ASSK SEES LAWYER FOR THIRD TIME IN A MONTH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 000704 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP/MLS, DRL, AND IO PACOM FOR FPA E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/05/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM BM SUBJECT: ASSK SEES LAWYER FOR THIRD TIME IN A MONTH REF: A. RANGOON 648 ¶B. RANGOON 673 RANGOON 00000704 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: P/E Chief Jenny Harhigh for Reasons 1.4 (b) & (d) SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) Aung San Suu Kyi (ASSK) met her lawyer, Neville, September 1 for 30 minutes to discuss her appeal process. Neville reported that ASSK told him to inform authorities that she would not meet with either her doctor or Liaison Minister Aung Kyi, presumably because such meetings would be used by the regime as propaganda to demonstrate she was not on a hunger strike. Neville confirmed that ASSK continues to refuse food deliveries and said she asked him to respond to questions about a possible hunger strike by saying "I am well but have lost a little weight." Although there are concerns her food stocks may be dwindling, it does not appear at this time that ASSK is refusing to eat. More likely, she is rejecting food deliveries in an effort to pressure the regime to ease its restrictions on her house arrest. End Summary. A THIRD MEETING, BUT A SHORT ONE -------------- ¶2. (C) ASSK's lawyer, U Kyi Win (aka Neville) reported to us he had been summoned by the police Special Branch (SB) the morning of September 1 for his third meeting with ASSK in a month. Neville's two previous meetings with ASSK -- after more than five years without access -- occurred on August 8 (2 hours) and August 17 (4.5 hours). Those sessions focused on ASSK's request for Neville to prepare a renewed legal appeal of her house arrest. In this case, SB told Neville to inform ASSK that the September 1 meeting would be limited to 30 minutes. SB also asked Neville to pass two messages to his client -- that her doctor Tin Myo Win (aka Douglas) would be in to see her immediately after the legal meeting, and that she would be able to meet with Liaison Minister Aung Kyi on September 2. ASSK's last meeting with Aung Kyi was in January. ¶3. (C) According to Neville, ASSK expressed her displeasure at the time limit for the meeting, stating that the time allotted was not sufficient for the task of reviewing her appeal. Neville had planned to explain the nine grounds for the formal appeal and obtain her agreement. However, ASSK asked that Neville leave the written appeal with her for review, saying that 30 minutes was too short and "we can't get anything done." Neville surmised that SB was trying to get back at ASSK for having met with him for such a long time during their previous meetings. DECLINES MEETING WITH DOCTOR AND LIAISON MINISTER -------------- -------------- ¶4. (C) ASSK asked Neville to tell the doctor not to come, although she didn't say why. Douglas apparently arrived at ASSK's compound at 10:00 a.m. on September 1 but at 10:30 SB informed him he would not see his patient. No reason was given, according to Douglas. ¶5. (C) Regarding the proposed meeting with Liaison Minister Aung Kyi, ASSK told Neville that her official reply was: "I would like to meet with him, but I am tired and need a little rest." Neville said ASSK told him she objected to the idea of a meeting with Aung Kyi because she believed it would be used by the regime as propaganda, complete with photos, etc. to show that she was not on a hunger strike. (Comment: it is possible ASSK declined to meet the doctor for the same reason; the last time she saw him, the regime put out a statement denying her rumored hunger strike, noting that Douglas had found her to be in good health. End Comment.) SIGNS GENERAL POA, EXPRESSES CONCERN ABOUT COMPANIONS -------------- -------------- RANGOON 00000704 002.2 OF 002 ¶6. (C) Neville said ASSK requested he draw up a General Power-of-Attorney (POA) for her. When he told her that SB had not allowed him to bring in his legal forms including the POA, she asked that he draw one up by hand, which he did. ASSK had already signed a specific POA at her August 8 meeting with Neville, allowing him to take legal action on her behalf. Neville reported that ASSK continued to express concern about the restrictions placed on her two female companions. The elder companion, Khin Khin Win, has been unable to draw her pension because she is unable to come and go from the compound. ¶7. (C) According to Neville, ASSK will continue to refuse to accept food deliveries until she is comfortable her legal issues are being resolved to her satisfaction. However, he noted that he was able to give her some chocolate during their meeting. Others who have spoken with Neville tell us he expressed concern that ASSK's food stocks were dwindling, but the attorney made no such statement to us. COMMENT -------------- ¶8. (C) Everything we know about ASSK's well-being and intentions is gleaned from three second-hand sources: her doctor, her lawyer, and her food deliverer. As a result, we - like everyone else - are left to speculate on her condition and intentions. To the best of our knowledge, ASSK has not accepted deliveries from her usual food deliverer since August 15, which raises concerns about how much food she still has on hand. However, taking into account what we have heard collectively over the last month from the above sources, we do not believe ASSK is on a hunger strike at this time or that she would subject her companions to one. Instead, it is possible she is seeking to create the impression of a current or pending hunger strike (should her food run out) to gain leverage against the GOB. Her immediate goals appear to be gaining unfettered access to her lawyer and doctor -- on her terms, not the regime's -- easing the restrictions on her companions, and putting forth the best possible legal appeal of her detention. DINGER