 24-hour newscasting, so his cause did not generate attention. Now, he knows this is the best time to generate as much attention to his cause and smear Beijing and paralyze it in a way that if it acts to harshly, China risks a boycott of the Olympics.
Jake Q Bantug
Cebu, Philippines (Mar 18, '08)

[kt]

Mainlander - spoken with the same grace and style as a famous nazi. It's good to see that you are seeking realistic solutions to the problems that we face.

Do communists believe in satan? or God, for that matter? I'm agnostic, so it doesn't bother me either way.

[Pffefer]

Again, Tim, you don't know how old those trucks are and how frequently they have been used, do you?

All about making hasty conclusions? Sure "hasty" describes a lot of the blogs that talk about Tibet in the past several days. You got that right.

[marcelproust]

I don't think Mr Johnson was in Tibet proper so he was, according to the present law, allowed to be where he was. It's interesting that even an albeit sympathetic commentator should talk about his "less than authorized methods." Is this a culture clash?

[Y]

"That land could be China - maybe that land is the planet earth. 'Y' - Do you really think the 'west' is out to get China? I live in the 'West' - the average american or Britain (I assume that is who you are referring to) has no ill will towards the people of China."

According to your reasoning, I am a West too - I need a visa t ogo to china. Government and nation are two different concepts, for chinese (and americans too). Yes, 99% chinese believe the WEST has the habit to go out to get whatever they want. Think about the history.

If there is onething that Mao zedong did it right, it is china becomes a county that says no to others. Trust me, and tell this to your WEST friends, to make chinese fully support their govenerment, the only thing you needs to do is to argue that Tibet should be independent, Taiwan, hongkong. You know aht I mean.

[Y]

Good friday tomorrow. So get the chance to stay up late.

Tim and kt, I hope you understand an average chinese's feeling about the five-letter-word "china". For americans in a country of a few hundred years off history, what was united will be divide (and its doesn't matter much), but for a nation a history of that long, it doesn't matter and hurts.

I hope you can get this: you may have the freedom to hate your government, but you have no right to hate the soil that feeds you.

And to Tim, commenting on and joking on communist government is one sotry, but commenting on and making fun about china herself is different one.

The importance of a succesful
Olympic to chinese (almost everyone)
is not what americans or british people can fully grasp. That is OK. But what chinese hate is the kind of excitment the WEST has been showing during the ocurse of this difficult time for Tibet-Tibetans, China-tibetans, tibet-chinese, china-chinese, and WEST-chinese. And you guys are laughing!

[Y]

Ethnic minorities in China:

There are 56 ethnic groups in the country called China among which the Han-chinese happens to be the majority. However, there are times in history Han-chinese were ruled by monirities such as in Yuan dynasty (the Mogolians) and in Qing dynasty (the last empire in chinese history and ended in early 1990s). There were wars from time to time for the right to rule the whole country and the Yuan dynasty was the result of a war won by the Mogolians.

In PRC, minorities especially Tibetans and Musliams, have been enjoying the priviledges that other ethnic groups can ever dream of. They have the freedom to own weapons, they get less hashe punishment for wrongg doings. For receving higher education, the entrance score required for them is much much lower than a Han-chinese.

In the time of sufferring like Mao's cultural revolution and big-leep-forward, the Han-chinese suffered much much more than any minority groups.

[Y]

Mogolia got the independence status after WWW-II under the support of Russia. And the funny thing is that the Taiwan government nevers admits its independence. However, the original Mogolians who ruled China probably have merged to a large extent with Han-chinese.

[Y]

Tim and kt,

Here is a question for you. If one had a big house with a large backyard and he somehow feel left-out, can he annouce that he wants to be an independent nation? He can even hold a referendum which will be passed since he is the only voters. How many independent contries wil there be in north america. How many passport do you guys need per year if that happens.

But I see no reason that prevents this from happening, following the same line of reasoning based on which the WEST has been using to encourage many of the recent events of independence.

[Y]

China is indeed rising. But from my point of view and from the history I know, there is no need to be afraid of this. The chinese people are (sorry) less aggresive than the west.

Think about the history, there were times China is powerful enough to bully any nation in the world, but they prefer not to, at the cost of her suffering in the recent history when
British, german, spanish, potugal, japanese, actually almost anyone with two legs, went out to get a spoon of share from china.

[Y]

There is the movie Independence Day. Why do I like that movie?

It may be China, it may be the planet earth, the solar system, or the galaxy, or the universe. Why do we fight the alliens?

[Y]

There was a complaint that China is producing so much pollution that even north america's air has been affected.

I knid of believe that the theory is true. Heard of the butterfly effect?

[Y]

In my home town, the Hui-chinese are good at restraut business. Some of them got very rich, at least so at that time. Or you may say that they control the restraut business.

Should the Han-chinese feel left out and asks for ``freedom" and independence?

[chinese buddhist]

About 1959 riots in TAR, CIA instigation is DOCUMENTED: the book is THE CIA'S SECRET WAR IN TIBET by Kenneth Conboy & James Morrison. ISBN 700611592. Of course, I suppose NYT & WAPO never heard of it!

[CCT]

Tim,

Are you making stuff up, or did you mix up your pictures?

There are absolutely no automatic weapons "slung on the backs" of the armed police shown in your picture.

[CCT]

Speaking of the above photo from Kangding, the left most store-front is labeled 藏汉一家亲: "Tibetans and Han are close, like a family".

Ironic.

[Tim J]

CCT, you can see a short video of the armed police here: http://videos.mcclatchydc.com/vmix_hosted_apps/video/1783937 . Let me know what you think then.

[kt]

I respect all of your comments. I'm an environmental specialist - I try to preserve the natural world around us. Not just for us human beings. Say what you want about my government (I can), I love my country - I would sacrifice my life to protect it from those that would do it harm. I care about the rest of the planet as well - legal boundaries are quite artificial. Violence breeds violence.

[Dave S.]

I think one of the sad things that is reflected in this post is that in China today, there really is a great deal of nationalism and animosity on all sides. The Han majority is very much nationalistic, as seen in comments on this post. And as seen in the streets of Lhasa, there is a great deal of angry by certain minority groups against the Han ruling majority. This is also true amongst the Uyghurs and other Turkic muslims in Xinjiang. For the Han majority and for ethnic minority groups, the Communist Party of China represents the Han-majority and Chinese rule. So to attack or defend the CCP has strong ethnic tones.

[chinese buddhist]

"Han Ruling Majority"? WOW! Stupid me: I thought Majority Rule was the ESSENCE of DEMOCRACY. Now Dave S. says it is the essence of CCP?

[Liar Liar]

Dave S., you said that Han were attacked is because of the Han's rule, so please explain to me why so many Muslim were attacked in Lhasa? And kt, if you wanted to talk about nazi, I can tell you that the naziest speech I have ever heard in my life is by this old women: Nacy Pelosi's "against Chinese in Tibet" speech. Why there is no western media blasting this racist speech EVER?

[poetryman69]

Bush the Manchurian candidate has deliberately laid the country low.
Bush delivered a one two punch. First he sold out our energy
independence to Saudi Arabia. Second he got us in to a protracted
and costly and needless war which necessitated our selling debt
to China. On top of all tha Bush created the largest entitlement
program in history. He has been pissing away our money, our
freedoms and our sovereignty. Even though we were attacked
on Sept 11th by Saudis, Osama is Saudi, and the homicide bombers
in Iraq are Saudis, Bush's only response is to get on his
knees and beg the Saudi princes to have mercy. And now that
China is brutalizing Tibet, Bush who was so quick to
criticize a worthless dictator in Iraq and begin a war
over things such has Hussein's civil right record, is
scared crapless to say "boo" to China. Why? Well the
fall of Bear Stearn nearly toppled the economy. If we threatened
to boycott the Olympics over Tibet, China could threaten to
call in all their markers on our debt. There would
literally be a run on the bank as other nations followed the
Chinese lead, and we would have the great depression. In
my personal opinion Bush and Cheney can assert Mission
Accomplished in two areas. One: their oil and corporate
buddies have record profits. Two: the foreign masters
who have purchased Bush and Cheney's souls have the US on the brink
of ruin. Heckuva job Dubya. In my opinion.