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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BEIJING 18828 E.O. 12356 DECL:OADR TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, SOCI, CH SUBJECT: LATIN AMERICAN DIPLOMAT EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT OF JUNE 3-4 EVENTS ON TIANANMEN SQUARE 1. CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT. 2. SUMMARY DURING A RECENT MEETING, A LATIN AMERICAN DIPLOMAT AND HIS WIFE PROVIDED POLOFF AN ACCOUNT OF THEIR MOVEMENTS ON JUNE 3-4 AND THEIR EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT OF EVENTS AT TIANANMEN SQUARE. ALTHOUGH THEIR ACCOUNT GENERALLY FOLLOWS THOSE PREVIOUSLY REPORTED, THEIR UNIQUE EXPERIENCES PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INSIGHT AND CORROBORATION OF EVENTS IN THE SQUARE. THEY WERE ABLE TO ENTER AND LEAVE THE SQUARE SEVERAL TIMES AND WERE NOT HARASSED BY TROOPS. REMAINING WITH STUDENTS BY THE MONUMENT TO THE PEOPLE'S HEROES UNTIL THE FINAL WITHDRAWAL, THE DIPLOMAT SAID THERE WERE NO MASS SHOOTINGS OF STUDENTS IN THE SQUARE OR AT THE MONUMENT. END SUMMARY. 3. DURING A RECENT MEETING, CHILEAN SECOND SECRETARY CARLOS GALLO AND HIS WIFE (PLEASE PROTECT) PROVIDED POLOFF AN ACCOUNT OF THEIR MOVEMENTS ON JUNE 3-4 AND THEIR EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT OF EVENTS AT TIANANMEN SQUARE. ALTHOUGH THE GALLO'S ACCOUNT GENERALLY FOLLOWS THOSE PREVIOUSLY REPORTED, THEIR UNIQUE EXPERIENCES PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INSIGHT AND CORROBORATION OF EVENTS IN THE SQUARE. 4. GALLO SAID THEIR EVENING BEGAN AROUND 2100 HOURS WHEN THEY FIRST HEARD THAT TROOPS WERE ENTERING THE CITY. THE CHILEAN AMBASSADOR WAS HAVING DINNER AT THE DRAGON SPRING MOVENPICK HOTEL IN FAR WESTERN BEIJING; THE GALLOS WERE DISPATCHED IN THEIR OWN CAR TO ALERT THE AMBASSADOR AND BRING HIM HOME. TAKING A CIRCUITOUS ROUTE NORTH OF THE CITY, THEY DID NOT SEE MUCH EVIDENCE OF THE VIOLENT EVENTS TO COME UNTIL THEY REACHED WESTERN BEIJING ON THE ROAD TO THE MOVENPICK HOTEL. THE ROAD WAS FILLED FIVE ABREAST WITH MILITARY VEHICLES INCLUDING TANKS, APCS, AND TRUCKS FILLED WITH TROOPS HEADING INTO THE CITY. ONCE THE GALLOS IDENTIFIED THEMSELVES AS DIPLOMATS, THE COUPLE WAS ALLOWED TO INCH ALONG THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD; MRS. GALLO DROVE WHILE HER HUSBAND WALKED AHEAD OF THE CAR ASKING THE MILITARY VEHICLES TO MAKE SOME ROOM FOR THEIR CAR. THEY REACHED THEIR AMBASSADOR AND MADE THEIR WAY BACK TO THEIR EMBASSY IN THE SANLITUN DIPLOMATIC AREA. 5. ANXIOUS TO SEE WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN THE SQUARE, THE GALLOS, AGAIN IN THEIR OWN CAR, DROVE TOWARDS TIANANMEN. ALTHOUGH THEY ENCOUNTERED SEVERAL CIVILIAN MANNED BARRICADES AND PEOPLE WARNED THEM NOT TO GO ANY FURTHER AS THE ARMY WAS COMING, THEY WERE ALLOWED TO PROCEED. THEY EVENTUALLY PARKED THEIR CAR JUST TO THE EAST OF THE MUSEUM OF THE CHINESE REVOLUTION AND WALKED TO THE SQUARE VIA AN ALLEY JUST SOUTH OF THE MUSEUM. 6. THE GALLOS POSITIONED THEMSELVES NEAR THE RED CROSS STATION AT THE FOOT OF THE STEPS TO THE MUSEUM. INITIALLY NOT MUCH WAS HAPPENING IN THE SQUARE AS MOST OF THE FIGHTING WAS TAKING PLACE TO THE WEST. BODIES AND WOUNDED, HOWEVER, BEGAN TO ARRIVE AT THE RED CROSS STATION INDICATING THE EXTENT OF THE FIGHTING AND THE FACT THAT REAL BULLETS WERE BEING USED. AS THE MILITARY BEGAN TO REACH THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE SQUARE AND SHOTS WERE FIRED IN THE VICINITY OF THE RED CROSS STATION, MRS. GALLO DECIDED SHE WANTED TO LEAVE. THE GALLOS MADE THEIR WAY BACK TO THEIR CAR AND DROVE BACK TO THEIR APARTMENT IN SANLITUN. GALLO DROPPED OFF HIS WIFE AND DROVE BACK TO THE SQUARE, AGAIN PARKING EAST OF THE MUSEUM. 7. CONTRARY TO THE EXPERIENCES OF MOST AMERICANS ON THE SQUARE, GALLO SAID THAT HE ESSENTIALLY WAS ALLOWED FREE PASSAGE AROUND THE SQUARE, EVEN WHEN SIGHTED BY TROOPS. HE SAID AT ONE POINT HE WAS STANDING ON THE NORTH SIDE OF CHANGAN JIE, JUST WEST OF THE SQUARE, WHEN HE FOUND HIMSELF TO THE REAR OF TROOPS ENTERING THE SQUARE FROM THE WEST. HE SAID ALTHOUGH HE WAS SEEN, THE TROOPS PAID NO ATTENTION TO HIM AND HE EVENTUALLY PASSED BACK AND FORTH ACROSS TROOP LINES A COUPLE OF TIMES. ANOTHER CHILEAN DIPLOMAT WHO STAYED AROUND XINHUAMEN AT ZHONGNANHAI HAD A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE. GALLO GUESSED THAT SINCE MOST OF THE TROOPS WERE FROM THE PROVINCES AND DID NOT USUALLY DEAL WITH FOREIGNERS, THEY FOLLOWED THE GENERAL PRACTICE OF LEAVING FOREIGNERS ALONE. HE ALSO NOTED THAT HE WAS NOT CARRYING A CAMERA. 8. GALLO EVENTUALLY ENDED UP AT THE RED CROSS STATION, AGAIN HOPING THAT TROOPS WOULD NOT FIRE ON THE MEDICAL PERSONNEL THERE. HE WATCHED THE MILITARY ENTER THE SQUARE AND DID NOT OBSERVE ANY MASS FIRING OF WEAPONS INTO THE CROWDS, ALTHOUGH SPORADIC GUNFIRE WAS HEARD. HE SAID THAT MOST OF THE TROOPS WHICH ENTERED THE SQUARE WERE ACTUALLY ARMED ONLY WITH ANTI-RIOT GEAR--TRUNCHEONS AND WOODEN CLUBS; THEY WERE BACKED UP BY ARMED SOLDIERS. AS THE MILITARY CONSOLIDATED ITS CONTROL OF THE SQUARE'S PERIMETER, STUDENTS AND CIVILIANS GATHERED AROUND THE MONUMENT TO THE PEOPLE'S HEROES. GALLO SAID WOUNDED, INCLUDING SOME SOLDIERS, CONTINUED TO BE BROUGHT TO THE RED CROSS STATION. 9. THE TROOPS BEGAN A SLOW ORDERLY APPROACH TO THE MONUMENT FROM THE NORTH WITH SOLDIERS ON FOOT PRECEEDING APCS. FROM WHAT HE COULD SEE, GALLO FELT THAT MOST OF THE TENTS ON THE SQUARE WERE EMPTY WHEN THE ARMORED VEHICLES ROLLED OVER THEM. THE FIRST LINE OF TROOPS TO REACH THE MONUMENT AREA, PASSED BY THE RED CROSS STATION AND IGNORED THE MEDICAL PERSONNEL AND WOUNDED. AS A SECOND LINE OF TROOPS APPROACHED, THEY CIRCLED THE RED CROSS STATION AND BEGAN YELLING AND THROWING STICKS AND DEBRIS OVER THE HEADS OF THE PEOPLE AT THE STATION. THE MEDICAL PERSONNEL PANICKED AND FLED, LEAVING BEHIND THE WOUNDED. MOST PEOPLE, INCLUDING GALLO, FLED TO THE MONUMENT AREA WHERE THE STUDENTS WERE GATHERED. 10. ALTHOUGH GUNFIRE COULD BE HEARD, GALLO SAID THAT APART FROM SOME BEATING OF STUDENTS, THERE WAS NO MASS FIRING INTO THE CROWD OF STUDENTS AT THE MONUMENT. WHEN POLOFF MENTIONED SOME REPORTEDLY EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS OF MASSACRES AT THE MONUMENT WITH AUTOMATIC WEAPONS, GALLO SAID THAT THERE WAS NO SUCH SLAUGHTER. ONCE AGREEMENT WAS REACHED FOR THE STUDENTS TO WITHDRAW, LINKING HANDS TO FORM A COLUMN, THE STUDENTS LEFT THE SQUARE THROUGH THE SOUTHEAST CORNER. ESSENTIALLY EVERYONE, INCLUDING GALLO, LEFT. THE FEW THAT ATTEMPTED TO REMAIN BEHIND WERE BEATEN AND DRIVEN TO JOIN THE END OF THE DEPARTING PROCESSION. ONCE OUTSIDE THE SQUARE, THE STUDENTS HEADED WEST ON QIANMEN DAJIE WHILE GALLO HEADED EAST TO HIS CAR. THEREFORE, HE COULD NOT COMMENT ON REPORTS THAT STUDENTS WERE AMBUSHED AND SLAUGHTERED IN THE ALLEY JUST WEST OF THE SQUARE NEAR THE BEIJING CONCERT HALL. 11. LATER THE MORNING OF JUNE 4, GALLO AND HIS WIFE MADE THEIR WAY BACK TO THE SQUARE, AGAIN VIA THE ALLEY TO THE SOUTH OF THE MUSEUM OF THE REVOLUTION. HE SAID THAT FOR NO APPARENT REASON THAT ALLEY WAS THE ONLY ONE NOT SEALED OFF. FROM THE ALLEY THEY SAW TROOPS CLEARING THE SQUARE PILING UP LARGE PLASTIC BAGS AND DRAGGING THEM TO HELICOPTERS. THEY COULD NOT COMMENT ON WHETHER THE BAGS CONTAINED REFUSE OR BODIES. AT THE TIME, THEY SAID, THEY COULD NOT IMAGINE THE BAGS CONTAINED BODIES AND HAD ASSUMED IT WAS GARBAGE. ALTHOUGH HE DID NOT ACTUALLY WITNESS ANY LARGE SCALE SHOOTINGS ON THE SQUARE PROPER, GALLO SAW MANY CASUALTIES BROUGHT INTO THE SQUARE AND DID NOT DOUBT THAT HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE IN BEIJING WERE KILLED BY THE ARMY ON JUNE 3 AND 4. HE SAID THAT A SPANISH TELEVISION CREW MIGHT HAVE FOOTAGE OF THE REPORTED MASSACRE AT THE BEIJING CONCERT HALL AND THAT THE SPANISH AMBASSADOR WOULD BE HOLDING A SCREENING FOR OTHER AMBASSADORS WHEN HE RECEIVED A GOOD COPY. APPARENTLY AN EARLIER VERSION OF THE TAPE HAD BEEN BADLY BUTCHERED BY EDITORS IN SPAIN WHO HAD SPLICED TOGETHER PIECES OF THE VIDEO IN THE WRONG SEQUENCE. LILLEY