ACTION REQUEST: UNDEF ADVISORY BOARD CHAIR

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 030490

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SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/24/2018
TAGS: PHUM
SUBJECT: ACTION REQUEST: UNDEF ADVISORY BOARD CHAIR

REF: OSTERMEIER-NORIN EMAIL THURSDAY MARCH 20

Classified By: IO Acting DAS Grover Joseph Rees,
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (SBU) This is an action request. Department requests
Mission as soon as possible - and before the close of
business on Thursday, March 27 - to demarche at an
appropriately senior level to the office of the Secretary
General and to UN Democracy Fund Executive Director Roland
Rich to convey: a) that the U.S. has serious concerns with
the potential appointment of Aye Aye Thant as the Chair of
the UN Democracy Fund Advisory Board; b) the U.S. would like
more time to consult with other Advisory Board members about
this appointment and requests that the decision not be taken
this Friday; and c) that the U.S. is again disappointed at
not having been consulted before the Secretary General's
preference to appoint Aye Aye Thant was announced at an
expert-level meeting of all Advisory Board members. Mission
may draw on suggested points provided below, as appropriate.
Mission is also requested to quietly raise U.S. concerns with
friendly governments, including but not limited to Japan and
Australia, to see if they may have similar views.

Suggested Points:


2. (SBU) An initial survey into Aye Aye Thant's background
suggests that she is at best equivocal about what posture
democratic governments and multilateral institutions should
take toward the military regime in Burma. See paragraph 6.
The UN Democracy Fund Advisory Board should not be chaired by
a national of a country governed by an egregiously
undemocratic regime who remains on good terms with the regime
and who has advocated positions favored by the regime. An
appointment by the Secretary General of Aye Aye Thant as
UNDEF Advisory Board Chair would send a terrible signal at a
time when the United Nations needs to make clear that the
Burmese government's apparent determination to impose its
so-called "roadmap to democracy" by means of a sham election
is unacceptable. Such an appointment could discredit the
Fund and would likely draw serious questions from
pro-democracy groups and institutions in donor countries,
including but not limited to the United States Congress.


3. (SBU) The U.S. is UNDEF's largest contributor. We do not
want to see U.S. support for the Fund jeopardized because of
this appointment, or because of a lack of consultation
generally with the U.S.


4. (SBU) The Advisory Board's terms of reference clearly
state that the Board will select one of its members to be
appointed as Chair by the Secretary General. It is not
acceptable for UNDEF simply to name a preferred candidate
without genuine deliberation and review among Board members.
We urge you to allow the Advisory Board more time to consider
the appointment of a new Chair.


5. (SBU) The U.S. is open to considering other candidates for
the position, and notes that Professor Michael Doyle of
Columbia University has been ably serving as acting Advisory
Board Chair for several months. We are currently reviewing
the list of Advisory Board members to identify potential
candidates who would be preferable to Aye Aye Thant.
Background:


6. (C) Aye Aye Thant holds a Myanmar passport; several
experts familiar with the situation in Burma indicate that
she has advocated leniency toward the current government and
may have close ties to the regime. Aye Aye Thant has stated
publicly that the West should not "isolate" the regime as
this contributes to "greater resentment and misunderstanding"
and essentially called for the U.S. to drop its sanctions by
suggesting that her father, former UN Secretary General U
Thant, would have insisted that "U.S. sanctions be lifted"
(from a 2002 interview with the Asia Times). In 2003, Aye
Aye Thant made a widely publicized visit to Burma as the
guest of the government that was criticized by Burmese
democracy advocates.


7. (SBU) The UNDEF Advisory Board is made up of 19
individuals, composed of 13 member states (Australia, France,
Germany, India, Japan, Qatar, USA, Mali, Mozambique, Peru,
Philippines, Romania and Vanuatu); three representatives of
the Secretary General ( Aye Aye Thant, President of the U
Thant Institute; Professor Adebayo Olukoshi, Executive
Secretary of the Council for the Development of Social

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Science in Africa; and Professor Michael Doyle, Columbia
University); two representatives of non-governmental
organizations (Mr. Ziad Abdel Samad, Executive Director of
the Arab NGO Network for Development; and Mr. Nicholas Howen,
Secretary General of the International Commission of

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Jurists); and Mr. Amir Dossal, Executive Director of the UN
Fund for International Partnerships.


8. (SBU) There is no requirement that the Chair of the Board
be one of the three members appointed by the Secretary
General. However, the past Chair and Acting Chair have been
from among this group. The U.S. recognizes it is preferable
to have a non-UN Member State as Chair to avoid political
pressure on the Member State in its capacity as Board Chair.


9. (SBU) Department is considering possible alternatives to
Aye Aye Thant and will get back to the Mission with more
details as soon as possible in Septel.


10. (U) Department appreciates the Mission's assistance with
this request.
RICE