GAMBARI'S FIRST DAY

UNCLAS RANGOON 000668 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP AND IO; PACOM FOR FPA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM BM SUBJECT: GAMBARI'S FIRST DAY ¶1. (SBU) Summary. In a short meeting with the diplomatic corps on August 18, his first day in country, UN Special Envoy Gambari said he hoped to build on the opening created by Cyclone Nargis to broaden cooperation with the GOB on political and socio-economic issues. Diplomatic representatives, including Charge, cited a complete lack of progress toward democracy and reconciliation and emphasized the need for Gambari to press for the release of political prisoners and for genuine dialogue with democratic and ethnic groups. Gambari reported that he had already met with the Foreign Minister and would meet with the Tripartite Core Group and the International Committee of the Red Cross the same day, but acknowledged the rest of his program for the five-day visit was not set. Gambari did not discuss his meeting requests to the regime other than to note he hoped to meet again with Aung San Suu Kyi. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) In a short, largely set-piece meeting with the diplomatic corps on August 18, his first day in country, UN Special Envoy Gambari reported that the primary objective of his visit was to build on the opening created by Cyclone Nargis to extend and deepen cooperation with the GOB on political and socio-economic issues. The UN, under the Secretary-General's direction, had purposefully focused on humanitarian issues in the wake of the disaster, but now hoped to increase its good offices role in an effort to shape the next phase of the regime's "roadmap to democracy" - which Gambari said would be difficult but also "potentially rewarding" if the regime took certain steps. Gambari added that he hoped to come to Burma several times prior to a possible visit here by the Secretary-General. ¶3. (SBU) Diplomatic representatives, including Charge, acknowledged the opening created by Nargis but cited the sham referendum, extension of Aung San Suu Kyi's detention, and ongoing arrests as evidence of a complete lack of progress toward democracy and reconciliation. Most of those diplomats who spoke out (UK, France, Italy, Philippines, Singapore, and U.S.) emphasized the need for Gambari to press the regime for the release of political prisoners and for time-bound, genuine dialogue with democratic and ethnic groups; Gambari stressed those points were high on his agenda. He otherwise demurred on questions about the points he intended to raise with the regime, explaining that he was being reticent because he was carrying a personal message from the Secretary-General - he did not say for whom - that he had not yet delivered. ¶4. (SBU) Gambari also admitted that most of his program for the five-day visit was not set and did not divulge the meeting requests he had submitted to the regime. He did note, however, that the program for his first day included a call on the Foreign Minister and meetings with the Tripartite Core Group and International Committee for the Red Cross. Gambari remarked, without elaborating, that he believed access to government officials and opposition leaders had improved over the course of his six visits to Burma. Gambari pledged to meet with the diplomatic corps again near the end of his visit to brief on its outcomes. VAJDA