BURMA: PM ABDULLAH SAYS CONSTRUCTIVE ENGAGEMENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUALA LUMPUR 001470

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/28/2017
TAGS: PREL PHUM UNSC BM MY
SUBJECT: BURMA: PM ABDULLAH SAYS CONSTRUCTIVE ENGAGEMENT
HAS FAILED; BURMESE PROTEST IN KUALA LUMPUR

REF: A. KUALA LUMPUR 1439 - DOES NOT BACK UNSC ROLE

B. KUALA LUMPUR 1386 - NOT ENTHUSIASTIC ON UNSC ROLE

Classified By: Political Section Chief Mark D. Clark
for reasons 1.4 (b and d).

Summary
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1. (C) Following the release of the tough September 27 ASEAN
statement on Burma, both Prime Minister Abdullah and Foreign
Minister Hamid hardened their tone and concluded that ASEAN
would have to rethink its demands and expectations vis--vis
Burma, with the PM stating that ASEAN's "constructive
engagement has not succeeded." Earlier in the week, FM Hamid
described the region's disappointment with Burma, but he also
drew praise from Burmese officials for reiterating Malaysia's
stand against use of sanctions. MFA Secretary General Rastam
reportedly focused on China's crucial role and ASEAN's
limited options in a conversation with our British
counterparts. Opposition leaders openly criticized the GOM's
oil and gas deals with Burma, accusing the government of
undermining reform by enriching Burma's military leadership.
Some 2,000 Burmese refugees, migrant laborers, students and
political activists staged a demonstration in front of the
Burmese Embassy in Kuala Lumpur on September 28 in a show of
solidarity with the recent protests in Rangoon. Local
newspapers continued for a third day to give prominent
billing to the protests in Rangoon. End Summary.

Malaysian Leaders Take Stronger Stand Following ASEAN
Statement
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2. (SBU) In light of the hard-hitting ASEAN statement of
September 27 expressing revulsion at the military crackdown
in Burma, Malaysian leaders in New York took a stronger tone
in their Burma comments and signaled recognition that the
situation in Burma required a change in approach. The
official news agency Bernama reported PM Abdullah's toughest
statements yet. After release of the ASEAN statement PM
Abdullah commented that "constructive engagement...has not
succeeded. It was a formula that we used when dealing with
Myanmar but up to this stage it has not been successful." PM
Abdullah continued that, "It has been already many years now
and the situation that has now erupted in Myanmar certainly
reflects the true situation and the feelings of the people
with regard to the political situation." Against the
backdrop of these mass demonstrations, Abdullah said, ASEAN
had to rethink its demands and expectations vis--vis Burma.
He emphasized that "ASEAN has never issued such a statement
on Myanmar - until now."


3. (SBU) Foreign Minister Hamid followed suit by changing
his tune. Speaking after the September 27 ASEAN statement,
Hamid said that the Burma situation was now "beyond ASEAN's
control...It has become an international issue which we in
ASEAN must give attention to." He referred to ASEAN's demand
for the release of ASSK and said it was time for the Burma
government to listen to the people. Earlier in the week he
had noted Malaysia's clear disappointment with Burma's lack
of progress and Burma's embarrassment to the region. As
recently as September 25-26, however, the Foreign Minister
also repeated Malaysia's long standing policy of
non-interference in domestic problems of another nation,
ruled out agreeing to any economic sanctions against the
junta, and argued that sanctions would only hurt the people
and not affect the ruling government. Hamid further
remarked, "We think the best way of resolving the issue is to
get the constitutional process on track, to get the
reconciliation going." In remarks carried by Malaysia's
official news agency, the head of Burma's information agency
later expressed appreciation at Malaysia's rejection of
economic sanctions and reiterated Hamid's remarks that Burma
has ample natural resources to withstand Western economic
sanctions.


4. (C) We received a read-out from a British diplomat on
their September 28 conversation with MFA Secretary General
Rastam. Rastam said Malaysia shared the international
concern over Burma and fully supported UN Special Envoy
Gambari's mission. He also noted, however, that Chinese
influence over Burma was crucial and implied, according to
the British diplomat, that there was little ASEAN as a whole
could achieve. Instead, it may be up to individual ASEAN
countries to engage in their own ways.


KUALA LUMP 00001470 002 OF 002


Opposition Statement Calls for Work with U.S., Others
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5. (SBU) Pointing out the dichotomy between mere words and
actions, Malaysia's leader of opposition in Parliament, Lim
Kit Siang, released a statement on September 28 urging
stronger action: "ASEAN leaders cannot just wring their hands
in impotence and revulsion with another round of violent
crackdown of peaceful protestors in Burma. They should work
with China, India, Russia, United States and European Union
to craft a joint response to end the spiral of violence by
the Burmese military." Lim urged PM Abdullah to place Burma
as the top priority in his address to the UN, and to rally
international support for a special debate in the General
Assembly as well as an emergency meeting of the Security
Council. Opposition party members complained that Malaysia's
national oil company, Petronas, exacerbated the issues in
Burma by propping up the junta with lucrative oil and gas
deals. MP Teresa Kok from the opposition Democratic Action
Party told the press: "These investments enrich the junta and
prolong their helm. Worse still, they use such money to buy
weapons deployed against their own citizens."

Burmese Protest in Kuala Lumpur
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6. (SBU) Up to two thousand Burmese refugees, migrant
laborers, students and political activists staged a protest
in front of the Burmese Embassy in Kuala Lumpur on September

28. Malaysian riot police with water cannons parked nearby
guarded the front of the Burmese Embassy, but the peaceful
protest brought no untoward reaction from the police. The
street in front of the Burmese embassy was closed to traffic
for approximately two hours as many of the demonstrators,
mostly clad in red, sat down in the middle of the street in a
show of solidarity with their countrymen protesting in
Rangoon. After protesting in front of the Burmese Embassy,
the crowd moved one block north and continued their
demonstration in front of the Chinese Embassy. The
demonstration ended peacefully and there was no damage to
property nor any injuries reported.

Local Press Coverage
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7. (SBU) Local newspapers continued for a third day to give
front page or prominent international section billing to the
protests in Rangoon. Print and online media focused on the
recent crackdown in Burma, but the print media predictably
remained more neutral in its reporting. Online news portal
Malaysiakini criticized Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar's
comments characterizing the crackdown in Burma as an
"internal problem" and that Malaysia's position was "not to
interfere."

Comment
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8. (C) The stronger statements by Prime Minister Abdullah and
Foreign Minister Hamid in the wake of the tough ASEAN
position are welcome. Public acknowledgement of constructive
engagement's failure clearly implies the need for a new
approach. A continued and concerted effort on the part of
other ASEAN nations will increase the chances of Malaysia
agreeing to stronger action and cooperating with the U.S. and
other countries to effect democratic reform in Burma.
KEITH