The Public Security Ministry of People’s Republic of China (PRC) organized a two-day meeting of Public Security Bureaus of the ethnic Tibetan areas in present-day China covering the “Tibet Autonomous Region” (“TAR”) and the four provinces, according to the news portal Chinatibetnews.com on 20 August 2010 .The two-day meeting held in Lhasa between 18-19 August 2010 assessed the results and experiences of “upholding public security, struggle against the current separatist movement, and identified current challenges facing stability in Tibetan areas.”

In the aftermath of the spring 2008 mass scale pan-Tibet protests, the government has drastically escalated vigilance on movement of the people. Specific measures have been undertaken to restrict the flow of people between the Tibetan areas. Also ordinances have been passed in Lhasa requiring pilgrims, businessmen and visitors to bring along guarantors to the Public Security Bureau (PSB) to seek short-term stay permit. If the visitors fail to register, they are arrested during law enforcement agencies’ area security check. Strike hard campaigns were also launched to weed out political activists. Those persons suspected of participating in political activities were interrogated and placed under strict surveillance or detained.

During the meeting, future action plans were drawn up “to step up fight against separatists; build bodies to protect social security; increase border security; and improve communication infrastructure, uniform and skills of the public security bureaus”.

United Front Work Department Conference

Prior to the public security conference, the United Front Work Department (UFWD) of the Communist Party of China (CPC) also organized a meeting between 14-15 August 2010. The meeting held at Shigatse drew heads of monastic institutions and local United Front heads in the “TAR” as well as Tibetan areas in four provinces to tighten religious institutions in Tibetan areas.

The two top level conferences are most likely follow up meetings to the Fifth Work Forum on Tibet conducted in January 2010 to implement measures to bring restive Tibet under control.