Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07RANGOON985
2007-10-05 12:40:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Rangoon
Cable title:  

BURMA: UN FINALLY TALKS TO US ABOUT GAMBARI'S VISIT

Tags:  PGOV PREL PHUM BM 
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RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 000985 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

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

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/04/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM BM
SUBJECT: BURMA: UN FINALLY TALKS TO US ABOUT GAMBARI'S VISIT

REF: SINGAPORE 1852

RANGOON 00000985 001.2 OF 002


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

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 000985

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

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

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/04/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM BM
SUBJECT: BURMA: UN FINALLY TALKS TO US ABOUT GAMBARI'S VISIT

REF: SINGAPORE 1852

RANGOON 00000985 001.2 OF 002


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


1. (C) Summary: UN Resident Coordinator told us today
Gambari's schedule had undergone intense negotiation during
his three day stay in Burma. The regime eventually relented
to grant Gambari meetings with Aung San Suu Kyi and Senior
General Than Shwe. While in Lashio, Gambari dropped by a
rally to support the National Convention staged by the
regime. Gambari conveyed the message of the UNSYG and the
UNSC to Than Shwe, and urged access for the ICRC, an end to
detentions and arrests, and a more open "roadmap to
democracy." End summary.


2. (C) UN Resident Coordinator Charles Petrie finally
provided a brief readout of the "context" of Gambari's visit
to us today. Petrie had declined to provide us any
information until we pushed him to explain why the U.S. was
not included in an October 4 briefing Petrie provided to EU
Ambassadors and additional briefings today for the Chinese
and Indian Ambassadors.


3. (C) Petrie told us the message of Gambari's mission was
that it had "exceeded expectations." Before he arrived,
Petre explained, Gambari had been given a suggested
twenty-four hour program he could not accept. On arrival at
Yangon International Airport, Gambari consulted with the
Chinese Ambassador who assured him the Burmese government was
willing to show flexibility and allow him to meet with Aung
San Suu Kyi and the senior generals. Gambari then flew to
Nay Pyi Taw where he dined with The Minister of Information,
the Minister of Culture, and Deputy Foreign Minister Kyaw
Thu. They presented him with another twenty-four hour
program consisting of a meeting in Nay Pyi Taw with Secretary
One and Acting Prime Minister Thein Sein, followed by a
flight back to Rangoon to meet with Aung San Suu Kyi.
Gambari was told the senior general could not meet with him
because doing so would "convey equivalence" of Than Shwe and
Aung San Suu Kyi.


4. (C) Gambari reached a compromise by agreeing to fly to
Lashio and Muse to survey Burma's progress in development,
whereafter he would meet with Than Shwe on Tuesday morning
before flying back to Rangoon to meet once again with Aung
San Suu Kyi. Petrie assured us that reports Gambari had
participated in Track II sessions in Lashio were false,
although he told us Gambari had agreed to stop by a rally to
support the National Convention. The regime requested he
attend the rally for two hours but Petrie assured us Gambari
had only dropped-by for five minutes. Separately, Track II
participants confirmed they had traveled separately from
Gambari, but right behind each other.


5. (C) Petrie said Gambari had very substantive discussions
with Aung San Suu Kyi and that Gambari would reveal the
details of his conversations with her and Than Shwe to the
UNSC today. Petrie said Gambari conveyed the concerns of
UNSYG Ban Ki Moon and the Security Council to Than Shwe,
requested access for ICRC, and demanded an end to the arrests
and detentions. Gambari also urged that the regime address
poverty reduction, initiate an open political dialogue, and
enrich the participation and openness of the seven-step
roadmap to democracy.


6. (C) Comment: We are glad we finally received a readout,
however limited and late, of Gambari's visit. It is
extremely troubling that the U.S. was repeatedly excluded
from Petrie's numerous other briefings for other members of
the diplomatic corps. Gambari's supposed ban on any
briefings has also been violated by Gambari himself in
Singapore (reftel). We suspect Gambari, by claiming his
meetings "exceeded expectations," is trying to put the most
positive spin on his visit so that members overlook the fact
that he was only permitted to go and see those whom Than Shwe
would permit. He met with no political activists or monks.
Petrie blames the U.S. for frustrating his efforts to de-link
political considerations from humanitarian assistance. End

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comment.

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