Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ROME546
2009-05-15 15:15:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Rome
Cable title:
BURMA: ITALY CONVOKES BURMESE CHARGE OVER
how-toVZCZCXRO5608 OO RUEHAG RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHROV RUEHSR DE RUEHRO #0546 1351515 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 151515Z MAY 09 FM AMEMBASSY ROME TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2081 INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS PRIORITY RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK PRIORITY 0313 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 1369 RUEHHI/AMEMBASSY HANOI PRIORITY 0163 RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA PRIORITY 0334 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 0857 RUEHGO/AMEMBASSY RANGOON PRIORITY 0111 RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL PRIORITY 0558 RUEHGP/AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE PRIORITY 0110 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 2015 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0995 RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY 4821
C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 000546
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MLS LAURA SCHEIBE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/15/2019
TAGS: PHUM PREL BM IT
SUBJECT: BURMA: ITALY CONVOKES BURMESE CHARGE OVER
RE-ARREST OF ASSK
REF: STATE 46562
Classified By: A/POL M/C J. Liam Wasley for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
(C) Poloff delivered reftel demarche to Southeast Asia Desk
Officer Fabio Schina May 11, pressing Italy to urge the
Burmese Government to immediately release Aung San Suu Kyi
(ASSK). Schina said Italy fully shared our position on the
illegitimacy of ASSK's continued house arrest. He noted that
the current circumstances were delicate, given the case of
American citizen John Yettaw, who had reportedly entered the
compound where ASSK was being held. Schina said that the MFA
was actively considering how to respond to the approaching
expiration of ASSK's house arrest at the end of May given
this unusual complication.
(C) On May 14, the MFA convoked the Burmese charge d'affaires
in Rome to formally protest the re-arrest of ASSK on charges
of violating the terms of her house arrest. Asia Director
General Massimo Iannucci received the charge and expressed
Italy's grave concern for ASSK's physical health and
well-being, and also called for the immediate release of ASSK
and all other political prisoners in Burma. Schina told
poloff that Iannucci also called on the Burmese Government to
begin a dialog with the democratic opposition and ethnic
groups in Burma so that the planned 2010 elections might be
free and fair. Schina said the CDA took note of Iannucci's
demarche, insisted that ASSK is in good health, and said that
she is under a kind of house arrest within the prison
compound, not in a cell.
DIBBLE