UNLIKELY ASEAN SUPPORT FOR BURMA RESOLUTION OR

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANILA 000120 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR IO/UNP/WICKBERG USUN FOR PHEE E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/11/2017 TAGS: PREL PHUM PGOV UNSC BM RP SUBJECT: UNLIKELY ASEAN SUPPORT FOR BURMA RESOLUTION OR PUBLIC STATEMENT REF: A. MANILA 0067 ¶B. STATE 3586 ¶C. STATE 3407 ¶D. STATE 1060 Classified By: Acting DCM Scott Bellard for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Department of Foreign Affairs Executive Director for United Nations and International Organizations Julius Torres expressed regret to Acting Pol/C on January 11 regarding the timing of the U.S. draft UN Security Council resolution on Burma (ref a). He noted that the UNSC consideration coincides with the Philippine-hosted Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) ongoing ministerial meetings and the January 13 Summit in Cebu. He underscored that both China and Russia had already voiced objections to the text in New York. ¶2. (C) Although Burma will be on the agenda for the Summit, Torres said that ASEAN support for the resolution was "unlikely," given that the consensus-based organization remained divided on this issue. Torres predicted that there would be no public statement regarding the U.S. resolution. He predicted that there would not be "anything official; they'll be circumspect," while indicating that some of the ASEAN foreign ministers might, if asked, make individual comments to the press. Visit Embassy Manila's Classified website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/manila/index. cfm Jones