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