CANADA AND THE BURMA CONFERENCE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 OTTAWA 000701 SENSITIVE SIPDIS EAP/MLS (COPE) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID PGOV PHUM CA BM SUBJECT: CANADA AND THE BURMA CONFERENCE REF: A. SECSTATE 55244 ¶B. OTTAWA 646 ¶C. OTTAWA 621 ¶1. (SBU) Canada will highlight its current Cyclone Nargis aid pledges (see paragraph 2 and ref b) at the May 25 UN-ASEAN Conference in Rangoon and will stress the need for increasing access for international relief efforts in Burma, Foreign Affairs and International Trade's (DFAIT) Director of Humanitarian Affairs and Disasters Response Group Leslie Norton told Econcouns in response to ref A points on May 23. Norton said Canada will be represented in Rangoon by the Director General of DFAIT's Stabilization and Reconstruction Task Force (START) Secretariat, Robert Derouin. Derouin is one of three START members who have been granted seven-day visas by the Burmese regime and who are currently in country, Norton said. She also commented that Canada believes that needs assessment work would naturally follow once humanitarian access is achieved. Norton said Canada wants to keep political concerns separate from humanitarian relief efforts, and has no plans to issue a statement regarding the next round of Burma's constitutional referendum or the expected renewal of Aung San Suu Kyi's house arrest. ¶2. (U) Earlier on May 23, Minister for International Cooperation Beverley Oda announced additional Canadian humanitarian support for "the people of Burma." Begin announcement text: The Honourable Beverley J. Oda, Minister of International Cooperation, today announced that the Government of Canada is partnering with the United Nations and Canadian and international organizations to provide much-needed additional humanitarian assistance to the people of Burma affected by the cyclone that devastated the country. "Our government remains deeply concerned about the growing impact of the cyclone on the people of Burma and we are pleased to see Canadian aid entering the country," said Minister Oda. "We are working with the United Nations and other trusted Canadian and international organizations to provide supplementary relief efforts such as food distribution and critical shelter, health and nutrition, and water and sanitation initiatives." This additional support will be going to trusted Canadian and international partners with direct access to the affected population. Although Canadian aid is getting through to the people of Burma, Canada will continue to urge Burmese authorities to provide full and unhindered access to humanitarian organizations to allow them to assist with relief efforts. Minister Oda made this announcement alongside David Morley, Chief Executive Officer for Save the Children Canada - one of the Canadian non-governmental organizations that the Government is partnering with to help the people of Burma. "Save the Children's partnership with the Government of Canada will mean that we can extend our existing relief efforts to provide mobile health services to 90,000 people in the Irawaddy Delta," stated David Morley, President and Chief Executive Officer of Save the Children Canada. "Save the Children has been operational in Burma for 13 years and has hundreds of local staff providing food, water, plastic Qhundreds of local staff providing food, water, plastic sheeting, malaria nets, temporary safe play areas, and school tents to over 160,000 cyclone survivors." The additional support today means that up to $12 million will be added to Canada's initial $2 million contribution for immediate relief efforts made on May 8, 2008 and to funds that will be raised through the Burma Cyclone Relief Fund announced last week. End announcement text. OTTAWA 00000701 002 OF 002 Visit Canada,s Economy and Environment Forum at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/can ada BREESE