DEMARCHE DELIVERED TO PANAMA: NEXT STEPS ON BURMA

C O N F I D E N T I A L PANAMA 000279 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR IO, EAP/MLS (A. COPE),AND WHA/CEN (E. TELLO) E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/26/2017 TAGS: PREL PHUM UNSC BM CH EUN IN KS RS PM SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED TO PANAMA: NEXT STEPS ON BURMA REF: STATE 20000 Classified By: POLCHIEF BRIAN R. NARANJO. REASON: 1.4 (D) -------------- Panama Supports Continued UN Engagement -------------- ¶1. (SBU) POLCHIEF delivered reftel demarche to Panamanian MFA Senior Advisor Nils Castro on February 26. Castro, who heads the MFA's UNSC team, said that it was important to sustain the international focus on the situation in Burma and agreed full-heartedly with efforts to address the situation in other UN fora, including the ILO, ECOSOC, and the UNGA Third Committee. Panama supported action on Burma by the UNHRC, Castro said. Though China and Russia had vetoed the UNSCR on Burma, Castro said, "The problem is still with us." Castro said Panama would support naming a strong Special Envoy of the UNSYG for Burma and agreed that such a Special Envoy and the UN Secretariat should keep the UNSC regularly informed of developments in Burma. -------------- MFA and PANUN Disagree on UNSC Engagement -------------- ¶2. (C) Castro noted that Panamanian UN PermRep Arias believed that the Burma matter died in the UNSC with the Chinese and Russian vetoes and should not be brought back to the Council. Since Burma did not constitute a threat to international security, Arias believed that the situation in Burma did not fall within the UNSC's jurisdiction, Castro explained. Panama's own ambiguous position on the failed UNSCR on Burma -- voting yes on the resolution but giving an explanation of vote (EOV) that was more in line with EOVs of abstaining countries that raised jurisdictional questions -- reflected the GOP's own internal struggle over Burma. Castro said that Panama's Castro said he disagreed with Arias and would work to ensure Panama supported continued UNSC engagement on Burma. Castro said he did not know how Panama could oppose being kept informed on developments in Burma. Eaton