BURMESE CELEBRATE ASSK'S BIRTHDAY DESPITE CONTROLS

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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


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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

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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