UWSA DRUG INDICTMENTS: ONE WEEK LATER

C O N F I D E N T I A L RANGOON 000138

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP AND INL; DEA FOR OF, OFF;
USPACOM FOR FPA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2015
TAGS: SNAR KCRM BM
SUBJECT: UWSA DRUG INDICTMENTS: ONE WEEK LATER

REF: A. RANGOON 88

B. RANGOON 66 AND PREVIOUS

Classified By: COM Carmen Martinez for Reasons 1.4 (B,D)


1. (C) Summary: The GOB has yet to go public with a reaction
to the January 24 indictments against seven top UWSA leaders,
although sources claim the GOB (and the Wa) are preparing to
hold press conferences. UNODC staff and NGO partners,
convinced that all is quiet and normal in Wa territory, are
anxious to return to the region and resume program
activities. The GOB has not authorized such a return,
intimating to UNODC that future, though unspecified, law
enforcement actions are pending--a likely reference to the
GOB's anticipation of further U.S. indictments, not to any
meaningful GOB measures against the indicted Wa leaders. End
Summary.


2. (U) The Government of Burma has thus far had no public
reaction to the January 24 unsealing of indictments in New
York against seven leaders of the United Wa State Army (UWSA)
(ref B). According to January 25 Chinese press reports, the
GOB captured and returned to China a major heroin smuggler
(Ma Shunsu). However, the reports indicated (and DEA has
confirmed) that Burmese police and army officials had
originally arrested Ma on January 9 and the action has no
connection to Operation Warlord.


3. (C) According to a senior GOB police source, the UWSA
plans to hold a press conference in the Wa capital of
Pangsang o/a February 5 addressing the indictments. The GOB,
the source told Emboff, has been planning to hold its own
press conference but has postponed doing so until the Wa go
public with their reaction to the indictments. That said,
the GOB source opined that "it is quite obvious (the SPDC)
will not arrest or extradite the Wa leaders; the government
will not do anything to destabilize the prevailing peace
agreement situation."


4. (C) A UNODC source in Pangsang reported that the city is
calm and most UWSA leaders have left town for their home
villages to celebrate Chinese New Year. The source had
spoken personally with UWSA Commander Pao Yu Hsian (Pao Yu
Chang) who "seemed very surprised that his name was on the
list of indictments." Pao and other Wa leaders indicated to
the source that, despite the indictments, they would maintain
their pledge to make Wa territory poppy-free by June 2005.


5. (SBU) UNODC's country representative concluded after
reviewing DOJ statements that the unsealing of the
indictments had few direct implications for the
organization's current programs in Burma and he decided
against issuing a press release (ref A). He has also
expressed to Emboffs a desire to return his expatriate staff
to Wa territory in order to resume programs. However, the
country rep acknowledged that GOB counterdrug officials have
not authorized their return, intimating to UNODC that future,
though unspecified, law enforcement actions are pending
(Comment: the GOB is likely referring to further U.S.
indictments, not GOB measures. End Comment).
Martinez