BURMA: TCG REGAINS LIMITED VISA POWERS FOR UN,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 000214

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/MLS; INR/EAP
BANGKOK FOR USAID
DEPT PLEASE PASS TO USAID/AME

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/08/2019
TAGS: SOCI EAID PREL PINR PGOV BM
SUBJECT: BURMA: TCG REGAINS LIMITED VISA POWERS FOR UN,
ASEAN

REF: RANGOON 175

RANGOON 00000214 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: Economic Officer Samantha A. Carl-Yoder for Reasons 1.4
(b and d).


1. (SBU) During the past month, UN and ASEAN members of the
Tripartite Core Group (TCG) have joined us in urging the
Burmese Government to reconsider its early March decision to
strip the TCG of its power to approve visas for Cyclone
Nargis-related activities (reftel). In an April 3 letter to
the TCG, the Burmese Government partially reversed its
decision, granting the TCG authority to handle visa requests
for UN and ASEAN personnel involved in Nargis assistance
programs. UN agencies and ASEAN were instructed to provide
the GOB with the names of foreigners working on Nargis
projects. The letter specifically prohibited the TCG from
facilitating visas for INGOS; it did not address donor visas.



2. (C) During an April 6-7 TCG meeting in Nay Pyi Taw, UN
Resident Coordinator Bishow Parajuli reiterated a request for
the GOB to reinstate the TCG's power to facilitate visas for
NGOs, INGOs, and donors involved in humanitarian relief.
According to World Food Programme Country Director and TCG
member Chris Kaye, GOB officials were adamant that INGOs and
donors must work through their respective line Ministries and
the Foreign Affairs Policy Committee (FAPC) for visas, noting
that this was a return to pre-Nargis policy. Kaye observed
that although TCG Chairman U Kyaw Thu recognizes the need to
maintain the positive momentum of the TCG and understands the
negative optics associated with the visa issue, the decision
to strip the TCG of its visa authority was made by more
senior officials. Kaye views the GOB's April 3 decision as a
"small improvement," and shares Kyaw Thu's hope that the GOB
will again streamline the visa process once the FAPC becomes
overburdened by Nargis visa requests.


3. (C) Thai Ambassador Bunnag, currently ASEAN's lead
representative on the TCG, told us on April 7 that, in the
Nay Pyi Taw meeting, he joined Parajuli in pressing for a GOB
re-think of its visa policy reversal. Bunnag said he
emphasized that the U.S. and European Chiefs of Mission had
made clear to him their governments' serious concerns about
the revised visa policy. Bunnag said the "slight" revision
for the UN and ASEAN is of some use, but he is not yet
optimistic for a revision to include others, like INGOS and
Western donors.

Comment
--------------


4. (C) While the revision for the UN and ASEAN is a small
step in the right direction, the GOB still continues to tie
the hands of the TCG, inhibiting its ability to facilitate
assistance to the Delta. This may have far-reaching
implications, as the UN continues to request substantial
assistance under the Post-Nargis Recovery Plan (PONREPP) from
donors who will now directly face increased bureaucratic
impediments. Some UN officials hope the GOB will review the
policy anew when the FAPC becomes overburdened with visa
paperwork. Other observers speculate that the visa
restrictions will stay, believing the motivation is likely a
regime desire to limit the access of Western governments to
the Delta in the lead-up to next year's election. Since the

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TCG limitations came into effect, the GOB has continued to
issue Nargis-related visas, but with longer lead times.
Requests for Bangkok-based Embassies and USAID/RDMA to attend
a April 3 UN Donors Conference resulted in visas, but some,
including those for USAID/RDMA officials, arrived too late to
allow actual attendance at the meeting.

DINGER