NLD REACTION TO GAMBARI VISIT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 000700

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/MLS; PACOM FOR FPA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/26/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM ECON PREL BM
SUBJECT: NLD REACTION TO GAMBARI VISIT

REF: RANGOON 679

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Classified By: CDA Shari Villarosa for Reasons 1.4 (b,d)

1.(C) Summary: Charge met NLD Chairman U Aung Shwe,
Secretary U Lwin, and Committee Member U Nyunt Wei at their

SIPDIS
request to discuss UN Under Secretary General Gambari's
briefing to diplomats about his visit to Burma (reftel).
They offered more details of their own meeting with Gambari
and indicated support for continued UN Headquarters
involvement. Based on their impressions, we offer some
useful points to make when Gambari briefs the UN Security
Council (UNSC). End Summary.


2. (C) The NLD leaders were especially interested in more
details of Gambari's meeting with Than Shwe and if he had
used the term "common ground." Charge explained that Gambari
repeatedly used that term during his briefing to characterize
the role of the UN in facilitating more inclusive political
discussions, including with the NLD. Gambari had described
Than Shwe as recognizing the need to make compromises, but
cautioned that it might require more prodding of the regime
to see results.


3. (C) The NLD leaders said Gambari urged them to join the
National Convention to help "save the SPDC's face." The NLD
leaders told Gambari about NLD's earlier participation, but
found their proposals ignored and 104 broad principles
announced from the top without any consultation with NLD. U
Lwin said that the regime organized mass rallies with the
government-organized Union Solidarity Development Association
(USDA) to claim popular support for the principles. He
pointed out at the time that the people cannot support
something that they do not know about. U Myo Nyunt, then
Convention Chairman, replied that the Convention would go on
even without participation of NLD. U Nyunt Wai complained
that the SPDC never announce anything publicly, "it is part
of their code," and worried that they would take advantage of
NLD. The NLD leaders handed Gambari a letter from ethnic
leaders expressing regret he did not speak with them
directly. Gambari told them he had relied on the SPDC
arranging meetings.


4. (C) While the NLD leaders welcomed Gambari coming on a
fact-finding mission, they got the impression that Gambari's
primary focus was to persuade the NLD to rejoin the National
Convention without conditions. They also complained that
Gambari wanted to talk about process, while the NLD leaders
insisted that political decisions had to be made first
regarding the possibility of real debate and the fundamental
principles for discussion (indicating they did not want to be
bound by the principles already announced above).


5. (C) U Aung Shwe made it clear that NLD welcomed UN
Headquarters involvement to get SPDC and NLD talking, but
they did not have confidence in local UN officers to do that.
They complained that during their meeting with Gambari,
Charles Petrie kept insisting that the UN could play a role
at the "technical" level, whereas the NLD leaders asserted
that senior level engagement by all parties would be required
to get any talks going. They would welcome the appointment
of new UN envoy answerable to the Secretary General in New
York, saying they had positive dealings with the previous
envoys.


6. (C) The NLD leaders also expressed an interest in
Gambari's discussions regarding humanitarian assistance, and
in particular Aung San Suu Kyi's comment that the UN needed
to listen more to the people. The NLD leaders agreed with
that comment. U Lwin described his discussions with the UNDP
regarding what came to be known as the Global Fund. He
received cursory briefings, was never told the amount of

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money involved, and then the UNDP blamed NLD statements for
the Fund's cancellation.


7. (C) Charge assured the NLD senior leaders that U.S.
pressure would continue to strive for an open, inclusive
political dialogue and that we would follow Gambari's advice
and keep pushing the regime to open up more. The leaders
said NLD had always been flexible, and that they wanted a
smooth and non-violent transition. U Nyunt Wai, however,
added that while NLD wanted to achieve democracy peacefully,
"the soldiers are trained to take pain."


8. (C) Comment: The NLD leaders remain skeptical of the
Gambari visit, and will need to see concrete progress on
issues that address their concerns. As U Lwin said, they
have been bullied, harassed, and threatened for years. It is
also clear that they have no confidence in the UNDP, as the
lead UN agency in Rangoon, to be an objective facilitator to
achieve political dialogue, but they do have faith in UN
Headquarters. We should urge Gambari and the Secretary
General to stay personally engaged until a genuine dialogue
gets underway. Some other points that we should make after
Gambari's briefing of the UNSC: NLD joining a sham political
process does not advance democratization; we must insist that
all parties be able to openly discuss the political way
forward; they should not be bound by a roadmap imposed by the
generals. The onus should not be on NLD to "save SPDC's
face," but on SPDC to quit stonewalling and start a genuine
political dialogue. End Comment.
VILLAROSA