JAPANESE ON RAZALI ADVISOR DE RIEDMATTEN

C O N F I D E N T I A L RANGOON 001421 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/05/2013 TAGS: PREL PGOV BM SUBJECT: JAPANESE ON RAZALI ADVISOR DE RIEDMATTEN REF: A. STATE 306270 ¶B. TOKYO 7202 Classified By: COM CARMEN M. MARTINEZ; REASON 1.5(B & D). ¶1. (C) Japanese DCM Hiroshi Kawamura called on DCM November 5 to clarify his ambassador's position regarding Swiss citizen Leon de Riedmatten, Razali advisor and head of Humanitarian Dialogue in Rangoon. ¶2. (C) Kawamura stated that his Ambassador, Yuji Miyamoto, had not demarched or suggested to Razali in their October 27 meeting in Kuala Lumpur that de Riedmatten be removed as Razali's facilitator or advisor, nor would he make such a suggestion in the future. The Japanese DCM said that Razali heard directly from the GOB that it has lost confidence in de Riedmatten, adding that the Japanese embassy had heard the same thing from the GOB. Kawamura added that de Riedmatten, seen by the SPDC as being too close to Aung San Suu Kyi, has lost his heretofore excellent access to ASSK and senior regime leaders. ¶3. (C) Comment: The Japanese DCM said he was providing the above clarification on specific instructions from his ambassador. Could be that reftels prompted Tokyo to once again rein in the Japanese ambassador, an avid advocate of engagement with the SPDC, who has been way out ahead of Tokyo several times over the past year. ¶4. (C) Comment, Continued: Prior to May 30, de Riedmatten was just as close to ASSK as he is now (but then had regular access). Further, Khin Nyunt agreed on May 28 to allow Leon to function as ILO ombudsman for labor issues and abuses, indicating a high degree of trust in de Riedmatten for this sensitive position. What has happened since then is not that Leon de Riedmatten has changed, but that the SPDC regime has been bolstered by what it sees as a vote of confidence from ASEAN and continued high-level courting from India and China. It has decided to bull its way forward with its self-imposed solution while ignoring input from anyone else. End Comment. Martinez