BURMA: ITALY AGREES EU-ASEAN SUMMIT IS AN

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 002250 SIPDIS SIPDIS EAP/MLS AARON COPE E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/26/2017 TAGS: PREL PHUM CVIS ETRD BM IT SUBJECT: BURMA: ITALY AGREES EU-ASEAN SUMMIT IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO KEEP UP THE PRESSURE REF: A. SECSTATE 146862 ¶B. 148530 Classified By: A/Pol M/C Gabriel Escobar, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Poloff delivered Ref A and B demarches to MFA Coordinator for Multilateral Affairs in Southeast Asia Anacleto Felicani October 26. Poloff shared information on U.S. sanctions against Burma and urged Italy to use the November 22 EU-ASEAN Summit to continue to put pressure on Burma, and to exclude its participation or insist that it be represented by low-level officials. ¶2. (C) Felicani said that Italy shared U.S. concerns about human rights and democracy in Burma and has been an outspoken critic of the junta's recent crackdown. Felicani, who was the Italian ambassador to Malaysia until last year, recently returned from a trip to Singapore, and said his conclusion was that ASEAN members would not agree to disinvite Burma from the upcoming summit. However, he believed that the event could still be used to spotlight Burma's human rights abuses, press for political dialogue, and support UN Burma Envoy Ibrahim Gambari, and said that Italy would do its part. ¶3. (C) Felicani said it was important that ASEAN countries hear from the international community that if they do not hold Burma accountable for its human rights record, it would seriously damage their standing in the eyes of the rest of the world. Felicani said he thought the USG could exert greater pressure on Singapore, as ASEAN chair, and India, both of whom he thought held considerable sway over Burma and could be influenced by the U.S., and urged us to continue to press those countries to act. SPOGLI