Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
02RANGOON1628
2002-12-19 08:48:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Rangoon
Cable title:  

ICRC ACTIVE IN KAREN STATE BUT STILL SEEKING ACCESS

Tags:  PREL PHUM BM 
pdf how-to read a cable
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 001628 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV
CINCPAC FOR FPA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/04/2012
TAGS: PREL PHUM BM
SUBJECT: ICRC ACTIVE IN KAREN STATE BUT STILL SEEKING ACCESS

Classified By: COM CARMEN M. MARTINEZ FOR REASON 1.5(D).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 001628

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV
CINCPAC FOR FPA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/04/2012
TAGS: PREL PHUM BM
SUBJECT: ICRC ACTIVE IN KAREN STATE BUT STILL SEEKING ACCESS

Classified By: COM CARMEN M. MARTINEZ FOR REASON 1.5(D).


1. (C) Summary: On a recent visit to Karen State, Poloff was
told by an International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC)
representative that the agency is making progress on
establishing a meaningful presence in the area. While
progress has been slow, the ICRC has had some success in
providing clean water to residents, assisting mine victims,
and delivering messages to families of prisoners. The agency
has also helped improve conditions in labor camps. The ICRC
has not yet succeeded in establishing contacts with military
commanders -- a step ICRC feels is essential for
investigations of alleged human rights abuses in the area.
End Summary.


2. (U) In late November, Poloff met with the head of the
ICRC office in Karen State, Ms. Amela Husagic. Ms. Husagic
and two other ICRC international staff provide coverage of
Karen State from their offices in the state capital, Hpa'an.
Husagic said the ICRC has four priorities in the area: 1)
water sanitation for hospitals, schools, and homes; 2)
orthopedic care for mine victims; 3) delivering messages to
families of prisoners; and 4) protection activities.


3. (U) While the ICRC has had a presence in Hpa'an since
2000, Husagic said it has been a slow process to gain access
to local officials and build confidence with them. The ICRC
has remained patient, however, has developed good relations
with key authorities, and is starting to implement programs.
For example, the ICRC has provided clean water supplies (tube
wells) for two township hospitals, supplies to build simple
toilets in some homes and schools, and training to improve
sanitation. In addition, in January the office will open an
orthopedic care facility in Hpa'an to provide prosthetics and
therapy for mining victims. While the ICRC has assisted in
providing orthopedic care through government clinics in other
areas of Burma, this is the first independent ICRC orthopedic
care clinic.


4. (C) In providing communications between prisoners and
their families, Husagic said she and her colleagues have been
allowed to travel throughout most of Karen State to deliver
messages to family members. Identifying and working through

the process for obtaining government permission to travel has
been slow, she noted, but now the ICRC has standing
permission to travel between Hpa'an and Kawkareik, and other
specific travel requests are generally processed quickly.


5. (C) Husagic said her office does not conduct prison
visits because the only prison in Karen State, on the
outskirts of Hpa'an, is under construction and not scheduled
to open until January 2003. Her team has requested access to
two "New Life" and other prison labor camps the SPDC has
established in Karen State. She explained that the New Life
camps are a type of labor camp located in previously
undeveloped border areas the government wants to populate.
The prisoners at the New Life camps are required to clear the
jungle, plant agricultural products, and build villages. The
prisoners' families are encouraged to live near the camps and
are given some land and other incentives to encourage them to
stay in the area when the prisoners complete their sentences.
(Note: The ICRC Head of Delegation in Rangoon told Poloff
recently that although the New Life idea sounds reasonable,
the camps have not been successful because of difficult
living conditions and isolation. End Note.)


6. (C) Husagic said she has been allowed to visit one of the
New Life camps and some of the other labor camps in Karen
State. While not wanting to provide specific details due to
ICRC's confidentiality rules, she said life in the camps is
generally quite hard but that ICRC's presence has led to some
improvements.


7. (C) When Poloff queried whether ICRC had attempted to
follow-up on allegations of SPDC abuses in Karen State,
Husagic responded that she has not yet been able to establish
communications and working relations with the responsible
officials, i.e. the Burmese military, necessary for this
activity. She said that although she had built up good
contacts with many local township and Military Intelligence
officials, she did not have access to Burma Army field
commanders. She also noted that the lines of authority
between various military authorities in the field are not
clear and appear to vary depending on location. The Nasaka
(a combined force of MI, Customs, Immigration, and the Police
Force) appeared to be in charge in certain areas while MI or
the Army appeared to have the upper hand in other areas.
This was complicated by the fact that some authorities
apparently report to the Regional Commander while others
reported directly to various elements in Rangoon.


8. (C) Husagic is working to establish the relations
necessary to extend protection activities in the area. She
said she continues to hear credible reports of continuing
abuses in Karen State and the ICRC will continue to press for
access in order to mitigate these abuses. She noted,
however, that this is the most sensitive aspect of the ICRC's
activities and it will take time to develop.
Martinez