Telegram from: Beijing

Received: June 1, 1989, 09.00 am

Prepared for distribution: June 1, 1989, 11.30 am

Secret.

Flash

No. 048 626

The expected action on May, 30, grew larger only by midnight, when the main street around the square, where several meetings took place, was filled. Btw. they read in an ironic way as of yet unpublished speech by Yang Shangkun he made at the extended meeting of the Central Military Commission on May 26 and which included the negative appraisal of the Secretary General Zhao. /The embassy has not got the speech at its disposal yet/.

It was completely quiet in the center at morning and during May 31.

Based on the information of the Head of the Department of International Relations of the Central Committee, the situation is being gradually normalized. We study the speeches of Li Peng and Yang, now also available for the International Section.

A sit-in strike announced at the so-called Statue of Democracy on the square which is to last until the beginning of the Standing Committee of the All-Chinese Congress of the People's Deputies on June 20.

Based on the embassy´s own verification at noon on May 31, there was no demonstration at the statue, but there was a queue of onlookers standing. The employee the Department of International Relations said it was necessary to perceive the installment of the statue as illegal. The thing will be liquidated carefully according to the approved directive which says that student actions and demands do have a rational core but have been misused by others. Vlc.

Saul 0263