BURMA: AUNG SAN SUU KYI: LOCATION, LOCATION,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 000061

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP/MLS, AND IO
PACOM FOR FPA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/29/2020
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM BM
SUBJECT: BURMA: AUNG SAN SUU KYI: LOCATION, LOCATION,
LOCATION

REF: A. RANGOON 33

B. 2009 RANGOON 743

Classified By: P/E Chief Jennifer Harhigh for Reasons 1.4 (b) & (d)

Summary
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1. (C) National League for Democracy (NLD) party spokesman
and Aung San Suu Kyi attorney Nyan Win, who met with ASSK
January 28, said she will not agree to the current Burma
Government (GOB) condition that a meeting with the National
League for Democracy (NLD) Central Executive Committee (CEC)
take place at a government guesthouse with GOB observers.
She labeled Home Affairs Minister Maung Oo's recent comments
that indicate she will be released in November 2010 "contempt
of court." Finally, she requests the USG pass a message to
UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights Tomas Ojea Quintana
that she will agree to meet with him during his upcoming
visit to Burma, but only at a mutually acceptable location.
End summary.

Location of CEC Meeting is Key
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2. (C) On the margins of a 2.5 hour session with her
attorneys January 28, ASSK relayed that during her January 15
meeting with Labor/Liaison Minister Aung Kyi (Ref A),he told
her the GOB would allow her to meet with NLD CEC members,
with the exception of Win Tin, Khin Maung Swe, and U Tin Oo.
(Note: The GOB does not recognize the reincorporation of the
first two into the CEC since their release from prison in
September 2008; the latter is under house arrest,
theoretically due to be released February 13. It was unclear
if the new members added to the CEC in January would be
included.)


3. (C) The GOB is insisting such a meeting take place under
observation at a government guesthouse. According to Nyan
Win, ASSK is willing to meet with the CEC even without the
three additional members, but she insists such a meeting must
take place in private at her residence, as requested in her
November letter to Than Shwe (Ref B). Nyan Win added that he
will not go public with the content of ASSK's session with
Aung Kyi.

Maung Oo in "Contempt of Court"
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4. (C) Meanwhile, Nyan Win said ASSK told him the Home
Affairs Minister's reported January 21 comments that she will
be released in November prejudge the outcome of her pending
Supreme Court appeal, rendering the Minister in "contempt of
court." Nyan Win said the Supreme Court has not yet
announced a date for the verdict.

ASSK to Ojea Quintana: Location Matters
--------------


5. (C) Nyan Win relayed a request from ASSK that the USG
convey a message to UN Human Rights Rapporteur Ojea Quintana
that she wants to meet with him during his visit. (Note:
According to UN representatives here, Ojea Quintana plans to
visit in mid-February; exact dates are TBD. End note.)
However, such a meeting must take place at an acceptable
venue. ASSK wants Ojea Quintana to know that she will not
agree to a session if it is arranged on the GOB's terms,
according to Nyan Win.

Comment and Action Request
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6. (C) Given that ASSK has no direct means to communicate
with Ojea Quintana, we recommend that the Department and/or

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U.S. Mission Geneva convey ASSK's position on venue to Ojea
Quintana as soon as possible. With that, he can plot his
strategy for the coming visit. In general, it appears that,
as we expected, ASSK sees venue for her meetings as crucially
important. A/S Campbell's private session with her in
November may well have solidified her perspective. We will
continue to urge the GOB to permit ASSK and the CEC to meet
in a venue where they are comfortable so that they can hash
out the NLD's plans for the future, including the 2010
elections.
DINGER