MFA EXPRESSES "SERIOUS CONCERNS" OVER PROPOSED UN

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIJING 001333 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/09/2028 TAGS: PREL PHUM UNSC CH BM SUBJECT: MFA EXPRESSES "SERIOUS CONCERNS" OVER PROPOSED UN SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENTIAL STATEMENT ON BURMA REF: STATE 36706 (NOTAL) Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Aubrey Carlson for reasons 1.4 b, d. ¶1. (C) POLOFF on April 9 conveyed to MFA reftel points urging China to support a UN Security Council Presidential Statement (PRST) on Burma. Noting that UN Special Advior Gambari has said a PRST would be helpful to his mission and that after a total of five Gambari visits the Burmese government still refuses to take meaningful steps toward real reform, POLOFF said China's usual calls for "patience" are untenable. The Burmese Government's continued detention of democratic leaders, new arrests of peaceful protestors, and refusal to engage in real dialogue with opposition and ethnic minority representatives show flagrant disrespect for the legitimate concerns of the UNSC and the international community. ¶2. (C) MFA International Organizations and Conferences Department UN Division Deputy Director Sun Xiaobo noted in response that U.S. and Chinese representatives have been discussing a Burma PRST in New York and that China's New York delegation is under instructions from Beijing. China, he said, has "serious concerns" about both the timing and the content of the proposed PRST on Burma. Sun said that China regards Burma's commitment to a timetable for implementing the "seven-step road map to democracy" as important progress. Sun noted that the Burmese Government has complained that after each Gambari visit, it is the object of UNSC and international criticism. A PRST risks gravely damaging the trust between the Burmese government and the UN, Sun said. The Burmese Government's decision to cooperate with the UN was a difficult one, and the UNSC now must act very cautiously rather than risk harming the process through ill-advised actions. POLOFF responded that Gambari himself has said that a PRST would be helpful to his mission. ¶3. (C) Sun said China also has strong concerns over the specific text of the proposed PRST, which touches on Burma's constitution and electoral system. Burma is a sovereign state, and each sovereign state seeks its own path. "There is no one-size-fits-all" formula as to what type of government Burma should have. POLOFF responded that the PRST text does not go beyond what China has already supported in the previous PRST on Burma. In any case, substantive benchmarks of progress are quite appropriate since Burma's obligation to conduct the May referendum in a free and fair manner that meets international standards is not simply an abstract idea. ¶4. (C) Sun reiterated that China has serious concerns over the text but promised to convey our message to his superiors. RANDT