FRANCE TO SUPPORT ADDITIONAL SANCTIONS ON BURMA

UNCLAS PARIS 004130 SIPDIS PLEASE PASS TO EPA/MLS AARON COPE, SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM BM FR SUBJECT: FRANCE TO SUPPORT ADDITIONAL SANCTIONS ON BURMA REF: STATE 12958 ¶1. (SBU) On October 1 poloff delivered reftel demarche to MFA desk officer for Burma, Jeremy Petit, who described France,s position as "totally parallel" to the U.S. position. Petit expects the EU to announce new sanctions on Burma on October 3 and speculated these sanctions could add names to the 400 individuals who were sanctioned under the 2006 EU Common Position on Burma. He also believes a targeted trade embargo could be announced by the EU. ¶2. (SBU) Following up on France,s Secretary of State for Human Rights Rama Yade effort to travel to Burma, Petit said the Burmese mission has still not issued a visa. Petit described the Burmese Mission to Paris as being in "total disorder" and said that the Ambassador Saw Hla Min is a military officer who does not speak English, the language the French MFA uses to demarche the Burmese mission. He complained Saw Hla Min does not have a handle on the key political issues. Petit speculated that a visa for Rama Yade would most likely never be issued. ¶3. (SBU) Poloff also met separately on September 28 with MFA DAS equivalent Fabrice Mauries who reiterated that France condemns the military crackdown and is working through the EU and the UN to increase the pressure on Rangoon. As evidence of a newly activist MFA, the French are also contacting ASEAN members according to First Secretary Shaun Grosse from the Singapore Embassy. Grosse told Poloff the French MFA will demarche the Singaporeans on October 3. We do not know the level of French demarches on ASEAN members. Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm Stapleton