C O N F I D E N T I A L DILI 000286

SIPDIS

FOR IO. DRL/MLGA. AND EAP/MTS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/7/2018
TAGS: PHUM PREL UNGA TT
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE TO TIMOR-LESTE ON IRAN, BURMA, DPRK RESOLUTIONS

REF: STATE 1178889

CLASSIFIED BY: Henry M. Rector, Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S.
Embassy Dili, Department of State.
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d)




1. (SBU) Per reftel, DCM met November 7 with Roberto Soares,
Director of Interregional Cooperation at Timor-Leste's Ministry
of Foreign Affairs, to urge that Timor-Leste vote against
"no-action" UNGA Third Committee resolutions on Iran, Burma, and
North Korea. We noted that while Timor-Leste has agreed with us
on these issues in previous years, these are important and
contentious matters, and we take no vote for granted. Soares
acknowledged that Timor-Leste has voted with the U.S. in the
past, and said he believed that it would do so again. He
underscored that the GOTL takes its voice at the UN very
seriously, particularly on matters of human rights.



2. (SBU) Soares said that with regard to Burma in particular,
Timor-Leste has come under some pressure from China and, to a
lesser extent, the ASEAN countries not to support the U.S. on
human rights-related votes. He recalled that President
Ramos-Horta had been a critic of the Burmese regime, and had
taken some international heat behind the scenes for this.
Soares affirmed, however, that the GOTL was likely to oppose a
no-action resolution again this year. He also undertook to
brief Foreign Minister Zacarias da Costa immediately, drawing on
background materials we provided.



3. (C/NF) Comment. Although Timor-Leste tends to be supportive
on these issues, the USG should continue to stress the value and
importance to us of its vote. However, post believes that
calls to Timorese leaders from senior USG officials on these
issues are probably not neccesary at this point. Instead, post
recommends that senior USUN officials personally engage
Ambassador Nelson Santos in New York. This might be useful to
offset aggressive lobbying efforts on the part of countries who
oppose us. End Comment.

KLEMM