BURMA: MALAYSIA SUPPORTIVE OF GAMBARI, BUT NOT

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUALA LUMPUR 001386 SIPDIS SIPDIS FOR IO/UNP/WICKBERG, EAP/MLS/COPE, EAP/MTS AND DRL/PAZ E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/20/2027 TAGS: PREL PHUM UNSC BU MY SUBJECT: BURMA: MALAYSIA SUPPORTIVE OF GAMBARI, BUT NOT ENTHUSIASTIC ON UNSC ROLE REF: A. STATE 125430 - SEEKING UNSC MEETING ON BURMA ¶B. KUALA LUMPUR 1375 - AMBASSADOR'S FAREWELL CALL ON FM Classified By: Political Section Chief Mark D. Clark for reasons 1.4 (b and d). ¶1. (C) The Malaysian Foreign Ministry's Under Secretary for Multilateral Political Affairs Division Shahrul Ikram, who oversees UN matters, stated September 13 that Malaysia supported Special Envoy Gambari's role, but did not agree that his travel to Burma should be so closely tied to another meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi, in reaction to ref A demarche presented by polchief. Malaysia did not have a strong view on the possible briefing by Gambari at the UNSC and the Foreign Ministry was not inclined to weigh in with Indonesia one way or another. If Indonesia asked fellow ASEAN members, Malaysia likely would not object to Indonesia supporting the UNSC brief. Malaysia, however, did not believe Burma constitutes an international security threat and the UNSC thus had a limited role. ¶2. (C) ASEAN should maintain the leading role on Burma, and Malaysia did not want the issue to be "hijacked by outside parties," Shahrul stated. Polchief asked if ASEAN leadership meant that ASEAN members had a plan and next steps for pushing for democratic change in Burma. "We are not happy with progress in Myanmar," Shahrul responded, but "frankly speaking" ASEAN members appeared "not quite sure" on how to proceed. In any event, Malaysia and other ASEAN members did not share the same sense of urgency as the U.S., he added. The ASEAN way would focus on long-term changes in Burma, working through non-confrontational means and consensus within ASEAN itself. ¶3. (C) As reported ref B, the Ambassador raised Burma during his September 3-4 farewell discussions with Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar. The Foreign Minister expressed support for Gambari, while backing ASEAN leadership on the Burma issue and arguing for engagement over sanctions. LAFLEUR