US embassy cable - 04RANGOON150

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 000150 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV AND DRL/PHD, DRL/CRA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, PREL, PGOV, BM, Human Rights 
SUBJECT: SUPPORTING HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY: THE U.S. 
RECORD - BURMA 
 
REF: STATE 333953 
 
BEGIN TEXT: Burma continues to be ruled by a highly 
authoritarian military regime that reinforces its firm grip 
with a pervasive security apparatus.  The Government's 
extremely poor human rights record worsens and it continues 
to commit numerous serious abuses.  Citizens still do not 
have the right to change their government.  Security forces 
continue to commit extrajudicial killings and rape, forcibly 
relocate persons, use forced labor, conscript child soldiers, 
and has reestablished forced conscription of the civilian 
population into militia units.  During the year, 
government-affiliated agents may have killed possibly as many 
as 70 pro-democracy activists.  Disappearances continued, and 
members of the security forces tortured, beat, and otherwise 
abused prisoners and detainees. 
 
The United States, human rights and democracy strategy for 
Burma advocates respect for human rights and rapid political 
change.  We work with like-minded countries to maintain 
maximum international pressure on Burma, pending reform. 
That pressure includes a new prohibition on financial 
services, a new import ban, increased travel sanctions, and 
continued investment sanctions; the denial of any form of 
aid, with the exceptions of humanitarian assistance and 
support for democratic movements; continued public criticism 
of the Burmese regime; and public diplomacy programs focused 
on democratic values, human rights, and good governance.  It 
also includes support for international efforts to foster 
change in Burma, through the missions of UN Special Envoy 
Razali and UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Pinheiro, as 
well as the efforts of the International Labor Organization 
(ILO), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), 
and other international organizations. 
 
The United States, in coordination with the European Union 
(EU) and other states, has imposed numerous sanctions on 
Burma.  These U.S. sanctions include a ban on all financial 
services to Burma; a ban on all imports from Burma; an arms 
embargo; a ban on all new U.S. investment in Burma; the 
suspension of all bilateral aid, including counternarcotics 
assistance; the withdrawal of Generalized System of 
Preferences (GSP) privileges; the denial of Overseas Private 
Investment Corporation (OPIC) and EXIMBANK programs; visa 
restrictions on Burma's senior government officials; and 
opposition to all new lending or grant programs by the 
international financial institutions.  And since 1990, we 
have maintained our representation in Burma at the Charg 
d'Affaires level. 
 
Burma continues to be hostile to all forms of political 
opposition.  The Government cracked down severely on the main 
opposition party in May 2003, killing possibly as many as 70 
democracy supporters, and shuttering all 300 opposition party 
offices in Burma.  The U.S. encourages UN efforts to free the 
approximately 150 incarcerated on May 30, as well as the 
pre-existing 1,300 political prisoners in Burma.  During 
travels throughout Burma, U.S. officials have also personally 
interviewed victims of political violence and facilitated 
access for other such U.S. investigations into human rights 
abuses. Furthermore, the USG maintains frequent contacts with 
influential members of the political opposition regarding 
initiatives that will affect the struggle for democracy in 
Burma. 
 
The U.S. Government promotes the rule of law and democracy by 
providing information exchange and civic education programs 
on human rights, democratic values, and governance issues. In 
2003, the U.S. dedicated over $200,000 to speaker programs, 
exchange programs, publications, and other information 
outreach. Furthermore, the USG's direct teaching program 
offers tuition waivers worth $9,555 to 35 students denied the 
opportunity to study because of their political beliefs.  In 
addition, we provided $4.0 million in support of the Burmese 
democratic opposition in Fiscal Year (FY) 2002. These funds 
are programmed through the National Endowment for Democracy 
(NED) and others and focus on democracy and capacity-building 
activities and on the collection and dissemination of 
information on democracy and human rights. 
 
The U.S. urged the Burmese regime, which does not allow 
domestic human rights groups to function independently and is 
hostile to outside scrutiny of its human rights record, to 
accept visits by international human rights organizations. 
Amnesty International completed its second visit to Burma in 
2003. 
 
The U.S. has co-sponsored annual resolutions at the UN 
General Assembly and the UN Commission on Human Rights that 
highlight and draw international attention to the continued 
human rights violations in Burma.  The 2003 UNGA resolution 
adopted by consensus calls for an independent investigation 
of the May 2003 attack on the democratic opposition. 
 
The U.S. continued to encourage the GOB to allow workers' 
rights and unions and to discontinue its use of forced labor. 
 We support the continuation of a liaison office of the ILO 
in Burma which made efforts to bring the Government into 
compliance with its international labor obligations. 
 
The U.S. approved $104,000 in FY04 funding for a trafficking 
in persons program to raise awareness among Burmese 
vulnerable to Burma-to-Thailand trafficking, and to support 
anti-trafficking efforts of local NGOs.  END TEXT. 
Martinez