DUTCH ON BURMA: EU WAITING UNTIL AUTUMN

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 001789 SIPDIS GENEVA FOR ECOSOC DELEGATION E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/14/2013 TAGS: PREL PGOV BM NL EUN SUBJECT: DUTCH ON BURMA: EU WAITING UNTIL AUTUMN REF: SECSTATE 200487 Classified By: A/PolCouns Nathaniel Dean Reasons 1.5 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) PolOff made reftel points to Roeland Kollen, Policy Officer in the MFA's South-East Asia Division, on July 11. Kollen said the EU will consider additional bilateral measures against Burma this fall; at present, the EU is deliberating on what other measures, if any, might be useful in promoting democratic change. Kollen said that the idea of an import ban has been brought up in informal conversations, but is not currently under serious consideration. He was unsure whether or not this idea would face great obstacles within the EU. The GoNL discourages Dutch companies from investing in Burma, but does not traditionally support import/export or investment bans. Kollen could not say whether or not the GoNL would approve such a ban in this situation. Note: At present, there is very little Dutch investment in Burma. End note. ¶2. (C) Dutch Foreign Minister Jaap de Hoop Scheffer plans to travel to Bali, Indonesia July 23-24 for the Asia-Europe (ASEM) Foreign Minister's meeting. The Dutch hope to have a bilateral with the Chinese on the margins, and Kollen stated that Burma will be on the list of topics. Kollen also said that the EU is reviewing options regarding Burma and the CHR/ECOSOC resolution. ¶3. (C) The Dutch are discussing UN Special Envoy Razali's current mission and mandate, and will closely watch his presentation to the ICG on July 15. Kollen opined whether a permanent mission in Burma, staffed by the right individual, might be a alternate plausible option. He also added that the Dutch "do not blame Razali" for the worsening situation in country. SOBEL