BURMA: AUNG SAN SUU KYI MEETS WITH LIAISON

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 000682 SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP AND IO; PACOM FOR FPA E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/05/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM BM SUBJECT: BURMA: AUNG SAN SUU KYI MEETS WITH LIAISON MINISTER, DOCTOR REF: A. RANGOON 664 ¶B. RANGOON 321 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: P/E Chief Jennifer A. Harhigh for Reasons 1.4 (b) & (d) Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) Liaison Minister Aung Kyi, the regime's designated point person for discussions with Aung San Suu Kyi (ASSK), met with ASSK October 3 for the first time since January ¶2008. Details of the meeting are as yet unavailable. Meanwhile, ASSK personal physician Dr. Tin Myo Win (Douglas) visited her October 2 and reported she is in good health and encourages the United States, Australia, and the EU to pursue meetings with her at her residence, presumably to follow up to her recent letter to Than Shwe regarding sanctions (Ref A). End summary. Aung Kyi meets ASSK in response to letter to Than Shwe -------------- -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Liaison Minister Aung Kyi met with ASSK for approximately 50 minutes October 2 at the Sein Lei Kan Tha Government Guesthouse, near the U.S. Embassy and ASSK's residence. State-run MRTV announced the meeting during the evening news, and the New Light of Myanmar published a brief article and photo about the meeting October 5. The GOB cited ASSK's letter to Than Shwe as the reason for the meeting, noting that the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) received the correspondence October 1 and dispatched Aung Kyi to Rangoon the following day. The government did not report any of the substantive details of the meeting between Aung Kyi and ASSK, and ASSK's account will not be available until she next has contact with her lawyers or other visitors. ¶3. (C) Aung Kyi, who is also the Labor Minister, was appointed by regime in October 2007 as Liaison Minister to ASSK. This was the sixth meeting between ASSK and Aung Kyi since that time; the two last met in January 2008. During ASSK's meeting with Senator Webb in August, she expressed regret that talks with Aung Kyi had broken down due to a misunderstanding and stressed repeatedly her interest in resuming those discussions. Following Senator Webb's visit, Post sent a letter to Aung Kyi conveying ASSK's desire to restart dialogue with him without preconditions. In May, CDA verbally relayed a message to Aung Kyi from the National League for Democracy (NLD) Central Executive Committee (CEC) that the party was ready for unconditional dialogue with the regime (Ref B). Doctor: ASSK anxious to meet CDA -------------- ¶4. (C) Meanwhile, NLD spokesman and ASSK lawyer Nyan Win confirmed that Douglas examined ASSK at her residence for approximately two hours October 2; she is in good health. ¶5. (C) During a conversation October 3, Douglas told Charge that ASSK is anxious to meet with him and the Australian Ambassador, and feels that Charge may have the best chance of securing a meeting given the outcome of the U.S. policy review. The Charge should request that such a meeting take place at ASSK's residence, not the Government Guesthouse. Douglas added that ASSK is aware a meeting took place between U.S. officials and the Burmese delegation on the margins of UNGA and asked if a follow-on visit to Burma is planned. If so, ASSK would like the opportunity to meet with any USG visitors. ¶6. (C) Charge responded to Douglas that we have formally requested a meeting with ASSK on two occasions. The Charge noted that we are aware of, and share, her desire for dialogue with the GOB, and expect any USG visitor who travels to Burma likewise would seek to meet her. Given that ASSK's RANGOON 00000682 002 OF 002 lawyers may be the next to see her, P/E Chief passed an identical message to ASSK attorney and NLD spokesperson Nyan Win. He said he may visit her October 7 and will relay the message. UK receives similar message -------------- ¶7. (C) The UK Ambassador told us October 5 that Douglas had delivered a similar message to him, noting that ASSK is eager to meet the U.S., Australian and EU Chiefs of Mission and that there are indications from the authorities that such a request would result in a positive response. The UK represents EU President Sweden locally. Comment -------------- ¶8. (C) As noted, no details of the ASSK-Aung Kyi meeting are yet available, but it is encouraging the regime moved quickly to acknowledge ASSK,s personal letter to Than Shwe. ¶9. (C) We plan to renew our efforts to secure a meeting with ASSK by requesting access to discuss ASSK's letter to Than Shwe. In that letter ASSK expressed a willingness to cooperate with the SPDC to lift sanctions, but noted the need to understand the scope and impact of sanctions, as well as the views of those countries that impose them. In that regard she specifically requested in the letter to meet the U.S., Australian, and EU chiefs of mission, and we presume her message to the Charge through Douglas is related, at least in part, to that concern. We are coordinating our latest ASSK meeting request with the British and Australian embassies; both will make similar approaches to the GOB. VAJDA