Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07JAKARTA2211
2007-08-14 07:27:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Jakarta
Cable title:
UN ENVOY GAMBARI DISCUSSES BURMA WITH AMBASSADOR
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C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 002211
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, IO/UNP
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/13/2017
TAGS: PREL PHUM PGOV ID BM
SUBJECT: UN ENVOY GAMBARI DISCUSSES BURMA WITH AMBASSADOR
Classified By: Ambassador Cameron R. Hume for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 002211
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, IO/UNP
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/13/2017
TAGS: PREL PHUM PGOV ID BM
SUBJECT: UN ENVOY GAMBARI DISCUSSES BURMA WITH AMBASSADOR
Classified By: Ambassador Cameron R. Hume for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) SUMMARY: Special Representative of the
Secretary-General (SRSYG) Ibrahim Gambari visited Indonesia
SIPDIS
August 10 on a round of regional consultations re the UN
SYG's good offices' mandate on Burma. He assured Ambassador
Hume that Chinese and Russian officials would push the
Burmese to work with him. Gambari found ASEAN interlocutors
supportive of his efforts. He added that Indonesian
officials were frustrated with the lack of progress in Burma.
END SUMMARY
2. (C) WORKING WITH CHINA AND RUSSIA: Gambari discussed his
recent meetings on Burma in Beijing and Moscow. The Chinese
and Russian governments, according to Gambari, do not see
Burma as a threat to international peace and security and
thus they hold the position that the regime is not an
appropriate target for UNSC action. China and Russia remain
opposed to referring Burma to the UN Human Rights Council for
action. By default, Gambari said, the SYG's good offices
mandate was the only viable mechanism for international
engagement on the issue. Chinese and Russian interlocutors
had told him that they would press the regime in Rangoon to
work constructively with his mission so that the good
offices' process could deliver tangible results.
3. (C) ASEAN SUPPORTIVE: Based on meetings at the ASEAN
Secretariat in Jakarta and with governments in other ASEAN
SIPDIS
capitals, Gambari reported ASEAN support for his mission. He
cautioned, however, that there was a danger the ASEAN
countries would slacken their efforts to push reform in
Burma, seeing the UN's good offices' effort as a substitute
for bilateral or other multilateral action. He urged the USG
to maintain pressure on ASEAN members to support the UN
process and to maintain their own efforts to promote reform
in Rangoon.
4. (C) Ambassador Hume responded that the USG would continue
to push the issue, but noted that ASEAN's consensus-based
approach made it very easy for one state to block effective
action. For this reason, momentum for ASEAN action had to
come from within the organization. ASEAN had to realize that
international patience with inaction on Burma was not
unlimited.
5. (C) GOI FRUSTRATED: While in Indonesia, Gambari met FM
Wirajuda and former FM Ali Alatas. Gambari commended
Indonesia's creation of a national human rights commission
and said all ASEAN members should establish similar bodies.
This, he added, would stimulate stronger ASEAN action on
Burma. Gambari also reported that FM Wirajuda was
particularly frustrated with the slow pace of progress in
Burma. In light of this, there was a danger that the GOI
could eventually lose interest in pushing for reform there.
HUME
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, IO/UNP
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/13/2017
TAGS: PREL PHUM PGOV ID BM
SUBJECT: UN ENVOY GAMBARI DISCUSSES BURMA WITH AMBASSADOR
Classified By: Ambassador Cameron R. Hume for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) SUMMARY: Special Representative of the
Secretary-General (SRSYG) Ibrahim Gambari visited Indonesia
SIPDIS
August 10 on a round of regional consultations re the UN
SYG's good offices' mandate on Burma. He assured Ambassador
Hume that Chinese and Russian officials would push the
Burmese to work with him. Gambari found ASEAN interlocutors
supportive of his efforts. He added that Indonesian
officials were frustrated with the lack of progress in Burma.
END SUMMARY
2. (C) WORKING WITH CHINA AND RUSSIA: Gambari discussed his
recent meetings on Burma in Beijing and Moscow. The Chinese
and Russian governments, according to Gambari, do not see
Burma as a threat to international peace and security and
thus they hold the position that the regime is not an
appropriate target for UNSC action. China and Russia remain
opposed to referring Burma to the UN Human Rights Council for
action. By default, Gambari said, the SYG's good offices
mandate was the only viable mechanism for international
engagement on the issue. Chinese and Russian interlocutors
had told him that they would press the regime in Rangoon to
work constructively with his mission so that the good
offices' process could deliver tangible results.
3. (C) ASEAN SUPPORTIVE: Based on meetings at the ASEAN
Secretariat in Jakarta and with governments in other ASEAN
SIPDIS
capitals, Gambari reported ASEAN support for his mission. He
cautioned, however, that there was a danger the ASEAN
countries would slacken their efforts to push reform in
Burma, seeing the UN's good offices' effort as a substitute
for bilateral or other multilateral action. He urged the USG
to maintain pressure on ASEAN members to support the UN
process and to maintain their own efforts to promote reform
in Rangoon.
4. (C) Ambassador Hume responded that the USG would continue
to push the issue, but noted that ASEAN's consensus-based
approach made it very easy for one state to block effective
action. For this reason, momentum for ASEAN action had to
come from within the organization. ASEAN had to realize that
international patience with inaction on Burma was not
unlimited.
5. (C) GOI FRUSTRATED: While in Indonesia, Gambari met FM
Wirajuda and former FM Ali Alatas. Gambari commended
Indonesia's creation of a national human rights commission
and said all ASEAN members should establish similar bodies.
This, he added, would stimulate stronger ASEAN action on
Burma. Gambari also reported that FM Wirajuda was
particularly frustrated with the slow pace of progress in
Burma. In light of this, there was a danger that the GOI
could eventually lose interest in pushing for reform there.
HUME