BURMESE - U.S. W.W. II REMAINS RECOVERY TECHNICAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L RANGOON 000640 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/02/2013 TAGS: MOPS PREL BM SUBJECT: BURMESE - U.S. W.W. II REMAINS RECOVERY TECHNICAL TALKS POSTPONED REF: A. RANGOON 636 (NOTAL) ¶B. RANGOON 635 (NOTAL) Classified By: COM CARMEN MARTINEZ FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) After consultation with DOD DAS Jennings and other appropriate individuals involved in the W.W.II Remains Recovery Technical talks scheduled for June 4-6 in Rangoon, the mutual decision to postpone the talks was made today, June 2. The most recent regime crackdown on the democratic opposition in Burma (reftels),has resulted in the detention of Aung San Suu Kyi and at least 10 senior members of her National League for Democracy under pretense of "protective custody" for their own safety. This is an inappropriate setting for interaction between DOD elements and the military regime. We have conveyed to DAS Jennings that Embassy Rangoon continues to fully support the W.W.II Remains Recovery Mission. 2) (C) The talks were scheduled at this time to discuss operational details for a mission in December 2003 or January 2004 (after the local rainy season) and can easily be rescheduled. It was decided that it would be best to postpone the meeting rather than send conflicting signals to the Burmese government regarding our unhappiness with this latest round of political repression. We are also concerned that the media or members of Congress could interpret technical talks at this time as DOD and State conducting "business as usual" with the regime at the same time that the USG is denouncing the junta's actions. 3) (C) We have advised Major General Thein Shwe, of the Office of the Chief of Military Intelligence, of the postponement of the technical talks. We informed him that it would be inappropriate to conduct the talks due to the current circumstances. We reiterated our commitment to the recovery mission from a humanitarian perspective and told the general we would reopen discussions on the topic when appropriate. Martinez