BURMA: SUMMIT FEVER

C O N F I D E N T I A L RANGOON 001252

SIPDIS

STATE ALSO FOR EAP/BCLTV; TREASURY FOR OASIA JEFF NEIL;
USPACOM FOR FPA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/25/2013
TAGS: PGOV PREL BM CB TH LA IN
SUBJECT: BURMA: SUMMIT FEVER

REF: A. RANGOON 1213

B. BANGKOK 6273

Classified By: COM Carmen Martinez for Reasons 1.5 (B,D)


1. (C) SUMMARY: A MOFA official told us that the GOB will
host a "major" (by Burmese standards) summit the first week
of November. Thai, Lao, and Cambodian heads of government
will meet with their SPDC counterpart to pursue the Thai-led
"Economic Cooperation Strategy (ECS)." According to MOFA
sources, the Indian Vice President will visit Burma prior to
the summit. The SPDC will be happy to host the summit to
accommodate PM Thaksin's strategy while at the same time
trying to improve their post-May 30 international image. END
SUMMARY.


2. (C) Ministry of Foreign Affairs Americas Director Thant
Kyaw verified to Poloff that, during the first week of
November, heads of government from Thailand, Laos, and
Cambodia will attend what he characterized as "Burma's
first-ever summit meeting." The summit will be held in the
ancient royal capital of Bagan, in central Burma, and MOFA
expects over 200 participants to attend. The GOB is now
forming subcommittees for the meeting and MOFA directors are
frantically scrambling to prepare the infrastructure-poor
tourist site for the onslaught. Kyaw also said the Indian
Vice President will visit Rangoon for consultations with the
SPDC just prior to the ECS summit.


3. (C) Thant Kyaw also relayed that Thai Foreign Minister
Surakiart, during his September 25 half-day visit (reftels A
and B),met with the entire Burmese cabinet and SPDC Chairman
Sr Gen Than Shwe, as well as separately with Prime Minister
General Khin Nyunt and the Burmese Deputy Foreign Minister.
Thant Kyaw commented that Rangoon, with large hotels and
conference rooms, was a much better choice for the ECS
Summit, and that the MOFA Americas Division staff would be
completely occupied with the summit from now until its end.


4. (C) COMMENT: This summit, a major deal for isolated
Burma, will likely be used by the regime as a chance to turn
the spotlight away from domestic woes and repair its post May
30th image. The summit will provide neighbors with a
post-ASEAN opportunity to help legitimize the SPDC and give
further support to the regime's "Road Map to Democracy." END
COMMENT.
Martinez