BURMA: INCLUDING ICRC ON THE DIALOGUE AGENDA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 000693 SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP AND IO; PACOM FOR FPA E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/14/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM BM SUBJECT: BURMA: INCLUDING ICRC ON THE DIALOGUE AGENDA REF: RANGOON 628 Classified By: P/E Chief Jennifer A. Harhigh for Reasons 1.4 (b) & (d) Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which operates under an extremely limited mandate in Burma, is seeking to reestablish a temporary presence in Burma's prisons through water and sanitation work in prisons affected by Cyclone Nargis. Meanwhile, ICRC continues funding family visits to political prisoners and providing limited orthotic assistance to landmine victims. The ICRC Head of Delegation reports that working-level GOB officials appear sympathetic to the organization's goals and activities, but are afraid to raise ICRC issues with their superiors. He would welcome a USG message urging the GOB to "reengage" with the ICRC, provided the suggestion is not presented as an intercession on ICRC's behalf. End summary. Limited Mandate -------------- ¶2. (C) The ICRC suspended prison visits in 2006, when the GOB no longer permitted the ICRC to follow its established operating procedures. When subsequent dialogue failed to resolve the situation, the ICRC issued a rare public denunciation of Burma in June 2007. The ICRC's current mandate in Burma is severely limited: funding family visits to prisoners and providing orthotics to landmine victims. Seeking to Expand Space -------------- ¶3. (C) During an October 1 meeting, ICRC Head of Delegation Georges Paclisanu detailed the organization's efforts to make some progress toward its ultimate goal of protection of detainees (e.g. monitoring of detention conditions and prisoner welfare) and provision of assistance to the civilian population in border areas affected by armed conflict. ICRC officials met in May and August with MOFA officials, including International Organizations Director General Thant Kyaw, to discuss possible rehabilitation of water and sanitation facilities in approximately 12-20 prisons in the cyclone-affected Irrawaddy Delta. Under ICRC regulations, the organization normally is not allowed to rehabilitate prisons without access to the detainees; natural disaster offers an exception to the rule. ICRC would insist such work be overseen by expatriate staff, thus establishing at least a temporary expatriate presence in some prisons. Such a program would position the ICRC to expand its presence to other prisons should political circumstances permit. ¶4. (C) Paclisanu said the ICRC continues to fund family visits to political prisoners and to run its own orthotics center, located in Hpa-An, Karen State, although in 2008 it suspended assistance to orthotics centers run by the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Health. The ICRC views resumption of assistance to GOB-run centers as a potential carrot if the GOB cooperates on other programs, such as the technical assistance to prisons described above. Assistance to GOB orthotics centers facilitates ICRC access to border areas, since ICRC personnel are able to travel to those facilities to conduct required interviews with potential beneficiaries. ¶5. (C) Progress on ICRC's agenda has been painstakingly slow. It took nine months for the GOB to hold a substantive discussion with ICRC officials. Paclisanu noted that MOFA officials appear to understand the ICRC's approach, but he observed that they are unwilling to raise ICRC's plans with their superiors, as the organization is viewed as "toxic" and officials do not want to risk their jobs. ¶6. (C) When asked if the USG could assist, given our RANGOON 00000693 002 OF 002 intention to engage in more senior-level dialogue with the GOB, Paclisanu agreed it could be useful for U.S. officials to urge the GOB to reengage with the ICRC, as he is confident the message would reach Burma's top decisionmakers. He stressed, however, that any such USG message should not appear as an intercession on behalf of the ICRC, which wishes to avoid any appearance of collusion with Western countries for fear the GOB could further restrict its activities. Nor should the intervention be specific, in Paclisanu's view. Rather, the ICRC would prefer the U.S. to send a clear message to Burma's leaders that they should reengage with the ICRC and "talk things over." Comment -------------- ¶7. (C) A U.S. goal remains the immediate and unconditional release of political prisoners. Post shares the views of current and former political prisoners (reftel) that an ICRC presence is needed in Burma's prisons and is a useful interim step. The USG can support the ICRC by ensuring Burma's leaders are aware of the priority we place on ICRC's work. We recommend that USG dialogue with GOB leaders include the USG desire for the ICRC to resume its invaluable role in Burma,s prisons, given the great concern the USG has for proper treatment of political prisoners. DINGER