BURMA'S PRO-DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT STILL ALIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 RANGOON 001207

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP/MLS, DRL, AND IO
PACOM FOR FPA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/26/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM BM
SUBJECT: BURMA'S PRO-DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT STILL ALIVE

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Classified By: P/E Chief Leslie Hayden for Reasons 1.4 (b) & (d)


1. (C) Summary: Burma's famous comedian and political
activist, Zarganar, is organizing monks, students, factory
workers, and others to participate in follow-up
demonstrations to the September marches. He recently
received a letter from Aung San Suu Kyi thanking him for his
role in organizing the September protests, acknowledging the
need to review the leadership of the NLD, and instructing him
to work closely with certain members of the NLD whom she
trusted. According to Zarganar, a group of approximately 100
Karen activists in the Irrawaddy Delta region are gathering
explosives and weapons and planning a violent attack on the
regime. End summary.


2. (C) Pol/econ chief met with famous actor/comedian and
political activist Zarganar, who is working day and night to
reconstitute Burma's pro-democracy movement and organize
support for follow-up demonstrations to the monk-led marches
last September. Due to the recent arrests of the entire
leadership of the 88 Generation Students and the most active
and effective members of the NLD Youth, Zarganar has taken on
the responsibility for reorganizing the movement's remaining
members.


3. (C) Zarganar maintains contact with 150-200 activists who
remain at large and are willing to demonstrate again. Asked
about rumors of protests and general strikes being organized
for Burma's Independence Day January 4, Zarganar replied that
this date was too early for the coordinated effort he is
preparing. Zarganar also communicates with several monks who
helped organize the September protests and then fled to the
Thai/Burma border. These monks include the activists U
Kovida, who sought asylum in the U.S., and U Keititharya, who
is in Mae Sot and working to set up a commune for Burmese
monks and political activists who have recently fled there.
Zarganar said these monks are networking with Burmese monks
all over the world to record and distribute DVDs of lectures
from venerated elder monks. These lectures encourage more
protests and peaceful disobedience against the Than Shwe
regime.


4. (C) Zarganar said that monks in Pakkoku and Mandalay were
regrouping and preparing to demonstrate again. He reported
the stories of posters urging monks to protest and refuse
donations from the regime were true. Since the authorities
have been ripping them down, he said, the monks now post them
in the restrooms at various monasteries; a method of
communication the regime has not discovered yet. If the
monks do march again, according to Zarganar, they will begin
their demonstrations in cities outside of Rangoon. The
monasteries in Rangoon have been almost totally purged,
Zarganar said. The few monks who remain are too scared to
participate in any demonstrations.


5. (C) Zarganar has also tapped his extensive contacts in
Burma's entertainment industry to urge them to boycott making
movies until the regime initiates a real dialogue with Aung
San Suu Kyi and the pro-democracy opposition. Zarganar said
a 3-4 month strike would cripple the highly-profitable
Burmese movie industry and put the 3,000 - 4,000 movie
theaters operating in Burma out of business. He has urged
several of his famous friends to join such a strike. When
asked why they will not work, he has recommended they reply,
"because there is no dialogue." Some have been receptive,
others are afraid but mulling it over, Zarganar claimed.


6. (C) Zarganar is also working with students at Rangoon's
Dagon University adding that, although there is interest, the
numbers of those willing to demonstrate again is small. Fear
still prevents the discontented from going public.
Nonetheless, Zarganar has managed to enlist the help of 30
young recruits to distribute VCDs containing anti-regime
messages in popular markets and in local factories. Zarganar
has also tried to enlist the participation of disgruntled
Rangoon factory workers in future demonstrations. He again
acknowledged that many factory workers were supportive and
interested, but felt the current environment was too risky to

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come forward.


7. (C) Zarganar admitted that he has had to keep a low
profile since he was released from Insein prison last
October. He has urged other activists to do the same, while
continuing to work and organize quietly and discreetly. Kyaw
Thu, the famous actor who helped Zarganar organize the
September protests, collects all the movement's funds,
Zarganar explained. Kyaw Thu's Free Funeral Society's
offices provides the perfect cover for those who want to
donate to the pro-democracy movement, he added. About one
million kyat ($800) a month has been donated to the movement
through Kyaw Thu, which Zarganar then distributes to
political prisoners, monks, families of political prisoners,
and activists.


8. (C) Zarganar expressed concern about the imprisoned 88
Generation leaders. In order to monitor their health and
receive messages from Min Ko Naing, Ko Ko Gyi, and others,
Zarganar has organized 9 activists to be arrested for
"sleeping on the street" during the night, which caries a two
week sentence. These prisoners must work inside Insein
prison to empty chamber pots from each cell, Zarganar
explained, which will enable them to communicate with the
jailed activists and monks and gather information about their
living conditions and health. Two volunteers have already
been arrested and will be released on January 8, and another
seven are preparing to be arrested shortly. Zarganar
recently heard that 88 Generation Leader Jimmy suffers from
Pneumonia, so arranged to provide him medicine because the
prison did not have it.


9. (C) Zarganar discounted a rumor that he had recently met
with Aung San Suu Kyi. He acknowledged, however, that he had
received a letter from her thanking him for his role in
organizing the recent demonstrations and instructing him to
work with five members of the NLD to organize future
movements: U Moe Thu, U Aung Lwin, U Chan Aye, Daw San San
Nwe and Daw Myint Myint Khin. Zarganar told us he organized
a meeting between himself and these five last week, who
agreed to work closely with him.


10. (C) Zarganar relayed that Aung San Suu Kyi expressed
frustration with the NLD "Uncles," and acknowledged the need
to review the leadership of the NLD. Zarganar asserted that
he has "had it" with the Uncles, who refuse to do anything to
support the younger activists in the pro-democracy movement.
He reported the Uncles were jealous that Aung San Suu Kyi
chose U Myint Thein and U Nyan Win to be her liaisons, and
therefore sought to expel the two from the party. The Uncles
want to keep control of the NLD, Zarganar believed. Zarganar
said he argues with the Uncles on an almost daily basis,
urging them to take a more public and active role to promote
democracy in Burma, which they refuse to do.


11. (C) Zarganar told us about a group of around 100 young
Karen activists, based in the Irrawaddy Delta town of
Pantanaw, who he claimed were procuring weapons and
explosives and planning a violent attack against the regime
in Nay Pyi Taw. Zarganar had met with the group recently.
The activists reported receiving insurgency training two
years ago in Mae Sot and had established a safe house in
Pyimana, fifteen miles from the capital of Nay Pyi Taw, where
they had stashed their weapons. The group had planned to
attack the annual Burmese academy awards ceremony, which the
senior generals usually attend, but abandoned the plan when
the ceremony was recently postponed from its planned date in
January.


12. (C) Comment: Burma's political activists may be down,
but Zarganar shows they are not out. Min Ko Naing claimed if
he or other known leaders were arrested, then others were
prepared to step forward. Zarganar has done so and is
recruiting others. Burma's pro-democracy movement
desperately needs Zarganar's energy, ideas, organizational
skills, contacts, and activism. He is the antithesis of the
NLD's inactive leaders so it is no wonder he is beginning to
clash with the Uncles. Although Zarganar advocates solving

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Burma's political problems through non-violence, he fears
people may resort to other methods if Burma's worsening
economic and social problems are not addressed soon. End
comment.
VILLAROSA