BURMA: AUNG SAN SUU KYI STATUS UPDATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 000550 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP/MLS, DRL, AND IO PACOM FOR FPA E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/21/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL BM SUBJECT: BURMA: AUNG SAN SUU KYI STATUS UPDATE REF: A. RANGOON 475 ¶B. RANGOON 518 RANGOON 00000550 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: P/E Chief Jennifer Harhigh for Reasons 1.4 (b) & (d) Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) Lawyers for Aung San Suu Kyi (ASSK) have met with her twice and will file a formal appeal of her conviction the week of August 23. They are seeking to clarify the conditions of her house arrest, including procedures for receiving guests and communicating with outsiders. Thus far Post has requested to meet with her; we know the National League for Democracy (NLD) leaders and local EU member-state missions plan to do so as well. For her part, ASSK has requested to see her personal physician, an architect, and two relatives, but authorities have not yet responded. Lawyer U Kyi Win (aka Neville) told us he believes ASSK's three months of detention during her trial will be subtracted from her current 18-month sentence, making her eligible for release in November 2010, absent a change of heart by Than Shwe. End summary. Lawyers to Submit Formal Appeal -------------- ¶2. (C) ASSK lawyer and NLD spokesman Nyan Win told us August 20 that ASSK has met with her legal team twice at her residence -- on August 12 and August 17 -- since she returned there following the August 11 verdict. Nyan Win said the attorneys expect to meet with her again in the coming days to finalize the appeal of her conviction. Neville told us separately August 21 he will formally submit a memorandum of appeal to the Divisional Court the week of August 23. The court then must decide whether if it will hear the appeal. If admitted, defense lawyers will argue the case before a panel of judges. Neville told us the appeal will closely track the defense's arguments in the criminal trial, i.e., that the 1974 Constitution is no longer valid and thus the corresponding State Protection Law under which ASSK was charged is also invalid. ¶3. (C) ASSK's lawyers told us they plan to exercise all options for appeal (Ref A). The entire process could last 3-4 months and consists of the following potential steps: 1) Appeal at the Divisional Court; approximately two-three weeks' duration; 2) "Revision" at the Supreme Court level; approximately one month duration; 3) Appeal to a "Special Supreme Appeals Court," approximately two months' duration. (Note: According to Nyan Win, this is a two-stage process in which two Supreme Court judges would hear the case and decide whether to admit it, followed by consideration of the case by a panel of three Supreme Court judges. End note.) ¶4. (C) Although he is pursuing the appeal in accordance with the law, Neville observed that any change in ASSK's legal status would come not from the courts but from Than Shwe; that, in turn, would depend upon international pressure. Seeking Clarity on Current Restrictions -------------- ¶5. (C) Following the August 11 verdict in ASSK's trial, Home Affairs Minister Maung Oo read an SPDC directive, signed by Than Shwe, commuting her sentence to 18 months' house arrest. (Note: Than Shwe signed the directive August 10, one day before to the "independent" court verdict. End note.) Maung Oo also cited the eight "conditions" of ASSK's current period of house arrest (Ref B). According to Neville, ASSK has the only existing written copy, stamped "secret," of those restrictions, which he described as follows: ASSK and her two assistants may live at her residence; may move freely about her University Avenue compound; may receive "guests" with the permission of the RANGOON 00000550 002.2 OF 002 authorities; may see a doctor regularly; may read local books, magazines and newspapers; may watch state television; may submit additional requests in writing; and may "ask permission" for other things they want to do. ASSK and her lawyers will submit a letter to Than Shwe to clarify in particular the ambiguity of the restriction on guests and whether or not she may communicate with others via letter (not mentioned in the restrictions). ¶6. (C) According to Neville, the GOB has yet to respond to ASSK's formal requests (submitted to police via handwritten note) to meet her personal physician, Dr. Tin Myo Win (aka Douglas),an architect (for necessary house renovations),and two relatives (a couple, NFI). Despite this, Neville said he expected the authorities would be more liberal in allowing ASSK to receive visitors from her party and the diplomatic corps. Nyan Win told us the CEC will submit a letter to Than Shwe requesting a meeting between the Uncles and ASSK, but the party has decided to wait a week or so, per Chair Aung Shwe's instructions. ¶7. (C) Both Neville and Nyan Win told us ASSK is happy to be back in her house, though Neville noted she has joked that she'd rather go back at Insein Prison if she has to "be a good girl" per Than Shwe's instructions. Neville observed that while ASSK was at Insein, her lawyers were able to give her many books and magazines; however, the attorneys are now thoroughly searched before visiting her at home and are not permitted to bring in uncensored written material. (Note: ASSK told CDA and P/E Chief following her meeting with Senator Webb that she had received on average one book a year while under house arrest, in contrast to many while at Insein Prison. End note.) Neville added that ASSK still listens to the radio regularly; she told him she owns five. Neville has advised her to get licenses (required under Burmese law) for all five to avoid giving the regime any pretense to take further legal action against her. (Note: The restrictions recited by Maung Oo did not mention radios. End note.) When Does the Clock Start? -------------- ¶8. (C) Neville told us that although ASSK's current 18 months' suspended sentence technically began August 11 following the verdict, he believes the nearly three months she was detained from May 14-August 11 will be "automatically" credited toward time served, as per normal practice in criminal cases. Thus, she could technically be released in November 2010. However, Neville emphasized that ultimately only Than Shwe will decide when ASSK will go free. Comment -------------- ¶9. (C) Current restrictions on ASSK's freedom, as well as the duration of her detention, are ambiguous and subject to manipulation by the regime. In addition to her lawyers, we also are seeking to clarify those restrictions. We submitted a diplomatic note August 20 stressing the importance of allowing ASSK to meet with her party, diplomats, UN officials, and foreign visitors, in that order, and asking for a specific meeting to follow up on Senator Webb's visit. We informed Nyan Win and Neville of our request, and they plan to inform ASSK at their next meeting. The UK will soon submit a meeting request on behalf of four EU Chiefs of Mission posted in Rangoon. We have informed the Dean of the diplomatic corps, the UN resident coordinator, the UK and Australia of our approach, urging them to join us in pressing the regime to grant ASSK liberal access to her party and other visitors. VAJDA