Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08VIENTIANE611
2008-11-21 00:45:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Vientiane
Cable title:
LAO MINIMALIST RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE ON BURMA
how-toVZCZCXRO6169 RR RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH DE RUEHVN #0611 3260045 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 210045Z NOV 08 FM AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2291 INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 2336 RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1085 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0164 RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 0647 RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0197
C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENTIANE 000611
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EAP/MLS (EMERY, SCHEIBE)
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/19/2018
TAGS: BM LA PGOV PHUM PREL
SUBJECT: LAO MINIMALIST RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE ON BURMA
CRACKDOWN
REF: SECSTATE 121418
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i. Peter Haymond for reasons 1.4 (B
and D)
C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENTIANE 000611
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EAP/MLS (EMERY, SCHEIBE)
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/19/2018
TAGS: BM LA PGOV PHUM PREL
SUBJECT: LAO MINIMALIST RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE ON BURMA
CRACKDOWN
REF: SECSTATE 121418
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i. Peter Haymond for reasons 1.4 (B
and D)
1. (C) SUMMARY: A/DCM delivered reftel demarche to MFA ASEAN
Department Deputy Director General Kham-Inh Khitchadeth. He
acknowledged the longstanding problems presented by Burma but
pointed out that the "ASEAN approach" to dealing with
problems -- including the principle of non-interference --
limited possible actions. Still he said the situation in
Burma would be an important element of discussion at the
upcoming ASEAN Summit. DDG Kham-Inh promised to pass the
demarche information to his superiors for consideration. End
summary.
2. (C) A/DCM delivered reftel points to ASEAN DDG Kham-Inh on
11/20. DDG Kham-Inh said that ASEAN has worked to encourage
the government in Burma to resolve its longstanding political
problems and added that these new problems will also be
considered. Kham-Inh was surprised at the 59 arrests in the
last two weeks and asked about the source of this
information. He understood the implications to the focus of
the upcoming ASEAN Summit of this new wave of crackdowns in
Burma and promised that the situation in Burma would be
raised during the Summit deliberations. However he also
pointed to the need to avoid "pushing Burma into a corner."
Kham-Inh raised the 2010 election as one possible solution,
but A/DCM highlighted that an election held with more than
2000 regime opponents incarcerated would be widely viewed as
a sham -- a point Kham-Inh clearly understood. Although UN
voting is the focus of MFA's International Organizations
Department, Kham-Inh advised that Lao would be unlikely to
vote against a no-action motion on the UNGA Third Committee
resolution on Burma or in favor of stronger language in the
resolution. Still, he promised to take our concerns to his
superiors and share them with his colleagues in the other
Departments involved in Burma issues (International
Organizations for UN-related issues and the Asia, Pacific,
and Africa Department for bilateral issues).
3. (C) COMMENT: As DDG Kham-Inh made clear, there is little
likelihood that Laos will break ranks at the UNGA Third
Committee. Nor will Laos take the lead in pressing
moderation by the Burma regime. Laos is, however,
increasingly involved in ASEAN affairs -- he asked at the end
of the meeting about the possibility of U.S. training to help
Laos be better prepared to take on the ASEAN Chair in 2115 --
and the continuing drag of the Burma issue on ASEAN as an
institution appeared to make DDG Kham-Inh uncomfortable.
HAYMOND
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EAP/MLS (EMERY, SCHEIBE)
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/19/2018
TAGS: BM LA PGOV PHUM PREL
SUBJECT: LAO MINIMALIST RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE ON BURMA
CRACKDOWN
REF: SECSTATE 121418
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i. Peter Haymond for reasons 1.4 (B
and D)
1. (C) SUMMARY: A/DCM delivered reftel demarche to MFA ASEAN
Department Deputy Director General Kham-Inh Khitchadeth. He
acknowledged the longstanding problems presented by Burma but
pointed out that the "ASEAN approach" to dealing with
problems -- including the principle of non-interference --
limited possible actions. Still he said the situation in
Burma would be an important element of discussion at the
upcoming ASEAN Summit. DDG Kham-Inh promised to pass the
demarche information to his superiors for consideration. End
summary.
2. (C) A/DCM delivered reftel points to ASEAN DDG Kham-Inh on
11/20. DDG Kham-Inh said that ASEAN has worked to encourage
the government in Burma to resolve its longstanding political
problems and added that these new problems will also be
considered. Kham-Inh was surprised at the 59 arrests in the
last two weeks and asked about the source of this
information. He understood the implications to the focus of
the upcoming ASEAN Summit of this new wave of crackdowns in
Burma and promised that the situation in Burma would be
raised during the Summit deliberations. However he also
pointed to the need to avoid "pushing Burma into a corner."
Kham-Inh raised the 2010 election as one possible solution,
but A/DCM highlighted that an election held with more than
2000 regime opponents incarcerated would be widely viewed as
a sham -- a point Kham-Inh clearly understood. Although UN
voting is the focus of MFA's International Organizations
Department, Kham-Inh advised that Lao would be unlikely to
vote against a no-action motion on the UNGA Third Committee
resolution on Burma or in favor of stronger language in the
resolution. Still, he promised to take our concerns to his
superiors and share them with his colleagues in the other
Departments involved in Burma issues (International
Organizations for UN-related issues and the Asia, Pacific,
and Africa Department for bilateral issues).
3. (C) COMMENT: As DDG Kham-Inh made clear, there is little
likelihood that Laos will break ranks at the UNGA Third
Committee. Nor will Laos take the lead in pressing
moderation by the Burma regime. Laos is, however,
increasingly involved in ASEAN affairs -- he asked at the end
of the meeting about the possibility of U.S. training to help
Laos be better prepared to take on the ASEAN Chair in 2115 --
and the continuing drag of the Burma issue on ASEAN as an
institution appeared to make DDG Kham-Inh uncomfortable.
HAYMOND