BURMA: NLD PLANS NEW PETITION DRIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L RANGOON 000646 SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV; PACOM FOR FPA E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/25/2015 TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM BM NLD SUBJECT: BURMA: NLD PLANS NEW PETITION DRIVE REF: 04 RANGOON 924 Classified By: COM Carmen Martinez for Reasons 1.4 (b,d) ¶1. (C) On May 26 NLD Chairman U Aung Shwe and Secretary U Lwin requested a meeting with P/E chief and poloff to inform the Embassy that the party plans to launch a petition drive on May 27, coinciding with an NLD 15th anniversary commemoration of the 1990 legislative election. The new petition drive, which complements a broader, year-old signature campaign (reftel),will target Members-elect of Parliament for signatures and demand that the SPDC undertake the following: --the immediate and unconditional release of all democracy activists--including Aung San Suu Kyi, U Tin Oo, and various ethnic leaders--detained "under fabricated reasons;" --a meaningful and substantive dialogue between the SPDC and the NLD; --the convening of Parliament. ¶2. (C) U Aung Shwe, who asked that information regarding the petition remain confidential until the NLD issues a statement and launches the petition on May 27, acknowledged that the regime has viewed party tactics involving the MPs-elect as provocative and responded with mass arrests. "We expect some repercussions," said U Aung Shwe, with enthusiasm. U Lwin noted that the number of MPs-elect has dwindled considerably since 1990, with many having died, fled into exile, or disappeared into the GOB's prison gulag. ¶3. (C) In a related request, a senior NLD member approached Emboffs on May 26 to seek assistance in distributing letters from the NLD leadership to parliamentary leaders throughout the region, including several ASEAN countries, Japan, and South Korea. The NLD official said that the party did not trust the embassies of those countries to make delivery of the letters, which address Burma's political situation and party objectives. ¶4. (C) Comment: With Department concurrence, we will forward these letters to relevant posts to use at their discretion in engaging host-country parliamentarians. Delivery of the NLD's letter would be a significant source of support for Burma's pro-democracy movement. End Comment. Martinez