NLD THANKS SECRETARY RICE FOR SUPPORT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 000727 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/MLS; PACOM FOR FPA E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/04/2016 TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL OPDC BM SUBJECT: NLD THANKS SECRETARY RICE FOR SUPPORT REF: A. RANGOON 700 ¶B. RANGOON 669 ¶C. RANGOON 505 RANGOON 00000727 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Poloff Dean Tidwell for Reasons 1.4 (b, d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Qe National League for Democracy (NLD) passed a letter to the Secretary via Embassy Rangoon. The text of the letter appears below; the Charge will hand carry the original to Washington this week. In a June 2 meeting, NLD leaders reiterated concern that the UNSYG may request his representatives in the Rangoon UNDP office to manage a dialogue between the SPDC and the NLD. The NLD thinks the local UN offices should focus on what they do best -- humanitarian assistance, not political mediation. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) The NLD passed a letter to Embassy Rangoon on June 2 and requested we forward it to Secretary Rice. The Charge will hand carry the original letter to Washington, DC this week. BEGIN TEXT OF LETTER: National League for Democracy No. 97/b West Shwegondaing Street Bahan Township, Rangoon Her Excellency Dr. Condoleezza Rice Secretary of State SIPDIS United States Department of State June 1, 2006 Excellency, We, on behalf of the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the National League for Democracy (NLD) and the people of Burma, would like to express our heartfelt thanks for your remarks made on May 29, 2006, regarding the political impasse in this country, immediate and unconditional release of all prisoners of conscience, including Nobel Laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and to cease persecution of ethnic minorities by SPDC. As you have stated, NLD has made every possible attempt to begin a politically meaningful dialogue with the SPDC to solve, in a peaceful way, the current problems that our people are facing daily. SPDC has also ignored all the reasonable approaches made by the international community to mediate between the junta and the opposition. Even the recent mission of H.E. Mr. Ibrahim Gambari, the Under-Secretary General for Political Affairs of the UN could not have made an impact on the intransigent stance of the regime. We are greatly encouraged by your commitment to be the partner of Burmese people in working for freedom, peace and prosperity in this country and hope that your Government's attempt to bring the issue to Burma into the agenda of the United Nations Security Council will be maintained and be fruitful. Thank Your Excellency again for the statement. Yours truly, (Signed) Aung Shwe RANGOON 00000727 002.2 OF 002 Chairman (Signed) U Lwin Secretary SIPDIS END TEXT OF LETTER. ¶3. (C) During a June 2 meeting with visiting EAP/MLS Director Scot Marciel, NLD leaders U Lwin and U Nyunt Wai reiterated concern that the UN might task its Rangoon UNDP office to be a liaison between the SPDC and the NLD (ref A). The NLD takes strong exception to any mediation role for the UN's Rangoon office and stressed that the UNDP should remain focused on its mandate of delivering vital humanitarian assistance to needy Burmese people. The NLD leaders stated that their main objective remains the start of a direct dialogue between the SPDC and the NLD (ref C). They would like such wording included in any new UN resolution on Burma. ¶4. (C) In response to a question about recent resignations of NLD party members, the leaders responded that the few people who resigned had been "out of touch" with the NLD for years. While admitting that the NLD has nowhere near the 20 million members it had leading up to the 1990 elections, U Nyunt Wai said a solid core remains. He felt confident that party members would become active again should new elections ever take place. ¶5. (C) COMMENT: The UNDP Rangoon office's need to cooperate with the regime to carry out its humanitarian projects causes NLD leaders to question its impartiality in a political dialogue. Although the NLD may now be a shadow of its former self, its ability to survive 16 years after the last election despite extreme pressure from the regime testifies to the commitment of its core membership. Its ability to remain relevant, however, is contingent on having a role in any political dialogue and on the emergence of capable younger leaders who can carry the baton -- and the willingness of its aging leadership to release that baton at the right time. END COMMENT. VILLAROSA