Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07THEHAGUE485
2007-03-19 14:46:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy The Hague
Cable title:
NETHERLANDS/HRC: BALANCING SUDAN, BURMA AND
how-toVZCZCXRO9187 PP RUEHAG RUEHKW RUEHROV DE RUEHTC #0485 0781446 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 191446Z MAR 07 FM AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8512 INFO RUCNMUC/EU CANDIDATE STATES COLLECTIVE RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE RUEHZJ/HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION COLLECTIVE RUEHML/AMEMBASSY MANILA 0330 RUEHGO/AMEMBASSY RANGOON 0112 RUEHGP/AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE 1238 RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA 0217 RUEHKL/AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR 0158 RUEHSB/AMEMBASSY HARARE 0066 RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 0350 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 4249 RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1379
C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 000485
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP/MLS (A. COPE),AF/S (S. HILL)IO/PSC (G.
KANG),DRL/MLGA (J. NOYES),IO/RHS (D. ROHN)
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/20/2017
TAGS: PHUM ASEAN EUN KPKO PREL UNHCR UNSC BM CD
CT, RP, ZI, NL
SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS/HRC: BALANCING SUDAN, BURMA AND
ZIMBABWE
REF: A. STATE 29795
B. THE HAGUE 406
C. STATE 33357
D. STATE 34009
Classified By: Political Counselor Andrew J. Schofer; reasons 1.4 (b an
d d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 000485
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP/MLS (A. COPE),AF/S (S. HILL)IO/PSC (G.
KANG),DRL/MLGA (J. NOYES),IO/RHS (D. ROHN)
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/20/2017
TAGS: PHUM ASEAN EUN KPKO PREL UNHCR UNSC BM CD
CT, RP, ZI, NL
SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS/HRC: BALANCING SUDAN, BURMA AND
ZIMBABWE
REF: A. STATE 29795
B. THE HAGUE 406
C. STATE 33357
D. STATE 34009
Classified By: Political Counselor Andrew J. Schofer; reasons 1.4 (b an
d d).
1. (C) Summary: The GONL's top priority for the HRC's 4th
regular session remains Sudan. The Dutch do not believe that
HRC action on Zimbabwe is practical. They are willing to
consider alternative strategies, however, and their human
rights ambassador will travel to Harare at the end of this
week to discuss possible approaches. On Burma, the Dutch
remain consistent in their support for ASEAN initiatives.
They would like to defer HRC action on Burma until Western
countries can agree on an effective strategy to counter the
OIC. End summary.
Sudan remains top Dutch priority at HRC, bar none
-------------- --------------
2. (C) Political Counselor and poloff met March 16 with MFA
Ambassador at Large for Human Rights, Piet de Klerk, who
reiterated that Sudan remains at the top of the Dutch agenda
for the current session of the HRC. De Klerk said that,
while the GONL is supportive of efforts to address other
problems, it would not act at the expense of efforts on
Sudan. Other MFA officers have been more blunt - the MFA
believes that any HRC action on Zimbabwe or Burma at this
time would deflect critical attention from Sudan. The MFA is
therefore unlikely, they say, to support any action at the
current HRC session on either of these two issues.
Zimbabwe: What can South Africa do?
--------------
3. (C) Separately, MFA Human Rights Policy Officer Arjen Kool
asked what message the United States was delivering to South
Africa. He was hopeful that Pretoria could be goaded into
taking a more critical stance in public of Mugabe's
government. He noted also that Ambassador de Klerk would
arrive in Harare March 23 and would hold talks with NGOs, the
MDC and the U.S. Ambassador.
4. (C) Kool said that the GONL had no plans to issue
statements publicly, but that it stood fully behind the EU's
German Presidency statement of last week.
Burma: Support for ASEAN action
--------------
5. (C) The Dutch believe HRC action on Burma, absent a
Western consensus, is ill advised. They prefer to wait for a
Western consensus to emerge, even if this means waiting until
this summer's 5th session. On the other hand, according to
MFA Policy Officer Joris Geeven, the GONL remains supportive
of ASEAN initiatives to increase pressure on the Burmese
government.
ARNALL
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP/MLS (A. COPE),AF/S (S. HILL)IO/PSC (G.
KANG),DRL/MLGA (J. NOYES),IO/RHS (D. ROHN)
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/20/2017
TAGS: PHUM ASEAN EUN KPKO PREL UNHCR UNSC BM CD
CT, RP, ZI, NL
SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS/HRC: BALANCING SUDAN, BURMA AND
ZIMBABWE
REF: A. STATE 29795
B. THE HAGUE 406
C. STATE 33357
D. STATE 34009
Classified By: Political Counselor Andrew J. Schofer; reasons 1.4 (b an
d d).
1. (C) Summary: The GONL's top priority for the HRC's 4th
regular session remains Sudan. The Dutch do not believe that
HRC action on Zimbabwe is practical. They are willing to
consider alternative strategies, however, and their human
rights ambassador will travel to Harare at the end of this
week to discuss possible approaches. On Burma, the Dutch
remain consistent in their support for ASEAN initiatives.
They would like to defer HRC action on Burma until Western
countries can agree on an effective strategy to counter the
OIC. End summary.
Sudan remains top Dutch priority at HRC, bar none
-------------- --------------
2. (C) Political Counselor and poloff met March 16 with MFA
Ambassador at Large for Human Rights, Piet de Klerk, who
reiterated that Sudan remains at the top of the Dutch agenda
for the current session of the HRC. De Klerk said that,
while the GONL is supportive of efforts to address other
problems, it would not act at the expense of efforts on
Sudan. Other MFA officers have been more blunt - the MFA
believes that any HRC action on Zimbabwe or Burma at this
time would deflect critical attention from Sudan. The MFA is
therefore unlikely, they say, to support any action at the
current HRC session on either of these two issues.
Zimbabwe: What can South Africa do?
--------------
3. (C) Separately, MFA Human Rights Policy Officer Arjen Kool
asked what message the United States was delivering to South
Africa. He was hopeful that Pretoria could be goaded into
taking a more critical stance in public of Mugabe's
government. He noted also that Ambassador de Klerk would
arrive in Harare March 23 and would hold talks with NGOs, the
MDC and the U.S. Ambassador.
4. (C) Kool said that the GONL had no plans to issue
statements publicly, but that it stood fully behind the EU's
German Presidency statement of last week.
Burma: Support for ASEAN action
--------------
5. (C) The Dutch believe HRC action on Burma, absent a
Western consensus, is ill advised. They prefer to wait for a
Western consensus to emerge, even if this means waiting until
this summer's 5th session. On the other hand, according to
MFA Policy Officer Joris Geeven, the GONL remains supportive
of ASEAN initiatives to increase pressure on the Burmese
government.
ARNALL