Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09RANGOON803
2009-12-14 09:52:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Rangoon
Cable title:
BURMA: AUTHORITIES PREVENT HUMAN RIGHTS DAY
how-toVZCZCXRO5155 OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH RUEHTRO DE RUEHGO #0803 3480952 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 140952Z DEC 09 FM AMEMBASSY RANGOON TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9670 INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 2356 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 5850 RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 9416 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 7035 RUEHCHI/AMCONSUL CHIANG MAI 2377 RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2784 RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L RANGOON 000803
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP/MLS, DRL, AND IO
PACOM FOR FPA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/13/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM BM
SUBJECT: BURMA: AUTHORITIES PREVENT HUMAN RIGHTS DAY
CEREMONY
REF: RANGOON 629
Classified By: Political Officer Marc Shaw for Reasons 1.4 (b) & (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L RANGOON 000803
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP/MLS, DRL, AND IO
PACOM FOR FPA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/13/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM BM
SUBJECT: BURMA: AUTHORITIES PREVENT HUMAN RIGHTS DAY
CEREMONY
REF: RANGOON 629
Classified By: Political Officer Marc Shaw for Reasons 1.4 (b) & (d)
1. (C) Pyay city (Bago Division) Peace and Development
Council officials (PDC) in Burma questioned Human Rights
Defenders and Promoters (HRDP) leaders Maung Maung Lay and
Min Min on December 9 in an effort to thwart HRDP efforts to
hold an annual ceremony December 10 commemorating the 61st
International Human Rights Day. Maung Maung Lay contacted us
early December 10 to report that authorities had questioned
him the previous evening shortly after he arrived in Pyay.
According to Maung Maung Lay, authorities complained that the
organization did not request advance permission to hold the
event. (Note: In practice, Home Affairs Ministry officials
at the local level insist on pre-approval of large organized
gatherings.) According to Maung Maung Lay, police, in
coordination with PDC officials, detained Min Min for
approximately eight hours on December 10 and threatened to
arrest him if he did not immediately cancel the planned
ceremony. Local authorities told Maung Maung Lay, who was
visiting from Rangoon, to depart Pyay immediately. HRDP
members confirm they complied with the authorities' requests
and did not hold the ceremony.
2. (C) HRDP was formed in 2002 to raise human rights
awareness and advocate on behalf of the Burmese people. Its
leader, Myint Aye, is currently in prison serving a 20-year
sentence. He was arrested in August 2008 on charges of
possessing explosive materials. Min Min (aka La Min Tun) was
one of the estimated 7,114 prisoners released by the
government in September 2009 (reftel).
DINGER
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP/MLS, DRL, AND IO
PACOM FOR FPA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/13/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM BM
SUBJECT: BURMA: AUTHORITIES PREVENT HUMAN RIGHTS DAY
CEREMONY
REF: RANGOON 629
Classified By: Political Officer Marc Shaw for Reasons 1.4 (b) & (d)
1. (C) Pyay city (Bago Division) Peace and Development
Council officials (PDC) in Burma questioned Human Rights
Defenders and Promoters (HRDP) leaders Maung Maung Lay and
Min Min on December 9 in an effort to thwart HRDP efforts to
hold an annual ceremony December 10 commemorating the 61st
International Human Rights Day. Maung Maung Lay contacted us
early December 10 to report that authorities had questioned
him the previous evening shortly after he arrived in Pyay.
According to Maung Maung Lay, authorities complained that the
organization did not request advance permission to hold the
event. (Note: In practice, Home Affairs Ministry officials
at the local level insist on pre-approval of large organized
gatherings.) According to Maung Maung Lay, police, in
coordination with PDC officials, detained Min Min for
approximately eight hours on December 10 and threatened to
arrest him if he did not immediately cancel the planned
ceremony. Local authorities told Maung Maung Lay, who was
visiting from Rangoon, to depart Pyay immediately. HRDP
members confirm they complied with the authorities' requests
and did not hold the ceremony.
2. (C) HRDP was formed in 2002 to raise human rights
awareness and advocate on behalf of the Burmese people. Its
leader, Myint Aye, is currently in prison serving a 20-year
sentence. He was arrested in August 2008 on charges of
possessing explosive materials. Min Min (aka La Min Tun) was
one of the estimated 7,114 prisoners released by the
government in September 2009 (reftel).
DINGER