SECURITY COUNCIL CONSULTATION AND FRIENDS GROUP

UNCLAS STATE 078858

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PHUM UNSC BM
SUBJECT: SECURITY COUNCIL CONSULTATION AND FRIENDS GROUP
MEETING ON BURMA


1. ACTION REQUEST - The Burma Group of Friends will meet on
July 23, with SYG Ban presiding. The Security Council will
receive a report on the political situation in Burma from the
UN Department of Political Affairs (DPA) on July 24. USUN is
instructed to draw on the points in para 2 below in its
interventions in both meetings. End action request.


2. Begin points:

I would like to thank Special Advisor Gambari for his
briefing to the Group of Friends and express the support of
the United States for his continuing efforts on behalf of the
Secretary General's "good offices" mission. There has not
been satisfactory progress in Burma, and the Security Council
must continue to review the political situation in that
country and address the lack of response by the regime to
requests by Special Advisor Gambari and the Security Council
for the release of political prisoners and for genuine
dialogue leading to democratization and the release of
political prisoners, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

Today I would like to make three points:

-- First, we regret that the Government of Burma has ignored
repeated Security Council requests for the regime to take all
necessary measures to address the political, economic,
humanitarian and human rights issues that are the concern of
its people and to release all political prisoners, including
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Despite the Council's call for a free
and fair vote, the Burmese regime conducted its May
constitutional referendum in an environment of fear and
intimidation, promulgating new laws prohibiting free debate.
It again extended Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's detention. It
continues to beat, arrest and imprison individuals who have
peacefully expressed alternate views to those of the regime
or protested the sham "roadmap to democracy." The Government
of Burma must heed the calls of the Security Council and
ASEAN by immediately releasing all political prisoners and
immediately beginning a genuine, transparent and inclusive
dialogue with all democratic and ethnic minority groups and
with the support of the United Nations.


-- Second, in its appalling response to Cyclone Nargis,
which inflicted horrific death and suffering on the Burmese
people, the regime first blocked international relief
efforts, including access to supplies for cyclone victims,
and then imposed bureaucratic impediments in an attempt to
control the process for its own ends. Although access for
humanitarian aid experts has recently improved and aid is
getting to at least some of those who desperately need it,
the regime continues to limit international aid workers'
ability to travel to and conduct aid operations in
cyclone-affected areas.

-- Third, the United States fully supports the statement by
the ASEAN Foreign Ministers at their meeting in Singapore
expressing disappointment that the regime extended Aung San
Suu Kyi's detention, as well as calling for immediate release
of all political prisoners and for the regime to engage in a
genuine dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi and other democratic
and ethnic minority leaders to achieve a democratic
government. Without these steps by the regime, the Security
Council will have no choice but to address this continued
intransigence, since the political conditions in Burma will
continue to deteriorate, along with Burma's stability and the
welfare of its long-suffering people.

End points.
RICE