AUNG SAN SUU KYI'S MEETING WITH REGIME LIAISON

C O N F I D E N T I A L RANGOON 000047

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP/MLS, DRL, AND IO
PACOM FOR FPA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/21/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM BM
SUBJECT: AUNG SAN SUU KYI'S MEETING WITH REGIME LIAISON


Classified By: P/E Chief Leslie Hayden for Reasons 1.4 (b) & (d)


1. (C) Summary: Regime liaison Aung Kyi used his January 11
meeting with ASSK to scold her for not responding to Than
Shwe's previous demands. He told her the senior generals
were suspicious of her because the statement she released
through Gambari was similar to the points UN Special Envoy
Gambari made during his meetings with regime officials in Nay
Pyi Taw. ASSK requested she be allowed to meet with liaisons
from her party. She told her doctor Aung Kyi was trying to
arrange a meeting for her with a high-level regime official,
not necessarily Than Shwe. Aung Kyi gave no indication when
any future meetings between ASSK and the regime would occur.
End summary.


2. (C) UK Poloff Ruth Bradley-Jones recently met with
Douglas, Aung San Suu Kyi's physician, and passed on a
readout of ASSK's January 11 meeting with regime liaison Aung
Kyi. Douglas said ASSK characterized the meeting as
"difficult" because Aung Kyi has no power to make decisions
on behalf of the senior generals and was simply a messenger.
During the January 11 meeting, Aung Kyi criticized ASSK for
not responding to Than Shwe's demand that she renounce
international sanctions and her "support for utter
devastation." He noted the senior generals were "suspicious
of her" because the statement she released through Special
Envoy Gambari was so similar to the points Gambari had made
during his meetings with regime officials in Nay Pyi Taw.
Aung San Suu Kyi responded that her message was similar
because she fully supported Gambari's position.


3. (C) Aung San Suu Kyi requested that she be allowed to
meet with the two NLD members she had designated as her
liaisons, U Nyan Win and U Myint Thein, both before and after
her meetings with Aung Kyi. She indicated to Douglas that
Aung Kyi was trying to arrange a meeting between her and a
high-level regime member, but not necessarily Than Shwe.
ASSK said she was not opposed to meeting with someone other
than Than Shwe, but that it must be the beginning of a
genuine dialogue and not just a conversation with another
"messenger." Aung Kyi gave no indication of when this
meeting would take place, or when any further meetings
between him and Aung San Suu Kyi would occur.


4. (C) Aung San Suu Kyi told her doctor she did not want
details of her latest meeting with Aung Kyi to be shared with
the NLD "Uncles," because she felt their public statements
and overall response to her previous meetings with the regime
had been "overly optimistic."


5. (C) Comment: Aung Kyi's latest meeting with Aung San Suu
Kyi brought nothing new other than more regime excuses for
further delaying the initiation of a genuine dialogue. As
with most of their dealings inside and outside of Burma, the
regime prefers to lecture, demand, and make excuses, rather
than discuss realistic choices and hard compromises. Than
Shwe wants the other side to begin with full concessions,
after which he will decide whether or not to negotiate
further. The current roadmap is clearly a one-way street.
End comment.

VILLAROSA