MALAYSIA POSITIVE ON ASEAN SUMMIT, VAGUE ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUALA LUMPUR 000188

SIPDIS

FOR EAP/MTS AND EAP/RSP

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/10/2014
TAGS: PREL PREF ASEAN BM MY
SUBJECT: MALAYSIA POSITIVE ON ASEAN SUMMIT, VAGUE ON
ROHINGYA PROSPECTS

Classified By: Political Counselor Mark D. Clark, reason 1.4 (b and d).


1. (SBU) Summary: Malaysia held a positive view of the 14th
ASEAN Summit, according to a March 6 Foreign Ministry
briefing attended by Polcouns, as the outcomes had reinforced
ASEAN community building. Malaysia supported ASEAN's
endorsement of a step-by-step regional approach to the
Burmese Rohingya issue, starting with gathering of
statistics, but only expected follow-up in the July ASEAN
foreign ministers meeting, and further steps remained
undefined. During the Summit, Malaysia had lobbied hard for
ASEAN language on the Gaza conflict. A senior MFA official
spoke highly of the Secretary's stop at the ASEAN Secretariat
in Jakarta and U.S. examination of possible accession to the
Treaty of Amity and Cooperation.


2. (C) Comment: The MFA briefing did not leave us with any
confidence that Malaysia, at least, has a concrete vision
forward on the Rohingya issue. Malaysia's efforts in ASEAN
to highlight the welfare of Palestinians in faraway Gaza,
while professing satisfaction with only the vaguest prospect
of action regarding Muslim Rohingya refugees, illustrate the
contradictions in Kuala Lumpur's foreign policy. End Summary
and Comment.


3. (SBU) Polcouns attended the March 6 briefing by the
Malaysian Foreign Ministry's ASEAN Director General
Ambassador Zainuddin Yahya for diplomats from ASEAN dialogue
partner countries, the EU Troika and ASEAN member states on
the outcome of the 14th ASEAN Summit in Thailand, February 28
to March 1. Zainuddin said Malaysia viewed the summit
outcome positively as it had reinforced ASEAN community
building. The Summit also took on significance as the first
held after the December 2008 entry into force of the ASEAN
Charter.


4. (SBU) Beyond a generic overview of the summit results,
Zainuddin commented on the Burmese Rohingya issue. In the
end, Malaysia had not supported Thailand's concept of a side
meeting of select countries to discuss the Rohingya
situation, but instead pushed for broader regional engagement
that the foreign ministers and the summit ultimately
endorsed. Zainuddin appeared to play down the future role of
a "contact group" referenced in ASEAN Chairman's statement.
Instead, he highlighted ASEAN agreement on a step-by-step
approach, but only identified the initial step, namely
tasking the ASEAN Secretary General to work with Burma "to
obtain relevant statistics on the ethnic group." In response
to Polcouns' questions, Zainuddin said there was not a
definitive timeframe for completion of the first step, but
ASEAN members expected the Secretary General to report
results in the July foreign minister's meeting. Follow-on
steps, however, were not yet defined. Zainuddin did not
foresee any concrete results related to the Rohingya emerging
from the Bali Process meeting, which would take place "too
soon." Malaysia had concluded that "Myanmar's agreement to
cooperate on this issue will certainly facilitate a
collective and coordinated regional approach to the problem."
Zainuddin declined to elaborate on statements attributed by
the press to Prime Minister Abdullah in support of the
forcible turnaround of Rohingya boat people.


5. (SBU) Zainuddin explained that Malaysia had lobbied hard
for a separate ASEAN statement on the Gaza conflict. In the
end, Malaysia was satisfied with the inclusion in the
Chairman's statement of two paragraphs on the Gaza situation,
which emphasized the welfare of the Palestinian people and
endorsed a two-state solution. Zainuddin noted that Malaysia
raised the issue of combating piracy in the foreign
ministers' informal dinner, but there had been no particular
conclusion. Zainuddin announced that Malaysia would soon
appoint a permanent representative to the ASEAN Secretariat.


6. (SBU) Following the briefing, Polcouns raised the issue
of the Secretary's visit to Jakarta. Zainuddin said the
Secretary's stop in Southeast Asia and her visit to the ASEAN
Secretariat in Jakarta were very positive signs for
U.S.-ASEAN relations. The Secretary's comments concerning
the possibility of U.S. accession to the Treaty of Amity and
Cooperation were particularly well received by Malaysia,
Zainuddin commented.
RAPSON