SINGAPORE NONCOMMITTAL ON UNSC RESOLUTION ON BURMA

UNCLAS SINGAPORE 000081 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PHUM PGOV BM UNSC SN SUBJECT: SINGAPORE NONCOMMITTAL ON UNSC RESOLUTION ON BURMA REF: A. STATE 3586 ¶B. SINGAPORE 3772 ¶1. (SBU) On January 11, DCM pressed MFA Deputy Secretary Andrew Tan for Singapore and ASEAN to support the UN Security Council resolution on Burma (Ref A). Tan said he was leaving on January 12 for the ASEAN Summit in Cebu and would convey our message to MFA Permanent Secretary Peter Ho, who was already there. Tan indicated that there was no consensus within ASEAN on how to deal with Burma, so he didn't think there would be a united ASEAN position at the Cebu Summit either in favor of or opposed to the resolution. Burma was not making it possible for ASEAN to support it, since the regime hadn't determined a path forward, he commented. ¶2. (SBU) Earlier, E/P Counselor asked MFA International Organizations Director Tan Yee Woan whether Singapore had reached a decision on our earlier requests that it indicate support for the resolution in conversations with UN Security Council members or among ASEAN countries (ref B). Tan responded that no UNSC members had asked for Singapore's views and that "realistically" Singapore was unlikely to publicly support the resolution. HERBOLD