Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03RANGOON778
2003-06-27 09:17:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Rangoon
Cable title:  

EMBASSY OFFICERS VISIT RESIDENCES OF DETAINED

Tags:  PHUM BM NLD 
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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 RANGOON 000778 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP AND DRL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/26/2013
TAGS: PHUM BM NLD
SUBJECT: EMBASSY OFFICERS VISIT RESIDENCES OF DETAINED
SENIOR NLD OFFCIALS

REF: A. RANGOON 724


B. RANGOON 636

C. RANGOON 639

D. RANGOON 768

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

C O N F I D E N T I A L RANGOON 000778

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP AND DRL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/26/2013
TAGS: PHUM BM NLD
SUBJECT: EMBASSY OFFICERS VISIT RESIDENCES OF DETAINED
SENIOR NLD OFFCIALS

REF: A. RANGOON 724


B. RANGOON 636

C. RANGOON 639

D. RANGOON 768

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


1. (C) Summary: Pol/Econ chief, accompanied by a senior
Burmese FSN, went to the residences of eight of the ten CEC
members on June 26. We found the security at the houses of
the Central Committee members lax in contrast to 2000, when
the GOB posted military intelligence agents (MI) and Ministry
of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) officers at the houses of the CEC
members. Any easing may have been a result of the GOB not
believing that we would continue pressing to see the
detainees in the face of continuing stonewalling by the
government. Continued visits by U.S. Embassy officials serve
to keep not only the GOB, but also the democratic opposition,
on notice that we will continue to protest what is happening
here. End Summary.


2. (C) As part of post's continuing efforts to gain access
to members of the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the
National League for Democracy (NLD),Pol/Econ chief,
accompanied by a senior Burmese FSN, went to the residences
of eight of the ten CEC members on June 26. The GOB
continues to insist publicly they are not under arrest. Our
information, gleaned from loose-lipped guards at the gates,
as well as from conversations with members of the detainees'
families, indicates otherwise. In reality, the detainees are
under house arrest under the provisions of Section 10 (b) of
a 1975 law "restraining" them for up to year (Ref A - in
practice they can be held as long as the GOB sees fit).


3. (C) We found the security at the houses of the Central
Committee members lax in contrast to 2000, when the GOB
posted military intelligence agents (MI) and Ministry of
Foreign Affairs (MOFA) officers at the houses of the CEC
members. The current security is also less than was in place
in the first few days after the May 30 attack on ASSK and her
followers in Depeyin, when MI and MOFA were very much in
evidence when we were barred from entering the houses of
detained CEC members (Ref B). Currently, those same houses
are being watched by low-level local government officials and
USDA members.


4. (C) We did not get a chance to talk to the detained NLD
leaders, although several looked out from the windows of
their houses. We did talk to members of the households of
several of the detainees and were told that family members
are being allowed to go in and out of the residences. From
the information we gathered from the relatives, it seems the
detainees are in relatively good health and are allowed
visits from physicians. To judge from the reactions of the
family members, these latest visits were welcome, just as
before (Ref C). We will continue these visits as part of our
ongoing efforts (Ref D) to remind the GOB and the democratic
opposition, in a public way, that the USG's support for the
NLD is still strong.


5. (C) We took this opportunity to deliver invitations to
the CEC members for post's upcoming Independence Day
reception, and we were able to leave the invitations with
members of the household in all but one case. Post was
amused to see the French press release announcing that they
have invited Aung San Suu Kyi and the other detained NLD
leaders to their Bastille Day ceremony on July 14. In fact,
the French have passed their Bastille Day invitations to the
CEC and ASSK to us for delivery and we will try to deliver
them next week. Hopefully, the French will come along.


6. (C) Comment: The apparent slight easing of security and
permitting family members access to the detained CEC members
should not be taken as a sign that detainees will be released
any time soon. Any easing may have been a result of the GOB
not believing that we would continue pressing to see the
detainees in the face of continuing stonewalling by the
government. However, continued visits by U.S. Embassy
officials serve to keep not only the GOB, but also the
democratic opposition, on notice that we will continue to
protest what is happening here. End Comment.
Martinez