THE NLD ENFORCES "PARTY DISCIPLINE"

C O N F I D E N T I A L RANGOON 001315 SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV; PACOM FOR FPA E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/03/2014 TAGS: PGOV PHUM BM NLD SUBJECT: THE NLD ENFORCES "PARTY DISCIPLINE" REF: A. RANGOON 1149 ¶B. RANGOON 1277 Classified By: COM Carmen Martinez for Reasons 1.4 (b,d) ¶1. (C) Summary: On September 29, the NLD CEC suspended three local level party leaders following an "unauthorized" quiet march in support of several standard NLD policy positions. One senior NLD advisor told us that that the CEC, including ASSK, believes "party discipline must be enforced--otherwise the movement risks falling into chaos." Regretfully, the party's public display of internal fissures signals to the regime that the SPDC's pressure tactics, aimed at squeezing the NLD and rendering the democracy movement ineffective, are showing results. End Summary. ¶2. (U) On September 27 several dozen members of the National League for Democracy (NLD) undertook a quiet march from party headquarters to nearby UNDP offices to deliver a letter calling for U.N. recognition of the results of the 1990 elections, help in freeing Aung San Suu Kyi and political prisoners, and other NLD positions. The march took place following an NLD commemoration of the pro-democracy party's 16th anniversary. ¶3. (SBU) However, NLD leaders on September 29 suspended at least three women members of the party for their role in organizing the "unauthorized" demonstration. According to senior party sources, the NLD Central Executive Committee (CEC) was unaware of the march and did not direct the action. CEC members were displeased by wire reports covering the event, which characterized the contents of the letter as official NLD policy. In addition to addressing ASSK's detention and the 1990 elections, the letter reportedly called for the convening of a "People's Parliament," an action previously advanced by the NLD that provoked the SPDC and led to intense repression and harassment of Members-elect of Parliament and other activists. ¶4. (C) One senior NLD advisor told us on October 2 that the decision to suspend the three women, local level party leaders from Rangoon and Magwe, was "made by all nine members of the CEC," signifying that ASSK and Vice Chairman U Tin Oo, also under house arrest, used back channels to weigh in on the issue. "The NLD is in a precarious situation," said the senior advisor, "and the CEC believes that strict party discipline must be enforced--otherwise the movement risks falling into chaos." ¶5. (C) Comment: The NLD, believed by many observers to be at its most beleaguered position in years, is clearly suffering the strains of regime pressure. The prolonged detention of the party's two key leaders (16 months and counting),the complete shutdown of all party activities outside of Rangoon, and an increase in arbitrary arrests and harassment (ref B) is taking its toll. As we have noted recently, the status quo is creating considerable frustration within the party, where a growing chorus of rank and file voices are demanding party action (ref A). Regretfully, the recent party suspensions are an airing of dirty laundry that signal to the regime that the SPDC's pressure tactics, aimed at squeezing the NLD and rendering the democracy movement ineffective, are showing results. End Comment. Martinez