REQUEST TO SEE AUNG SAN SUU KYI DENIED

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 000213 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/MLS; PACOM FOR FPA E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/13/2016 TAGS: PGOV PHUM ECON PREL BM SUBJECT: REQUEST TO SEE AUNG SAN SUU KYI DENIED REF: A. RANGOON 110 ¶B. 05 RANGOON 1377 ¶C. 05 RANGOON 1346 ¶D. 05 RANGOON 1325 RANGOON 00000213 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Poloff Dean Tidwell for Reasons 1.4 (b, d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Min Lwin, Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' (MFA) Americas Division, told the Embassy on February 13 that the Charge would not be allowed to meet with imprisoned NLD Secretary General Aung San Suu Kyi (ASSK) "at this moment" because she remains "under restriction." Min Lwin said he was instructed to deliver a negative reply to our January 24 request, and added that the GOB had denied other recent requests to see ASSK, including from ASEAN leaders, so it was not "singling out" the United States. He also updated us on conditions in Pyinmana, hinting that the diplomatic corps would be invited to visit the new administrative capital in April or May. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) At MFA's request, Charge a.i. and poloff met on February 13 with U Min Lwin, Director of the Americas Division. Min Lwin began by stating that he was "instructed to explain" to us, in response to our January 24 diplomatic note, that ASSK remains "under restriction," and it is "not possible to meet with her at this moment." He said that ASSK is not allowed to meet anybody (Note: except her doctor, ref ¶A. End Note.),and that the regime also had refused recent requests from ASEAN leaders. When pressed, Min Lwin could not offer any updates on ASSK's condition, when her "restriction" would end, or when others could meet her; he said superiors tasked him only to deny our request. A TOUGH TRANSITION ¶3. (C) Min Lwin had just returned from several weeks working in the new administrative capital of Pyinmana. He claimed that all was going well there. The Deputy Foreign Minister planned to move to Pyinmana from Rangoon by the end of February. Min Lwin said that all of the Americas Division and most other divisions of MFA would also move to Pyinmana by then, but 50 percent of the protocol and language divisions will remain behind. Searching for positive spin, he said with nine hydroelectric projects in the Pyinmana area, power supply was "much better than in Rangoon," that housing was "adequate," and that the MFA compound was only seven miles from the main town of Pyinmana, where food and most other "basic goods" were available. New vendors had quickly moved into the area to cater to the influx of civil servants, he added. ¶4. (C) On the down side, Min Lwin said the Americas Division now shares a single telephone line with three other MFA divisions, so direct communication remains difficult (ref D). He promised that his division would have its own direct line in a few weeks and promised to share the number with us. For the time being, he relied on his personal email account to communicate. He also said that road construction is still incomplete and is making Pyinmana very dusty (ref C). Min Lwin said the GOB might delay the initial tour for the diplomatic corps (ref B) from April to May if roadwork has not been completed. When we asked about a rumored March visit by the defense attache corps for Armed Forces Day, Min Lwin said he had heard the rumors, too, but that nothing had been decided. He said ten hotels are under construction for visitors, but "not 5-stars in quality." ¶5. (C) Comment: We will continue to push for access to ASSK through every means, but the GOB made it clear that formal channels via the MFA will not yield much. Their denial of ASEAN requests shows that the continued isolation of political opposition remains a higher priority than Burma's relations with ASEAN, not to mention its much poorer RANGOON 00000213 002.2 OF 002 relations with us. End Comment. VILLAROSA