INSTRUCTIONS FOR BURMA BRIEFING AND GROUP OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 027905

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/18/2018
TAGS: PREL PHUM UNSC BM
SUBJECT: INSTRUCTIONS FOR BURMA BRIEFING AND GROUP OF
FRIENDS MEETING


Classified By: IO Acting A/S Brian Hook,
Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (U) ACTION REQUEST AND SUMMARY: Special Advisor for
Burma Gambari will present a report to the Security Council
on his latest visit to Burma March 18 at 5:00 PM, preceded by
a meeting of the Burma Group of Friends at 3:00 PM. USUN's
objective should be to assure that Gambari provides the
Security Council a brutally frank assessment of the Burmese
regime's behavior towards the democratic opposition, Gambri's
mission, and the constitution-drafting and referendum
processes. Further, USUN should seek to use the report to
lay the groundwork for a Council product which will increase
pressure on the Burmese regime as soon as possible. The
Friends of Burma meeting should be dealt with in the manner
USUN judges best to accomplish our objectives in the UNSC.
USUN may draw upon the points in para 2 below as it judges
useful and appropriate. End Action Request and Summary.



2. (U) Points for U.S. Response
--------------

-- The United States wants to thank Special Advisor Ibrahim
Gambari for his briefing, and for his efforts to continue
pressing forward, in the face of the Burmese regime's
non-cooperation, with his efforts to achieve a meaningful and
time-bound dialogue with leaders of democratic and ethnic
minority groups in Burma aimed at national reconciliation.

-- We welcome Mr. Gambari's briefing of the Council today.
Having expressed its unanimous support for Mr. Gambari's
efforts in the October 11 Presidential Statement, it is
important that the Council continue to give its attention to
this issue, including through regular briefings by the
Secretary General's Special Advisor on Burma.

SIPDIS

-- The United States is deeply concerned by the regime's
continued failure to cooperate in any meaningful fashion with
the UN good offices mission, as was again demonstrated during
Mr. Gambari's to Burma March 6-10, his first opportunity to
visit Burma since early November 2007.

-- The Council had welcomed the regime,s appointment of a
"liaison officer" to meet with Aung San Suu Kyi, but that
initiative has yielded no results. In a January 30 statement
on behalf of Aung San Suu Kyi, the National League for
Democracy expressed Aung San Suu Kyi,s dissatisfaction with
the lack of progress in her talks with "relations minister"
Aung Kyi.

-- The regime leaders' refusal to meet with Mr. Gambari
showed disrespect for the UN, the Security Council and the
office of the Secretary-General and the UN itself, abd
demonstrated that the regime does not take the good offices
mission seriously.

-- The regime publicly chastised Mr. Gambari and the United
Nations for an alleged bias in favor of Burma,s democracy
movement, stated that he had endangered the stability of
Burma by releasing a statement on behalf of Aung San Suu Kyi;
and it continued to arrest democratic opposition activists
even in the midst of his visit. Such actions make clear that
the regime has no regard for the UN mission and no intention
of genuinely supporting a dialogue process that could address
Burma,s internal political stalemate and lead to national
reconciliation.

-- The regime further rejected the notion of opening up the
draft constitution for input from democratic and ethnic
minority groups as well as Mr. Gambari,s offer to organize
technical assistance and international observers for the
regime's planned May referendum on its draft constitution.

-- The United States and other like-minded countries consider
the regime's planned conduct of the referendum and drafting
process for the constitution to be seriously flawed, and sees
genuine dialogue with Burma,s democratic and ethnic minority
groups as the only path to a stable, prosperous, democratic
Burma.

-- As Special Rapporteur for Human Rights Paulo Pinheiro
stated last week, "For a democracy to be sustainable, it has
to be inclusive and representative of the views of all the
people in Myanmar." Mr. Pinheiro added, "No referendum or
elections can be fair, no transition to democracy can be

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effective, without the release of political prisoners, the
authorization of political parties to operate, and the
protection of the basic civil and political freedoms, all
non-existent in Myanmar;"

-- Now that the regime has decided to hold a referendum, it
is responsible for conducting that referendum in accordance
with international standards for free and fair elections and
referenda. Specifically, it should take the following steps:

Immediately publish the draft constitution to allow the
Burmese people to make an informed decision on whether to
vote for or against the constitution, and allow for a full
and free public debate about the draft constitution,
including in the press and media, and allow unhindered
discussion of the regime's "roadmap;"

Rescind laws and regulations that prohibit the exercise
of basic freedoms of media, speech, association and assembly
or at a minimum do not enforce them;

Allow members of democratic organizations to participate
in the referendum campaign;

Ensure universal suffrage by allowing members of
religious groups, including monks and nuns, members of
democratic and ethnic minority organizations, and current and
former political prisoners to vote;

Ensure secrecy and security of the ballot;

Permit independent domestic and international observers
to monitor the referendum process, including the period
before the referendum as well as the casting, counting, and
tabulating of votes;

Establish a neutral and independent commission to
oversee the referendum; and

Refrain from the use of violence, intimidation, or
coercion, either by security forces or civilian organizations
controlled by the regime, such as the Union Solidarity and
Development Association, to affect the outcome.

-- These steps are all in conformity with the provisions of
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to which Burma is
a party, the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights, and the Declaration of Principles for International
Election Observation, from which UN election standards are
derived.

-- If the Burmese regime takes all these steps, it could
result in an open, fair and transparent referendum that the
world can recognize as a step towards democracy.

-- If, on the other hand, it does not do so and the conduct
of the referendum is seen as intentionally subverting the
will of the Burmese people in an unfair and non-transparent
process, it will be clear that the regime has rejected any
form of political solution and that additional Council action
will be required.
RICE