JAPAN CANCELS BURMA HUMAN RESOURCES CENTER GRANT

C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 004848 SIPDIS SIPDIS FOR EAP DAS MARCIEL AND EAP/MLS RAPSON AND COPE; NSC ASIA FOR KATRIN FRASIER E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/18/2007 TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM BM JA SUBJECT: JAPAN CANCELS BURMA HUMAN RESOURCES CENTER GRANT AID REF: TOKYO 04800 Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer for reasons 1.4 (b) and ( d). ¶1. (SBU) Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura announced on October 16 that Japan canceled an estimated 552 million yen grant aid project in Burma to construct a Human Resources Center because of strong concerns about the human rights and democratization situation there. After briefing the Cabinet on the decision to cancel the aid grant, Komura told reporters that "Japan has to show its stance and we cannot effectively be supporting the military junta at this time." "Japan will further step up its efforts to persuade the Myanmar Government to listen to the international community's message and move forward to true democratization," Komura stated. Japan will continue to provide humanitarian assistance, such as financing polio vaccinations programs, to Burma via international organizations such as UNICEF, Komura noted. ¶2. (C) MOFA contacts told Embassy Tokyo that the 552 million yen grant project, approved by the Cabinet in July, was to finance construction for a facility at Rangoon University to provide Japanese language instruction and courses on Japanese economics and business management with the aim of developing human resources to push forward democratization and to promote a shift to a market economy in Burma. During a meeting with Foreign Minister Komura on October 12, senior MOFA officials recommended canceling the project, but the decision required Cabinet approval before Japan could officially cancel the aid. SCHIEFFER