Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04RANGOON1450
2004-11-10 09:50:00
SECRET//NOFORN
Embassy Rangoon
Cable title:  

PRO-DEMOCRACY ETHNIC PARTIES SEEK USG ASSISTANCE

Tags:  KDEM EAID PINR PREL BM 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
S E C R E T RANGOON 001450 

SIPDIS

NOFORN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/10/2014
TAGS: KDEM EAID PINR PREL BM
SUBJECT: PRO-DEMOCRACY ETHNIC PARTIES SEEK USG ASSISTANCE

Classified By: CDA, a.i. Ronald McMullen for reasons 1.4 (b,d)

S E C R E T RANGOON 001450

SIPDIS

NOFORN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/10/2014
TAGS: KDEM EAID PINR PREL BM
SUBJECT: PRO-DEMOCRACY ETHNIC PARTIES SEEK USG ASSISTANCE

Classified By: CDA, a.i. Ronald McMullen for reasons 1.4 (b,d)


1. (S/NF) Hkun Htun Oo, acting in his capacity as head of the
ten-party United Nationalities Alliance (UNA),formally
requested USG financial assistance for UNA member parties for
"democracy and humanitarian affairs" in a meeting with
emboffs November 9th.


2. (SBU) Hkun Htun Oo, besides heading the UNA, is chairman
of Burma's second largest political party, the Shan
Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD). The UNA's other
nine members represent Chin, Mon, Kachin, Kayah, Arakanese,
and other pro-democracy ethnic parties.


3. (S/NF) The National League for Democracy, by far the
largest of Burma's pro-democracy parties, has made clear it
would not accept direct foreign support, although NLD General
Secretary Aung San Suu Kyi, we understand, is currently

SIPDIS
pondering several potential indirect mechanisms and will be
in touch with us by the end of November on this.


4. (S/NF) COMMENT: The timing of the UNA request for direct
USG support is not arbitrary. The purging of General Khin
Nyunt and the dismantling of his Military Intelligence
apparatus represents both a risk to and an opportunity for
the beleaguered pro-democracy ethnic political parties. The
risk involves the potential for a regime crackdown on
non-Burman ethnic groups in general, including pro-democracy
political parties and (sometimes allied) former insurgent
groups that have negotiated cease-fires with General Khin
Nyunt. The opportunity arises from the perhaps temporary
absence of an omnipotent state organ for domestic repression.
Bluntly put, they might be thinking, "Khin Nyunt's
informants are gone, but Maung Aye's troops might be more
stringent in the future; now's the time to put in place some
support mechanism for our long-suffering party and its
members." We note that support to pro-democracy groups would
not have the regime's sanction. END COMMENT.
MCMULLEN