BURMA: ASSK SUPREME COURT APPEAL HEARING BACK ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L RANGOON 000359 SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP AND IO; PACOM FOR FPA E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/14/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM BM SUBJECT: BURMA: ASSK SUPREME COURT APPEAL HEARING BACK ON FOR JUNE 17 REF: RANGOON 358 Classified By: Political Officer Sean K. O'Neill for Reasons 1.4 (b) & (d) Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) On June 12, the Burmese Supreme Court informed Aung San Suu Kyi's legal team it will hear oral arguments in her appeal on June 17. The notice came one day after the court had postponed that hearing. ASSK's lawyers said the court gave no reason for this latest decision, and they declined to speculate as to the motivation. NLD spokesman Nyan Win and Central Executive Committee member Win Tin said they are unable to confirm rumors that prison officials petitioned a Rangoon court to charge Win Tin with failing to return his government issued prison uniform. So far the rumor has circulated on the internet, but has not appeared in the state-run media. End Summary. Supreme Court Hearing: On Again, Off Again, On Again -------------- -------------- ¶2. (SBU) On June 12, the Burmese Supreme Court informed Aung San Suu Kyi's legal team it will hear oral arguments in her appeal on June 17, as originally scheduled. On June 11, the Supreme Court initially scheduled the hearing for June 17, but cancelled it later that day (reftel). ASSK's lawyers said the court gave no reason for this latest decision, and declined to speculate as to the motivation. Rumors the GOB will Again Charge Win Tin -------------- ¶3. (C) NLD spokesman Nyan Win said he is unable to confirm rumors that last week, prison officials petitioned a Rangoon court to charge Win Tin with failing to return his government issued prison uniform. Win Tin kept, and has worn his blue prison shirt (and others like it) since he was released from over 19 years' imprisonment in September 2008. Win Tin reported he has not heard anything on this matter from the GOB and does not know if the story is at all true. The rumor first appeared on a Burmese-language exile internet blog (komoethee.blogspot.com) last week and has since been making the rounds. As of June 15, nothing about this rumor has appeared in official state media. Comment -------------- ¶4. (C) The courts have offered no explanations for the scheduling changes, which have had the impact of slowing down the trials. Most observers here acknowledge that the regime is controlling the legal process and can speed it or slow it at will. A likely explanation for the recent putting on of brakes is that unanticipated factors have arisen. We surmise that the regime did not expect the strength or breadth of international reaction, and that the delay is to give senior generals time to recalculate. It is always possible that recalculation will result in a surprise outcome responsive to international concern; however, the regime's instincts will probably be to find a way to ensure that, one way or another, ASSK does not have the opportunity to complicate the scenario for an "orderly" election in 2010. DINGER