US embassy cable - 03RANGOON1252

C O N F I D E N T I A L RANGOON 001252 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE ALSO FOR EAP/BCLTV; TREASURY FOR OASIA JEFF NEIL; 
USPACOM FOR FPA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/25/2013 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, BM, CB, TH, LA, IN 
SUBJECT: BURMA: SUMMIT FEVER 
 
REF: A. RANGOON 1213 
     B. BANGKOK 6273 
 
Classified By: COM Carmen Martinez for Reasons 1.5 (B,D) 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY: A MOFA official told us that the GOB will 
host a "major" (by Burmese standards) summit the first week 
of November.  Thai, Lao, and Cambodian heads of government 
will meet with their SPDC counterpart to pursue the Thai-led 
"Economic Cooperation Strategy (ECS)."  According to MOFA 
sources, the Indian Vice President will visit Burma prior to 
the summit.  The SPDC will be happy to host the summit to 
accommodate PM Thaksin's strategy while at the same time 
trying to improve their post-May 30 international image.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (C) Ministry of Foreign Affairs Americas Director Thant 
Kyaw verified to Poloff that, during the first week of 
November, heads of government from Thailand, Laos, and 
Cambodia will attend what he characterized as "Burma's 
first-ever summit meeting."  The summit will be held in the 
ancient royal capital of Bagan, in central Burma, and MOFA 
expects over 200 participants to attend.  The GOB is now 
forming subcommittees for the meeting and MOFA directors are 
frantically scrambling to prepare the infrastructure-poor 
tourist site for the onslaught.  Kyaw also said the Indian 
Vice President will visit Rangoon for consultations with the 
SPDC just prior to the ECS summit. 
 
3.  (C) Thant Kyaw also relayed that Thai Foreign Minister 
Surakiart, during his September 25 half-day visit (reftels A 
and B), met with the entire Burmese cabinet and SPDC Chairman 
Sr Gen Than Shwe, as well as separately with Prime Minister 
General Khin Nyunt and the Burmese Deputy Foreign Minister. 
Thant Kyaw commented that Rangoon, with large hotels and 
conference rooms, was a much better choice for the ECS 
Summit, and that the MOFA Americas Division staff would be 
completely occupied with the summit from now until its end. 
 
4.  (C) COMMENT:  This summit, a major deal for isolated 
Burma, will likely be used by the regime as a chance to turn 
the spotlight away from domestic woes and repair its post May 
30th image.  The summit will provide neighbors with a 
post-ASEAN opportunity to help legitimize the SPDC and give 
further support to the regime's "Road Map to Democracy."  END 
COMMENT. 
Martinez