FIRST TRANCHE OF USG CYCLONE ASSISTANCE ARRIVES IN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 RANGOON 000357 SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/MLS, SES-O, INR/EAP BANGKOK FOR USAID/OFDA DART LEADER DEPT PASS TO USAID/OFDA PACOM FOR FPA TREASURY FOR OASIA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID ECON PGOV PREL BM SUBJECT: FIRST TRANCHE OF USG CYCLONE ASSISTANCE ARRIVES IN BURMA REF: RANGOON 352 AND PREVIOUS RANGOON 00000357 001.2 OF 003 ¶1. (SBU) Summary. USAID Administrator Henrietta Fore and PACOM Commander Admiral Timothy J. Keating on May 12 delivered the first tranche of USG assistance to Burma, including bottled water, blankets, and mosquito nets. During a meeting with Burmese Commander of the Navy Vice Admiral Soe Thein and other GOB officials, Administrator Fore and Admiral Keating offered continued U.S. assistance, including additional C130s with relief supplies, civilian and military disaster relief experts, and military support. After thanking the U.S. delegation for its offer, the Burmese Government officials noted that the GOB was only accepting relief supplies at this time. GOB officials identified potable water, food, construction supplies, and fuel as their top priority needs. Vice Admiral Soe Thein also noted that the U.S. could provide assistance to Burma without an established Memorandum of Understanding. Burma continues to receive substantial aid from neighboring countries, with an average of 10 support flights arriving in Rangoon daily. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) The first tranche of USG humanitarian assistance to Burma arrived on May 12 with the landing of a C-130 filled with supplies. USAID Administrator Henrietta Fore, PACOM Commander Timothy Keating, DAS Scott Marciel, and USAID/OFDA DART Leader William Berger presented to the Burmese Government, represented by Deputy Minister of Social Welfare Brig. General Kyaw Myint, 8,300 bottles of water, 10,800 mosquito nets, and 1,350 blankets. After the presentation, the U.S. delegation met with Burmese officials, including Commander of the Navy Vice Admiral Soe Thein, Deputy Foreign Minister U Kyaw Thu, Brig. General Kyaw Myint, Commodore Win Shein, Commander of the Irrawaddy Naval Region, Commander of the Mingaladon Air Force Base Brig. General Zin Yaw, Foreign Relations Director for the Defense Attache Corps Colonel San Nyunt Oo, Deputy Director General of Protocol U Soe Win, and Director General of the Fire Brigade U Myint Tun. Only Commodities Needed -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Vice Admiral Soe Thein thanked the United States Government for its support and donation to the Burmese people. He observed that the Burmese navy was playing a significant role in relief operations, working with NGOs and other government agencies to help the Burmese people. The cyclone did a lot of damage, and he added it would take time and hard work to recover. Currently, more than 386,000 displaced Burmese are living in more than 15 temporary camps in the Irrawaddy Delta region. Many of them will live in the camps for more than two months as the GOB and NGOs work to repair the damage caused by the cyclone. Vice Admiral Soe Thein identified potable water and food as the people's most immediate needs. While the HEALTH of the people remains a concern, Vice Admiral Soe Thein noted that the GOB and NGOs are sending medicines and doctors to the region and that there have not yet been any disease epidemics in the region. When asked by Administrator Fore, Vice Admiral Soe Thein indicated that the NGOs had been distributing relief supplies on their own. ¶4. (SBU) USAID Administrator Fore, Admiral Keating, and AID/OFDA DART Leader William Berger explained to the GOB that the USG was prepared to assist the Burmese in a myriad of ways, including continued C130 support flights with relief RANGOON 00000357 002.2 OF 003 supplies including water purification capability, the provision of civilian and military disaster response experts, and military support. Admiral Keating emphasized that the U.S. military, which could provide support in a matter of days, respected the sovereign authority of the GOB and would not enter Burma without an invitation. The U.S. military was willing to be flexible and creative, and the Burmese Government could decide how to best use U.S. military resources and assets to meet the needs of its people. Admiral Keating extended to Admiral Soe Thane a personal invitation to visit the USS Essex to observe its capacity as a relief platform. Bill Berger observed that the USAID DART teams, with expertise in providing shelter, health, and water sanitation, respond to more than 67 disasters a year. These teams stood ready to come into Burma to assist in disaster recovery, he explained. Administrator Fore inquired whether the Burmese Government needed the USG to sign a memorandum of understanding for the delivery of relief supplies and expertise. ¶5. (SBU) After the presentation, Vice Admiral Soe Thein again thanked the United States for its offer and noted that he would raise the issue with the Prime Minister, who is the overall coordinator for assistance. He then stated that there was no need for an MOU between the U.S. and Burma because it was "just a matter of ONE country helping out another country." The GOB was meeting the needs of the people he declared, and it was working to improve its coordination with the NGOs working in the Irrawaddy Delta. He then reiterated that the GOB was in need of commodities, such as potable water, foodstuffs, and shelters. Deputy Foreign Minister Kyaw Thu noted that the United States could also provide diesel fuel and construction materials, which would be used to rebuild homes for thousands of homeless Burmese. The GOB continues to receive humanitarian assistance and relief supplies from neighboring countries, with an average of 10 planes arriving daily. Two C130s from Malaysia, ONE from India, and ONE from Greece arrived carrying food and shelter supplies. ¶6. (SBU) Administrator Fore and Admiral Keating agreed on the need for relief supplies, and pledged to include additional water, blankets, food, mosquito nets, and hygiene kits on future C-130 flights. Two U.S. planes are scheduled to arrive in Burma on May 13 and the Burmese indicated their receptivity to additional flights later this week. After the meeting, the Burmese officials escorted the U.S. delegation to the Mingaladon Air Force base, where the GOB collects and houses relief supplies. They witnessed two helicopters carrying USAID supplies taking off for the Irrawaddy Delta. Comment -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Although many of the military officers seemed extremely pleased with the visit of Administrator Fore and Admiral Keating, the meeting went as we expected. The Burmese delegation, which did not include anyone with decision-making authority, was pleasant and cordial, but made no firm commitment to accept U.S. assistance beyond relief supplies flown into Rangoon. There was very little substantive discussion of how the United States and Burma could coordinate on continued relief efforts. If it was not clear before, it is now: the Burmese Government, at this time, welcomes the donation of commodities to assist with cyclone relief and only that. Nevertheless, we do not RANGOON 00000357 003.2 OF 003 believe the door to additional cooperation was totally closed and will continue to work with the UN, USAID, and PACOM on how we might be able to expand our cooperation to improve delivery of desperately needed relief supplies to the two million victims of Cyclone Nargis. ¶8. (SBU) This cable has been cleared by PACOM Admiral Keating and USAID/OFDA DART Leader William Berger. VILLAROSA