Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ROME743
2008-06-11 14:42:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Rome
Cable title:
BURMA: ITALY SEES IMPROVEMENT IN HUMANITARIAN
how-toVZCZCXRO6626 OO RUEHAG RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHROV DE RUEHRO #0743 1631442 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 111442Z JUN 08 FM AMEMBASSY ROME TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0451 INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS PRIORITY RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 1301 RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 0874 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 0814 RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO PRIORITY 0410 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY 1805 RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL PRIORITY 0516 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 1939 RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON PRIORITY 0183 RUEHGO/AMEMBASSY RANGOON PRIORITY 0097 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0888
C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 000743
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MLS AARON COPE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/09/2018
TAGS: EAID PHUM BM IT
SUBJECT: BURMA: ITALY SEES IMPROVEMENT IN HUMANITARIAN
ACCESS
REF: SECSTATE 59122
Classified By: A/DepPolCouns Gabriel Escobar, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 000743
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MLS AARON COPE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/09/2018
TAGS: EAID PHUM BM IT
SUBJECT: BURMA: ITALY SEES IMPROVEMENT IN HUMANITARIAN
ACCESS
REF: SECSTATE 59122
Classified By: A/DepPolCouns Gabriel Escobar, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d).
1. (C) POLOFF delivered reftel demarche to MFA Southeast
Asian Office Director Alberto Vecchi June 9, urging Italy to
press the Burmese regime to improve humanitarian access and
halt forced relocation of cyclone victims. Vecchi, who
represented Italy at the May 25 pledging conference in
Rangoon, said that while many problems remained, he was
surprised by the level of commitment both by the junta and
ASEAN countries to improving access to regions affected by
Cyclone Nargis. No visas have been refused since the
pledging conference, he noted, and the Minister of Social
Welfare has been granted authority to extend visas for those
already in country. Vecchi said it was important to
recognize we were dealing with a "psychotic," "paranoid"
regime that was entirely unprepared to open the country to
the outside. Given that background, Vecchi said he
considered the progress to-date fairly remarkable.
2. (C) POLOFF pointed out that despite some improvements,
more than half of those affected by the cyclone had still
received no humanitarian assistance, and that there were
reports of forced relocations to storm-affected areas.
Vecchi agreed that access was far from perfect, but said that
it was greater than he had expected, and thought that public
pressure could be counterproductive. Econoff passed reftel
points to Humanitarian Assistance Director Mainardo
Benardelli on June 11. He had no additional information to
add.
SPOGLI
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MLS AARON COPE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/09/2018
TAGS: EAID PHUM BM IT
SUBJECT: BURMA: ITALY SEES IMPROVEMENT IN HUMANITARIAN
ACCESS
REF: SECSTATE 59122
Classified By: A/DepPolCouns Gabriel Escobar, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d).
1. (C) POLOFF delivered reftel demarche to MFA Southeast
Asian Office Director Alberto Vecchi June 9, urging Italy to
press the Burmese regime to improve humanitarian access and
halt forced relocation of cyclone victims. Vecchi, who
represented Italy at the May 25 pledging conference in
Rangoon, said that while many problems remained, he was
surprised by the level of commitment both by the junta and
ASEAN countries to improving access to regions affected by
Cyclone Nargis. No visas have been refused since the
pledging conference, he noted, and the Minister of Social
Welfare has been granted authority to extend visas for those
already in country. Vecchi said it was important to
recognize we were dealing with a "psychotic," "paranoid"
regime that was entirely unprepared to open the country to
the outside. Given that background, Vecchi said he
considered the progress to-date fairly remarkable.
2. (C) POLOFF pointed out that despite some improvements,
more than half of those affected by the cyclone had still
received no humanitarian assistance, and that there were
reports of forced relocations to storm-affected areas.
Vecchi agreed that access was far from perfect, but said that
it was greater than he had expected, and thought that public
pressure could be counterproductive. Econoff passed reftel
points to Humanitarian Assistance Director Mainardo
Benardelli on June 11. He had no additional information to
add.
SPOGLI