Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07TOKYO4685
2007-10-05 04:54:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tokyo
Cable title:
JAPAN CONSIDERING AID REDUCTION FOLLOWING
how-toVZCZCXRO7583 PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHFK RUEHHM RUEHKSO RUEHPB DE RUEHKO #4685 2780454 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 050454Z OCT 07 FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8301 INFO RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHZU/ASIAN PACIFIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION PRIORITY RUEHGO/AMEMBASSY RANGOON PRIORITY 2265 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 004685
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
PLEASE PASS TO EAP/MLS AARON COPE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10-04-2007
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM BM SN JA
SUBJECT: JAPAN CONSIDERING AID REDUCTION FOLLOWING
YABUNAKA,S BURMA TRIP
_____________________________________________ _____
ZFR ZFR ZFR
PLEASE CANCEL THIS MESSAGE. IT WILL BE RESENT UNDER NEW MRN.
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ZFR ZFR ZFR
PLEASE CANCEL THIS MESSAGE. IT WILLL BE RESENT UNDER NEW MRN.
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Classified By: Charge D' Affairs Joseph R. Donovan for reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 004685
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
PLEASE PASS TO EAP/MLS AARON COPE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10-04-2007
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM BM SN JA
SUBJECT: JAPAN CONSIDERING AID REDUCTION FOLLOWING
YABUNAKA,S BURMA TRIP
_____________________________________________ _____
ZFR ZFR ZFR
PLEASE CANCEL THIS MESSAGE. IT WILL BE RESENT UNDER NEW MRN.
-------------- --------------
ZFR ZFR ZFR
PLEASE CANCEL THIS MESSAGE. IT WILLL BE RESENT UNDER NEW MRN.
-------------- --------------
Classified By: Charge D' Affairs Joseph R. Donovan for reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d).
1. (C) Deputy Foreign Minister Mitoji Yabunaka met with
Deputy Foreign Minister U Maung Myint, Ministry of Defense
Acting Deputy Chief of the Office of Military Security
Affairs (OCMSA) Colonel Aye Ko, and Minister of Information
Brigadier-General Kyaw Hsan on October 1. According to MOFA
First Southeast Asian Division Principal Deputy Director
Atsushi Kuwabara, Yabunaka urged them to exercise
self-restraint when responding to protesters, pushed for the
release of political prisoners, including Aung Sang Suu Kyi,
and emphasized the need for Burmese leaders to engage in
dialogue with pro-democracy groups. Yabunaka expressed deep
concern over the death of the Japanese journalist killed in
Burma on September 27 and called on Burmese officials to
return his camera and video to his family. The Burmese
officials listened to his message and explained their own
"roadmap to democracy" for Burma. They insisted, at some
times with deep emotion, that the demonstrators in Burma were
started by foreign protestors.
2. (SBU) After meeting with Yabunaka on October 3, Foreign
Minister Komura spoke and said Japan will consider "ways to
narrow humanitarian assistance." Komura stated it would not
be appropriate to stop humanitarian assistance such as polio
vaccines, but said Japan may consider suspending "for the
time being" aid projects such as the Japan-Myanmar Human
Resource Development Center. (Note: Tokyo has not extended
new loan assistance to Burma since 1987 and has reduced the
amount of aid by more than sixty percent over the last five
years. In FY 2006, the Japanese Government provided USD 11.5
million in ODA and the Japan International Cooperation Agency
granted USD 14.6 million in technical assistance. Grant
assistance for the past five years consisted of three main
projects: deforestation prevention, inviting 30
"future-generation" government employees to attend Japanese
graduate schools, and efforts to reduce infant mortality
rates. End Note.)
DONOVAN
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
PLEASE PASS TO EAP/MLS AARON COPE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10-04-2007
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM BM SN JA
SUBJECT: JAPAN CONSIDERING AID REDUCTION FOLLOWING
YABUNAKA,S BURMA TRIP
_____________________________________________ _____
ZFR ZFR ZFR
PLEASE CANCEL THIS MESSAGE. IT WILL BE RESENT UNDER NEW MRN.
-------------- --------------
ZFR ZFR ZFR
PLEASE CANCEL THIS MESSAGE. IT WILLL BE RESENT UNDER NEW MRN.
-------------- --------------
Classified By: Charge D' Affairs Joseph R. Donovan for reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d).
1. (C) Deputy Foreign Minister Mitoji Yabunaka met with
Deputy Foreign Minister U Maung Myint, Ministry of Defense
Acting Deputy Chief of the Office of Military Security
Affairs (OCMSA) Colonel Aye Ko, and Minister of Information
Brigadier-General Kyaw Hsan on October 1. According to MOFA
First Southeast Asian Division Principal Deputy Director
Atsushi Kuwabara, Yabunaka urged them to exercise
self-restraint when responding to protesters, pushed for the
release of political prisoners, including Aung Sang Suu Kyi,
and emphasized the need for Burmese leaders to engage in
dialogue with pro-democracy groups. Yabunaka expressed deep
concern over the death of the Japanese journalist killed in
Burma on September 27 and called on Burmese officials to
return his camera and video to his family. The Burmese
officials listened to his message and explained their own
"roadmap to democracy" for Burma. They insisted, at some
times with deep emotion, that the demonstrators in Burma were
started by foreign protestors.
2. (SBU) After meeting with Yabunaka on October 3, Foreign
Minister Komura spoke and said Japan will consider "ways to
narrow humanitarian assistance." Komura stated it would not
be appropriate to stop humanitarian assistance such as polio
vaccines, but said Japan may consider suspending "for the
time being" aid projects such as the Japan-Myanmar Human
Resource Development Center. (Note: Tokyo has not extended
new loan assistance to Burma since 1987 and has reduced the
amount of aid by more than sixty percent over the last five
years. In FY 2006, the Japanese Government provided USD 11.5
million in ODA and the Japan International Cooperation Agency
granted USD 14.6 million in technical assistance. Grant
assistance for the past five years consisted of three main
projects: deforestation prevention, inviting 30
"future-generation" government employees to attend Japanese
graduate schools, and efforts to reduce infant mortality
rates. End Note.)
DONOVAN