Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ROME367
2008-03-26 10:04:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Rome
Cable title:
DEMARCHE RESPONSE: REFERENDUM IN BURMA
how-toVZCZCXRO4838 PP RUEHAG RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHROV DE RUEHRO #0367 0861004 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 261004Z MAR 08 FM AMEMBASSY ROME TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0028 INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS PRIORITY RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 1296 RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 0871 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 0811 RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL PRIORITY 0513 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 1935 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0869
C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 000367
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MLS AARON COPE AND IO/UNP PAUL WICKBERG
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/19/2018
TAGS: PREL PHUM BM IT
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE RESPONSE: REFERENDUM IN BURMA
REF: STATE 26677
Classified By: Political Officer Stephen Anderson, for reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 000367
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MLS AARON COPE AND IO/UNP PAUL WICKBERG
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/19/2018
TAGS: PREL PHUM BM IT
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE RESPONSE: REFERENDUM IN BURMA
REF: STATE 26677
Classified By: Political Officer Stephen Anderson, for reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d).
1. (C) POLOFF delivered reftel points to MFA Southeast Asia
Office Director Alberto Vecchi March 17 and urged Italy to
speak out about concerns over the Burmese regime's announced
constitutional referendum. Vecchi, who returned February 29
from a week-long trip to Burma, said Italy agreed with our
concerns about the constitutional referendum and the lack of
cooperation with the UN Good Offices mission, but he was
pessimistic about the likelihood of affecting change. He
said we had to be realistic about the influence that Europe
and the United States could exert on the regime. Neighboring
countries had much more pull, but recent events in Tibet made
it very unlikely we could count on any help from the Chinese.
2. (C) Vecchi said that the likely scenario would be a
referendum that was neither free nor fair, that would lead to
imperfect elections in 2010. He was doubtful that a "vote
no" campaign would be successful even without manipulation of
the vote. He said his meeting with the NLD "uncles" during
his trip to Burma had reinforced his perception that the
opposition is weak. Vecchi said additional sanctions must
remain a possibility, but suggested it was best to wait until
after the referendum.
3. (C) In a separate meeting March 19, POLOFF delivered ref
points to MFA UN Affairs Desk Officer Leonardo Bencini, who
said Italy would be supportive of our efforts to issue a UNSC
Presidential Statement on the regime's handling of UN Special
Adviser Ibrahim Gambari's last trip to Burma. Bencini agreed
that the Council needed to respond to the junta's
uncooperative behavior.
SPOGLI
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MLS AARON COPE AND IO/UNP PAUL WICKBERG
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/19/2018
TAGS: PREL PHUM BM IT
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE RESPONSE: REFERENDUM IN BURMA
REF: STATE 26677
Classified By: Political Officer Stephen Anderson, for reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d).
1. (C) POLOFF delivered reftel points to MFA Southeast Asia
Office Director Alberto Vecchi March 17 and urged Italy to
speak out about concerns over the Burmese regime's announced
constitutional referendum. Vecchi, who returned February 29
from a week-long trip to Burma, said Italy agreed with our
concerns about the constitutional referendum and the lack of
cooperation with the UN Good Offices mission, but he was
pessimistic about the likelihood of affecting change. He
said we had to be realistic about the influence that Europe
and the United States could exert on the regime. Neighboring
countries had much more pull, but recent events in Tibet made
it very unlikely we could count on any help from the Chinese.
2. (C) Vecchi said that the likely scenario would be a
referendum that was neither free nor fair, that would lead to
imperfect elections in 2010. He was doubtful that a "vote
no" campaign would be successful even without manipulation of
the vote. He said his meeting with the NLD "uncles" during
his trip to Burma had reinforced his perception that the
opposition is weak. Vecchi said additional sanctions must
remain a possibility, but suggested it was best to wait until
after the referendum.
3. (C) In a separate meeting March 19, POLOFF delivered ref
points to MFA UN Affairs Desk Officer Leonardo Bencini, who
said Italy would be supportive of our efforts to issue a UNSC
Presidential Statement on the regime's handling of UN Special
Adviser Ibrahim Gambari's last trip to Burma. Bencini agreed
that the Council needed to respond to the junta's
uncooperative behavior.
SPOGLI