ASSK'S BIRTHDAY PASSES QUIETLY

C O N F I D E N T I A L RANGOON 000779

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV; USPACOM FOR FPA
COMMERCE FOR ITA JEAN KELLY

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/20/2014
TAGS: PGOV PHUM BM ASSK NLD
SUBJECT: ASSK'S BIRTHDAY PASSES QUIETLY

REF: RANGOON 695

CLASSIFIED BY: DCM RONALD K. MCMULLEN FOR REASONS 1.4 (B,D)


1. (C) SUMMARY: AROUND 300 NLD PARTY FAITHFUL ATTENDED A
CEREMONY AT NLD HEADQUARTERS IN RANGOON TO MARK THE
NLD-CREATED BURMESE NATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY AND ASSK'S
COINCIDENT 59TH BIRTHDAY, WHILE THE USUAL HEAVY SECURITY
PRESENCE LOITERED NEARBY. THE DAY PASSED PEACEFULLY, AND NO
ARRESTS WERE MADE DESPITE A BALLOON RELEASE AND BLARING
PRO-ASSK MUSIC ON LOUDSPEAKERS OUTSIDE THE NLD PARTY
HEADQUARTERS, AND DESPITE A VERY PUBLIC NLD PROCESSIONAL
MARCH TO THE SHWEDAGON PAGODA AND BACK. ONLY THE U.S.
EMBASSY ATTENDED THE BIRTHDAY CEREMONY, AND ONLY THE BRITISH
EMBASSY JOINED US IN ATTENDING THE PROCESSION AT THE PAGODA.
END SUMMARY.


2. (U) DURING THE JUNE 19 CEREMONY AT NLD HEADQUARTERS
MARKING NATIONAL WOMAN'S DAY AND ASSK'S 59TH BIRTHDAY (HER
EIGHTH ONE IN DETENTION),THE NLD CENTRAL WOMEN'S COMMITTEE
DEMANDED ASSK'S RELEASE, AND CALLED ON BURMESE WOMEN TO BREAK
THE GLASS CEILING IN THE POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, AND SOCIAL
SECTORS. NLD SPOKESMAN U LWIN IN HIS RAMBLING SPEECH ALSO
CALLED FOR ASSK TO BE RELEASED, AND TOLD THE AUDIENCE THE
MILITARY WON'T TRANSFER POWER TO ASSK BECAUSE SHE IS A WOMAN.
HE CLAIMED THAT THAT ASSK HAS GIVEN THE GIFT OF UNITY TO
BURMA, THOUGH IRONICALLY ETHNIC NATIONALITIES HADN'T BEEN
INVITED AND DID NOT ATTEND THE CEREMONY.


3. (U) THE RANGOON PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL GAVE
PERMISSION FOR THE GATHERING, AND THE USUAL HEAVY MI AND
NATIONAL POLICE PRESENCE ACROSS THE STREET WAS PLAINLY
EVIDENT. POLOFF FOLLOWED THE POST-RALLY NLD PROCESSION TO
THE SHWEDAGON PAGODA, THE LARGEST PAGODA IN THE WORLD, WHERE
THERE APPEARED TO BE ONE SECURITY OFFICIAL FOR EVERY THREE
NLD PRESENT. THERE WERE NO ARRESTS, THOUGH MANY OF THE NLD
YOUTH, SEVERAL WHO HAD BEEN ARRESTED ON MAY 30 AND DETAINED
FOR SEVERAL DAYS FOR PASSING OUT THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION
FOR HUMAN RIGHTS (REFTEL),WORE THEIR UNIFORM TEE-SHIRTS WITH
A PICTURE OF GENERAL AUNG SAN ON THE FRONT AND "FREEDOM FROM
FEAR" WRITTEN IN ENGLISH ON THE BACK. DURING THE 45 MINUTE
VISIT TO THE SHWEDAGON, PLAINCLOTHES MI, THE UNIFORMED
NATIONAL POLICE, AND PAGODA SECURITY OFFICERS MADE OBVIOUS
ATTEMPTS TO BLEND INTO THE CROWD, OUT OF FEAR THAT U.S. AND
BRITISH DIPLOMATS WOULD FIND THEIR PRESENCE OPPRESSIVE.


4. (C) COMMENT: THOUGH THIS IS THE EIGHTH TIME ASSK HAS
SPENT HER BIRTHDAY IN DETENTION, THE NLD FAITHFUL IN
ATTENDANCE APPEARED FULLY COMMITTED TO CONTINUING THE QUIET
FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY. HOWEVER, THE ADVANCED AGE AND LOW
ENERGY LEVEL OF THE CENTRAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE "UNCLES" WERE
IN SHARP CONTRAST TO THE YOUTH AND ACTIVISM OF THE NEW
GENERATION OF NLD, WHO CONTINUE TO BE KEEN TO TAKE THE
PRO-DEMOCRACY MESSAGE TO THE STREET. EVEN MORE SIGNIFICANT
WAS THE DEARTH OF ACKNOWLEDGMENT, MUCH LESS VOCAL SUPPORT,
FROM THE THOUSANDS OF ONLOOKERS AS THE HUNDREDS OF NLD MADE
THEIR WAY THROUGH THE CROWDED NEIGHBORHOOD TO THE SHWEDAGON
ENTRANCE. FURTHER EVIDENCE OF A NATION COMPLETELY SUBDUED BY
THE REGIME, EVEN ON THE BIRTHDAY OF GENERAL AUNG SAN'S
SO-FAMOUS DAUGHTER. AND PERHAPS AS NOTEWORTHY, NONE OF THE
OTHER EU "FRIENDS" OF THE NLD SHOWING UP IS EVIDENCE OF
WANING INTERNATIONAL INTEREST. END COMMENT.
MARTINEZ