BURMESE CELEBRATE ASSK'S BIRTHDAY DESPITE CONTROLS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 000816 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/MLS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/19/2016 TAGS: PGOV PHUM ECON PREL BM SUBJECT: BURMESE CELEBRATE ASSK'S BIRTHDAY DESPITE CONTROLS RANGOON 00000816 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Acting P/E Chief TLManlowe for Reasons 1.4 (b, d) ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Aung San Suu Kyi celebrated her 61st birthday within the walls of her compound in Rangoon, where she remains under house arrest. The NLD marked the day with a gathering of hundreds of supporters at party headquarters who attended a speaking competition, gave donations to the children of political prisoners, held candles and chanted, and signed a giant petition for her release. Police in Rangoon arrested a lone protester in front of the Town Hall, while in Bangkok, Thai Airways prevented activist Salai Tun Than from flying to Burma to stage a well-publicized personal protest. The GOB marked the day by aggressively filming the NLD events and by closing the road in front of Aung San Suu Kyi's house to both cars and pedestrians. Authorities were prepared to escort her to Shwedagon temple at 4:00 a.m. for traditional birthday prayers, but she apparently did not make such a request this year. End summary. ¶2. (C) Charge a.i. and P/E staff visited NLD headquarters on June 19 during public events to honor Aung San Suu Kyi's sixty-first birthday. An overflow crowd of 250-300 well wishers were present at mid-day. NLD spokesman Myint Thein estimated that 600-800 supporters would visit the small office building over the course of the day. Members and supporters came to listen to speakers, hold candles, chant calls for her release, view a debate competition organized by the Women's Committee, make donations for the education of children, including children of political prisoners, and sign a petition recognizing her birthday and calling for her freedom. U Nyunt Wei, an NLD Central Committee member, told us that NLD notified regime authorities about their plans for the celebration, but refused the regime's demand to apply for permission to gather, and decided to hold the celebration without formal permission. ¶3. (C) Emboffs added their names to hundreds already on the wall-sized petition that said, "We Can Solve Political Problems Politically - Release Aung San Suu Kyi and All Political Prisoners." U Myint Thein told us that many members, after signing, planned to go back to their villages and bring family and friends to sign, too, so NLD agreed to leave the petition open until June 21. Representatives from the 88 Generation Students and the Old Veterans' Organization also participated. Regime informers and photographers mixed freely with the crowd. The U.K. Embassy was the only other mission present for the petition launch. ¶4. (C) In a meeting on the edge of the activities, Central Executive Committee Chairman U Lwin told us that Aung San Suu Kyi had recovered fully, and confirmed that the doctor had been granted access to her compound several times to treat her June 8-11 illness. U Lwin said the doctor had not yet conducted his regular monthly visit for June. Two Korean tourists present at NLD to honor ASSK's birthday told us they had flown in on the Thai Airways flight that morning that Salai Tun Than had tried to board. They had briefed NLD about Salai Tun Than's plans to hold a press event later in the day in Bangkok. ¶5. (C) Police sources told us that they were prepared to take Aung San Suu Kyi to the Shwedagon Pagoda at 4:00 am today, but authorities never asked her directly if she planned to go this year, and she didn't request it. According to these sources, officials had escorted her to Kuauk Gyi pagoda in Insein Township on her birthday last year. (Note: Birthday visits to temples are common practice in Burma. End note.) ¶6. (C) Since early morning, heightened police presence was RANGOON 00000816 002.2 OF 002 visible along main routes in Rangoon, particularly from ASSK's house to the downtown area. Upgraded police barricades and reinforced squads of troops blocked both cars and pedestrians from approaching the area around her house on University Avenue. NLD leaders told us earlier that some members had planned to go to the house to honor Aung San Suu Kyi on her birthday, but NLD neither encouraged nor discouraged these efforts. The tight police control prevented any close approach, and a popular teashop across the street was closed for the day. Undercover security agents and police made no effort to hide their efforts to photograph and videotape everyone visiting NLD headquarters today. ¶7. (SBU) Press contacts confirmed that police quickly arrested a lone protester who was chanting his support for Aung San Suu Kyi in front of Town Hall at midday. Less than one hour later, no signs of a disturbance in that area were evident. Other supporters planned to mark the day by making offerings at monasteries and temples. ¶8. (C) Comment: The regime did its best to let Aung San Suu Kyi's birthday pass unnoticed today by preventing access to her home, closely monitoring NLD activities, and blocking all public protests. But the international attention, large public turnout at NLD headquarters, and private efforts to mark June 19 remind the GOB that, although she is out of sight, Aung San Suu Kyi is still very much in people's hearts and minds. End comment. STOLTZ