BURMA: AUNG SAN SUU KYI UNDER MEDICAL CARE;

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 RANGOON 000263 SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP AND IO; PACOM FOR FPA E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/11/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM PINR BM SUBJECT: BURMA: AUNG SAN SUU KYI UNDER MEDICAL CARE; PERSONAL PHYSICIAN DETAINED; LAWYER SEEKING ACCESS REF: A. RANGOON 260 ¶B. RANGOON 208 ¶C. 2008 RANGOON 648 Classified By: P/E Chief Jennifer Harhigh for Reasons 1.4 (b) & (d) SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (SBU) The Burmese authorities did not allow the primary personal physician of Aung San Suu Kyi (ASSK),Dr. Tin Myo Win (aka Douglas),to make his routine monthly visit on May ¶7. Douglas has reportedly been detained by Burmese authorities since that date for unspecified reasons. Douglas's partner physician, Dr. Pyone Moe Ei, examined ASSK on May 8 and treated her with an intravenous drip for mild dehydration and low blood pressure, according to National League for Democracy (NLD) spokesman Nyan Win. Dr. Pyone Moe Ei is scheduled to conduct a follow up visit to ASSK on May ¶11. In the meantime, ASSK's lawyer told us that the regime has rejected ASSK's appeal. The lawyer is seeking a meeting with ASSK as soon as possible. Charge has conveyed USG concerns about ASSK to the Minister of Foreign Affairs via the Director General for Political Affairs. Proposed press guidance follows in paragraph 8. End summary. DOCTOR DETAINED; REASONS UNKNOWN -------------- ¶2. (C) Dr. Douglas was scheduled to meet ASSK for her routine monthly medical checkup on May 7, the day Burmese police entered ASSK's compound to investigate the case of an American citizen who allegedly swam to and spent two nights in ASSK's residence (Ref A). According to NLD spokesman Nyan Win, authorities did not grant Dr. Douglas permission to enter the compound. Instead, the authorities reportedly detained the doctor upon arrival at ASSK's residence around 5:30 p.m. May 7. He has not returned home since. Neither Nyan Win nor any other of our contacts have any information concerning the grounds for Dr. Douglas's detention. An unconfirmed report on the website of Chiang Mai-based "Irrawaddy" claims that intelligence officers took clothing, medicine and religious books from Dr. Douglas's residence on May 8, implying he could be detained for some time. ¶3. (C) Dr. Douglas last examined ASSK at her home during a four-hour visit April 2; he gave us a readout of that visit April 3 (Ref B). He has been visiting ASSK monthly since August 2008 (Ref C),normally on the first Thursday of the month. Although he has been questioned by authorities in recent months, sometimes for hours, as far as we know this is the first time he has been detained overnight since he was jailed from 1989-1992 as a result of the crackdown on the NLD following the 1988 uprisings. ASSK TREATED FOR MILD DEHYDRATION -------------- ¶4. (C) Meanwhile, authorities allowed Dr. Douglas's partner physician, Dr. Pyone Moe Ei, to examine ASSK at home on May 8, according to Nyan Win. Dr. Pyone Moe Ei, who has accompanied Douglas to visit ASSK in the past, treated ASSK with an intravenous drip for symptoms of mild dehydration and low blood pressure. Nyan Win told us May 9 that Dr. Pyone Moe Ei requested permission to return for a follow up visit May 9. On May 11, Nyan Win confirmed authorities had not allowed Dr. Pyone Moe Ei to see ASSK May 9 or 10 but the doctor is scheduled to visit ASSK at her home May 11. We continue to attempt to reach Dr. Pyone Moe Ei directly. CHARGE CONVEYS CONCERNS TO MOFA ABOUT ASSK'S HEALTH -------------- -------------- ¶5. (C) On May 11, Charge spoke with the highest ranking Ministry of Foreign Affairs official available, Director RANGOON 00000263 002 OF 003 General of Political Affairs U Kyaw Tin, to stress USG concern about ASSK's medical condition and the apparent detention of her personal physician when ASSK may need follow-up care. Charge reiterated as well the strongly held USG belief that the regime should release ASSK from her unjust confinement immediately. In the conversation, Charge also discussed the urgency of gaining consular access to the Amcit accused of swimming to ASSK's residence (septel). U Kyaw Tin noted that higher authorities would be handling all the above issues. He promised to convey the USG points to his superiors. A few hours later, the DG phoned to confirm he had passed the messages to the Minister. ASSK LAWYER: APPEAL REJECTED, SEEKS MEETING WITH CLIENT -------------- -------------- ¶6. (C) Separately, ASSK's food deliverer (strictly protect) told us May 6 that ASSK wants it known she has asked authorities four times recently to allow her to meet with her personal attorney, Kyi Win (aka Neville). The food deliverer expressed his concern that ASSK soon might refuse food deliveries as she did in August. Neville told us at the time he believed ASSK's threats to refuse food prompted authorities to grant him access to his client (Ref C). However, the food deliverer was clear May 6 that ASSK has not/not refused food recently. ¶7. (C) Charge met May 7 with Neville, who confirmed the GOB informed him via letter dated April 30 that it had dismissed the appeal of ASSK's detention. (Note: Our meeting with Neville occurred before we received the diplomatic note concerning the Amcit's alleged visit to ASSK's compound so we did not discuss that matter. End note.) The reason given for rejection of the appeal was lack of "sufficient evidence according to the law." Neville said he had written four times to the Prime Minister (head of the relevant appellate body) but had received no reply. On the fifth occasion, he had written directly to Than Shwe and had received a response within days. Neville speculated that the letter did not actually reach Than Shwe but another senior official had decided: "Why should this continue? Let's end this with a rejection." Neville told the Charge that he has formally requested police Special Branch to grant him a meeting with ASSK to inform her of the decision as soon as possible. PROPOSED PRESS GUIDANCE -------------- ¶8. (U) The Embassy offers the following draft press statement concerning ASSK's health: The United States Government is concerned about reports that Aung San Suu Kyi needs medical care and that Burmese authorities have detained her personal physician. We urge the Government of Burma to allow Aung San Suu Kyi to receive immediate medical care from her personal physician. We further call on the Government to permit Aung San Suu Kyi to meet with her personal attorney immediately. Now more than ever, we are reminded that the detention of Aung San Suu Kyi is unjust and we urge her immediate release. COMMENT -------------- ¶9. (C) We believe Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD pass political messages via Dr. Douglas from time to time, although the doctor is inconsistent and cryptic when he describes his meetings and he often goes to great lengths to stay on the good side of the authorities (Ref B). The doctor's detention is particularly troubling at a time when ASSK apparently needs medical treatment. Douglas's detention the same day that police entered ASSK's compound to investigate the case of the Amcit swimmer could raise the prospect that the two events are linked; however, we have no information to support that supposition. RANGOON 00000263 003 OF 003 ¶10. (C) Given the lawyer Neville's expressed desire to meet with ASSK as soon as possible and her apparent message through the food deliverer that she is seeking the same, we strongly believe any press statement issued by the Department should contain a mention of ASSK's right to meet with her attorney. DINGER