BURMA: THE WORLD ACCORDING TO THAN SHWE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 001164 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP AND IO; PACOM FOR FPA E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/20/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM BM SUBJECT: BURMA: THE WORLD ACCORDING TO THAN SHWE Classified By: Pol Officer Sean O'Neill for Reasons 1.4 (b) & (d) ¶1. (SBU) Summary. At a December 3 news conference for the diplomatic corps and members of the press, Minister of Information Brig Gen Kyaw Hsan, Director General of Police Khin Yi, and Minister of Labor (and Aung San Suu Kyi liaison) Aung Kyi showcased the inaugural session of the constitutional drafting committee and presented the regime's conspiracy theory of how external agitators, not popular discontent, instigated the August and September demonstrations. The Minister of Information denied rumors that Gambari would not be permitted to return, and claimed the UN Envoy had not formally proposed another trip. In response to a question about the progress of talks with Aung San Suu Kyi, the Minister pointed out that regime liaison Aung Kyi has met with her three times with some success but blamed the lack of further progress on her refusal to renounce sanctions and "utter devastation," as demanded by Than Shwe. Neither the Minister of Information nor any of the constitutional delegates we spoke with would commit to a time-frame for the drafting process and claimed the final draft would be agreed upon by consensus, not a vote. The regime's efforts to tell its story only succeeded in diminishing its credibility to military and diplomats assigned here. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) On December 3, Poloff and DATT attended the Ministry of Information's news conference for members of the diplomatic and press corps. Minister of Information Brig Gen Kyaw Hsan and Director General of Police Khin Yi spent close to an hour and a half detailing how a vast internal and external alliance involving - among others - exiled activists, American Center FSN Sann Sann Myint, 80-year-old scholar Gene Sharp, the Burma Communist Party, and some monks conspired to instigate the August and September pro-democracy demonstrations "to bring down the Government." Khin Yi presented a breakdown of programmatic funding by the Open Society Institute and National Endowment for Democracy, which he claimed was used to instigate unrest in Burma. ¶3. (SBU) Kyaw Hsan claimed "the western power wants to install a puppet government in power." He described how a meeting between our Public Affairs FSN Sann Sann Myint and 88 Generation Students member Min Zeyar as well as a subsequent American Center program in September 2006 was part of a plot to overthrow the government (note: the program was in fact a workshop on strengthening civil society). Participants were also directed to view displays of photographs, cell phones, and assorted weapons the regime claimed was evidence of this far-flung conspiracy. Both Kyaw Hsan and Khin Yi dismissed suggestions from the German Ambassador that the protests may have resulted instead from widespread dissatisfaction with the Than Shwe regime. ¶4. (SBU) Kyaw Hsan denied rumors that UN Special Envoy Gambari has been barred from re-visiting Burma, and claimed the envoy had not yet proposed another visit. Both Kyaw Hsan and regime liaison Aung Kyi stressed that the regime had begun a dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi but blamed the lack of progress on her failure to comply with Than Shwe's insistence that she renounce sanctions and "utter devastation." Both Aung Kyi and Kyaw Hsan ducked questions about what political significance they attach to the dialogue and whether the regime will allow Aung San Suu Kyi to meet freely with her advisors and other stakeholders. Instead, Kyaw Hsan accused the NLD of having committed numerous illegal acts in the past, and warned that the GOB's "patiently magnanimously" (sic) handling of the NLD was reaching the ends of its "tolerance." Those who interfere with the constitutional drafting process will be dealt with severely, he added. ¶5. (SBU) Khin Yi said that 2,937 persons were arrested in connection with the September protests, of whom 80 remain in custody. He accused those still in jail of having committed numerous criminal acts, including treason, arson, and assault and warned they would be dealt with accordingly. He initially claimed that only ten people were killed in the RANGOON 00001164 002 OF 002 crackdown, but later admitted additional deaths due to illness when a local Associated Press reporter pointed out that UN Rappoteur Pinhero was shown 14 bodies on his recent visit. ¶6. (SBU) Attendees were given a tour of the newly constructed constitutional drafting facility in a remote corner of Nay Pyi Taw. Constitutional delegates explained how the 54 drafting committee members had divided themselves into three subcommittees, each responsible for drafting five of the fifteen sections of the constitution. When Poloff asked one of the delegates how they already knew there would be fifteen sections, he informed us that the structure of the constitution had already been decided at the National Convention and was not open for review. No one would commit to a timeframe for the drafting process, but the delegates assured us the process would be both fair and efficient. Another delegate described to Poloff how there was no mechanism in place for voting on the drafts, explaining the committee would reach all of its decisions by consensus. ¶7. (C) The news conference attracted far fewer chiefs of mission than in the past, but did attract a heavy turnout from the attach corps, which had never been invited to earlier press conferences. None of the attendees, diplomatic or military, we spoke with however believed the regime's story. The Italian Ambassador told Charge he was disgusted with what he heard, and the German Ambassador said it was clear the regime was not interested in genuine dialogue. Even the normally tolerant ASEAN countries expressed dismay over the regime's performance. Our contacts who read a subsequent account of the event in the regime-mouthpiece New Light of Myanmar have shared similar sentiments with us. ¶8. (C) Comment. The rambling presentations, obviously derived from recent interrogations, did not even track with known facts such as when Min Ko Naing was arrested. But that is beside the point. This diatribe was yet further evidence that Than Shwe has no plan to engage in a genuine dialogue, and instead plans to ram through a new constitution on his terms alone. The irony is that these diatribes only serve to chase away countries that might otherwise react more positively to small steps by the regime. Than Shwe is inadvertently helping bolster the U.S. calls for meaningful change. End Comment. VILLAROSA