AUNG SAN SUU KYI: HOPE FOR THE BEST, PLAN FOR THE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 000073 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP AND IO; PACOM FOR FPA E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/20/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM BM SUBJECT: AUNG SAN SUU KYI: HOPE FOR THE BEST, PLAN FOR THE WORST Classified By: Pol Officer Sean O'Neill for Reasons 1.4 (b) & (d) ¶1. (C) Summary. In a 90-minute meeting with the NLD's Central Executive Committee on January 30, Aung San Suu Kyi expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of the dialogue with the regime and the lack of progress towards democracy and reconciliation. She encouraged her colleagues to go ahead with opposition activities without regard to what effect that will have on the dialogue. Aung San Suu Kyi once again reiterated her support for tripartite dialogue and encouraged her party to reach out to ethnic groups, including those who disagree with her. She held a separate 45-minute meeting with regime liaison Aung Kyi immediately afterwards. End Summary. ¶2. (C) NLD Spokesman Nyan Win told POLOFF that the party's Central Executive Committee (CEC) held a detailed 90-minute discussion with Aung San Suu Kyi (ASSK) on January 30 regarding the lack of progress in her dialogue with the regime, democratic reform, and the best way forward. Nyan Win told us ASSK expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of the dialogue and lack of progress towards democratic reform and reconciliation. She regretted that the regime continued to prohibit pro-democracy groups from participating in the "roadmap to democracy." ASSK relayed that, in their last meeting, Minister of Relations Aung Kyi had said pro-democracy groups could participate in the roadmap so long as they did not interfere with or criticize it. This, she responded, did not constitute true participation in the democratic process which must include a give-and-take. We will try to gather more information about her most recent meeting with Aung Kyi. ¶3. (C) ASSK lamented that the regime has not responded to her requests to meet regularly with her party and other opposition and ethnic leaders. Once again, she regretted that her deputy, U Tin Oo, was not permitted to join the other NLD CEC members. She complained that the regime continued to accuse her of failing to respond to Than Shwe's four demands that she abandon sanctions, and renounce "utter devastation, obstruction, and confrontation." She commented that she has repeatedly told the regime that she is willing to work with them, has no authority to repeal sanctions, and questioned how she could give up "utter devastation" when she has never supported it. She told the CEC that, for these reasons, she has lost considerable faith in the dialogue and encouraged her party to undertake "appropriate" opposition activities without regard to what effect this will have on her discourse with the regime. ¶4. (C) However, despite the disappointments thus far, ASSK insisted the NLD continue to work for reconciliation and true democratic change. She reiterated her support for an inclusive tripartite dialogue, including Burma's ethnic minorities. She told the CEC that she welcomes criticism of the NLD and its policies by other opposition groups and ethnic leaders as a healthy part of democracy. Rather than distance themselves from their critics, she encouraged her party to reach out to them. Nyan Win acknowledged to POLOFF that the CEC had not yet made any statements in support of tripartite dialogue since ASSK expressed her support for it in their November 9 meeting. He assured us, however, that they were in agreement with her and would soon do so. ¶5. (C) Nyan Win told us ASSK asked him to convey a message to the Burmese people, which he released to the media shortly after the meeting. In it she said the lack of a clear message from the regime and absence of a time frame for dialogue was discouraging. As a result, she did not want to send the Burmese people false hope that change would come soon and encouraged them instead to be patient and "hope for the best, but plan for the worst." ¶6. (C) It is amazing that Aung San Suu Kyi can still be optimistic about anything. After four and a half years of being held virtually incommunicado, she still retains her focus. Her public expression of dissatisfaction over the RANGOON 00000073 002 OF 002 non-existent dialogue should send a clear message to Than Shwe and the international community that further delays are unacceptable. The international community was united last fall in telling Than Shwe that there was no returning to the status quo ante and that a genuine, inclusive dialogue must get under way. Than Shwe, instead, has implemented more restrictive measures that have taken the country backwards and made a bad situation even worse. He clearly has no intention of engaging in dialogue. The international community needs to call him on his recalcitrance now. End Comment. VILLAROSA