Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06PRAGUE85
2006-01-26 16:36:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Prague
Cable title:
CZECH DEMOCRACY PROMOTION: BURMA AND NORTH KOREA
how-toVZCZCXRO3211 PP RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR DE RUEHPG #0085/01 0261636 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 261636Z JAN 06 FM AMEMBASSY PRAGUE TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6876 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 0198 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0542 RUEHGO/AMEMBASSY RANGOON 0061 RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 0295 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0194 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0079 RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PRAGUE 000085
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/NCE, EAP/BCLTV, AND EAP/K
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/25/2016
TAGS: PREL KDEM BM KN EZ
SUBJECT: CZECH DEMOCRACY PROMOTION: BURMA AND NORTH KOREA
REF: A. PRAGUE 0058
B. PRAGUE 0066
C. PRAGUE 0068
D. PRAGUE 0046
E. 2005 PRAGUE 1515
Classified By: A/DCM MICHAEL DODMAN FOR REASONS 1.4 B+D.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PRAGUE 000085
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/NCE, EAP/BCLTV, AND EAP/K
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/25/2016
TAGS: PREL KDEM BM KN EZ
SUBJECT: CZECH DEMOCRACY PROMOTION: BURMA AND NORTH KOREA
REF: A. PRAGUE 0058
B. PRAGUE 0066
C. PRAGUE 0068
D. PRAGUE 0046
E. 2005 PRAGUE 1515
Classified By: A/DCM MICHAEL DODMAN FOR REASONS 1.4 B+D.
1. (C) Summary. This is the fourth in a series of cables
highlighting Czech democracy promotion efforts. The Czechs
plan to launch new Czech democracy promotion projects in
Burma and North Korea in 2006. These projects are motivated
by the GOCR's interest in helping these countries peacefully
overthrow their dictators and develop sustainable
democracies. As in Cuba and Eastern Europe, the Czechs will
likely focus on educating civil society as their primary tool
to encourage the spread of democracy. Details of Czech
democracy projects in Iraq will be provided septel. See refs
A, B, and C for details on projects in Cuba, Belarus,
Ukraine, and Moldova. End summary.
2. (U) Poloff recently discussed Czech democracy promotion
and foreign policy in Burma and North Korea with Gabriela
Dlouha, Director of Czech MFA's Transformation Cooperation
Unit (TRANS),and separately with Jan Fury, Director of the
Asia and Pacific Department. Poloff also met with
representatives of TRANS' NGO partner, People in Need (PIN),
including Igor Blazevic, Director; and Ondrej Soukup and
Kristina Prunerova, Human Rights and Democracy Department.
BURMA
3. (C) According to Jan Fury, Director of the Asia and
Pacific Department, the Czech policy on Burma is still being
developed internally (the MFA is currently debating the
wisdom of opening an Embassy in Rangoon) (ref D). Whatever
the outcome of these policy discussions, Gabriela Dlouha,
TRANS Director, reported that Burma will be a TRANS priority
country in 2006. TRANS will announce the Burma projects it
will fund in March 2006.
4. (C) Dlouha described the one TRANS project conducted in
Burma in 2005: a documentary-making seminar. Surprisingly,
the GOB permitted a Czech-Burmese woman to conduct the
seminar in Rangoon to a small group of approximately 15
people. The participants produced documentaries on various
topics, and in the process learned about the art and
philosophy of making documentary films. TRANS provided all
the photography equipment and supplies for the project, which
participants were permitted to keep after the project's
conclusion. Dlouha said she hoped that small, untraditional
projects like this would serve as a catalyst to encourage
self-expression, and possibly change, in Burma. TRANS may
host a reception in February 2006 featuring the work of the
filmmakers.
5. (C) PIN confirmed that it expects TRANS to be the primary
funder of PIN democracy promotion efforts in Burma in 2006.
Accordingly, PIN has submitted a number of proposals,
including a fact-finding mission to assess the needs in
Burma, a possible radio project (similar to the ERB project
for Belarus),and a public awareness campaign in Europe.
Blazevic said awareness building is a top priority: none of
the other Visegrad-4 countries (Slovakia, Hungary, and
Poland) is currently focused on Burma.
6. (C) To date, PIN has provided only minimal assistance in
Burma (without TRANS funding),including providing financial
assistance to families of political prisoners, and smuggling
essential supplies, such as computer hardware, into Burma.
Also, PIN currently is hosting three Burmese interns, who
will work in the PIN offices in Prague for three months.
NORTH KOREA
7. (C) As in case of Burma, the Czechs are still developing
their approach to North Korea. They maintain diplomatic
relations, and hope to be a force for change through
constructive engagement, whether by improving the
humanitarian situation or promoting development of civil
society, or both (refs D, E).
8. (C) On the assistance side, Dlouha says North Korea is a
PRAGUE 00000085 002 OF 002
priority country, and she hopes to receive project proposals
from PIN and other Czech NGOs for North Korea in 2006. PIN
confirms that it is not active in North Korea yet, but it is
exploring options. (It was unclear whether PIN submitted
project proposals to TRANS for 2006.) PIN said its
representatives will attend an NGO conference on North Korea
in Norway in May 2006, and PIN hopes to cooperate with one or
more Norwegian NGO partners in North Korea in the future.
CABANISS
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/NCE, EAP/BCLTV, AND EAP/K
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/25/2016
TAGS: PREL KDEM BM KN EZ
SUBJECT: CZECH DEMOCRACY PROMOTION: BURMA AND NORTH KOREA
REF: A. PRAGUE 0058
B. PRAGUE 0066
C. PRAGUE 0068
D. PRAGUE 0046
E. 2005 PRAGUE 1515
Classified By: A/DCM MICHAEL DODMAN FOR REASONS 1.4 B+D.
1. (C) Summary. This is the fourth in a series of cables
highlighting Czech democracy promotion efforts. The Czechs
plan to launch new Czech democracy promotion projects in
Burma and North Korea in 2006. These projects are motivated
by the GOCR's interest in helping these countries peacefully
overthrow their dictators and develop sustainable
democracies. As in Cuba and Eastern Europe, the Czechs will
likely focus on educating civil society as their primary tool
to encourage the spread of democracy. Details of Czech
democracy projects in Iraq will be provided septel. See refs
A, B, and C for details on projects in Cuba, Belarus,
Ukraine, and Moldova. End summary.
2. (U) Poloff recently discussed Czech democracy promotion
and foreign policy in Burma and North Korea with Gabriela
Dlouha, Director of Czech MFA's Transformation Cooperation
Unit (TRANS),and separately with Jan Fury, Director of the
Asia and Pacific Department. Poloff also met with
representatives of TRANS' NGO partner, People in Need (PIN),
including Igor Blazevic, Director; and Ondrej Soukup and
Kristina Prunerova, Human Rights and Democracy Department.
BURMA
3. (C) According to Jan Fury, Director of the Asia and
Pacific Department, the Czech policy on Burma is still being
developed internally (the MFA is currently debating the
wisdom of opening an Embassy in Rangoon) (ref D). Whatever
the outcome of these policy discussions, Gabriela Dlouha,
TRANS Director, reported that Burma will be a TRANS priority
country in 2006. TRANS will announce the Burma projects it
will fund in March 2006.
4. (C) Dlouha described the one TRANS project conducted in
Burma in 2005: a documentary-making seminar. Surprisingly,
the GOB permitted a Czech-Burmese woman to conduct the
seminar in Rangoon to a small group of approximately 15
people. The participants produced documentaries on various
topics, and in the process learned about the art and
philosophy of making documentary films. TRANS provided all
the photography equipment and supplies for the project, which
participants were permitted to keep after the project's
conclusion. Dlouha said she hoped that small, untraditional
projects like this would serve as a catalyst to encourage
self-expression, and possibly change, in Burma. TRANS may
host a reception in February 2006 featuring the work of the
filmmakers.
5. (C) PIN confirmed that it expects TRANS to be the primary
funder of PIN democracy promotion efforts in Burma in 2006.
Accordingly, PIN has submitted a number of proposals,
including a fact-finding mission to assess the needs in
Burma, a possible radio project (similar to the ERB project
for Belarus),and a public awareness campaign in Europe.
Blazevic said awareness building is a top priority: none of
the other Visegrad-4 countries (Slovakia, Hungary, and
Poland) is currently focused on Burma.
6. (C) To date, PIN has provided only minimal assistance in
Burma (without TRANS funding),including providing financial
assistance to families of political prisoners, and smuggling
essential supplies, such as computer hardware, into Burma.
Also, PIN currently is hosting three Burmese interns, who
will work in the PIN offices in Prague for three months.
NORTH KOREA
7. (C) As in case of Burma, the Czechs are still developing
their approach to North Korea. They maintain diplomatic
relations, and hope to be a force for change through
constructive engagement, whether by improving the
humanitarian situation or promoting development of civil
society, or both (refs D, E).
8. (C) On the assistance side, Dlouha says North Korea is a
PRAGUE 00000085 002 OF 002
priority country, and she hopes to receive project proposals
from PIN and other Czech NGOs for North Korea in 2006. PIN
confirms that it is not active in North Korea yet, but it is
exploring options. (It was unclear whether PIN submitted
project proposals to TRANS for 2006.) PIN said its
representatives will attend an NGO conference on North Korea
in Norway in May 2006, and PIN hopes to cooperate with one or
more Norwegian NGO partners in North Korea in the future.
CABANISS