PORTUGAL: EU TO STRENGTHEN SANCTIONS AGAINST BURMA

C O N F I D E N T I A L LISBON 002558 SIPDIS SIPDIS FOR EAP/MLS AARON COPE E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/02/2017 TAGS: PGOV PHUM BU SUBJECT: PORTUGAL: EU TO STRENGTHEN SANCTIONS AGAINST BURMA REF: STATE 137644 Classified By: Dep P/E Couns Cari Enav for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) Summary -------------- ¶1. (SBU) In response to recent unrest, the EU will discuss strengthening both political and economic sanctions regime against Burma during the October 3 COREPER meeting in Brussels. In addition, the EU is engaging China, India and the ASEAN countries, encouraging them to exert greater pressure on Burma's military junta. The EU also plans to keep the pressure on by raising the issue at the Nov 22 EU-ASEAN Summit, the Nov 28 EU-China Summit, and the Nov 30 EU-India Summit. ¶2. (SBU) MFA Diplomatic Advisor for Asia and Africa Carolina Cordeiro told post that Portugal, both bilaterally and in its capacity as EU President, was very concerned about the Burmese military response to recent democracy protests there. She noted that there was strong EU consensus to respond loudly and forcefully and that EU officials were meeting on October 3 in Brussels to discuss implementing further sanctions against the regime -- including a targeted trade embargo, freezing assets, limiting contact with Burmese officials, and tightening travel visa issuance. ¶3. (C) Cordeiro noted that the EU is also urging China, India, and ASEAN nations to exert pressure on Burma. EU officials raised the issue with China and with Singapore (in its capacity as ASEAN President) on the margins of UNGA and were very pleased with ASEAN's statement condemning the violence. The EU Troika has also demarched officials in New Delhi, Beijing and Bangkok, and the EU plan to raise the issue during the series of November summits. EU Foreign Ministers will be able to express their concern directly to the Burmese Deputy Prime Minister who is scheduled to attend the November 22 EU-ASEAN Summit. The issue is also on the November 28 EU-China Summit agenda and the November 30 EU-India Summit agenda. ¶4. (C) While there is strong EU consensus to strengthen sanctions against Burma, Cordeiro noted that parallels could not be drawn with Iran. Burma would be relatively easy because the crackdown was so blatantly violent and there were no vested EU interests there. That was not the case with Iran which was playing games with IAEA inspection and had strong commercial ties to certain EU member-states. Hoffman