US embassy cable - 04RANGOON206

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 000206 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE ALSO FOR EAP/BCLTV; 
USPACOM FOR FPA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/12/2014 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, BM, NLD 
SUBJECT: UNION DAY WRAP UP 
 
 
Classified By: COM Carmen Martinez for Reasons 1.5 (B,D) 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY:  The GOB celebrated Burma's 57th Union Day 
with an official ceremony in Rangoon's People's Square, 
attended by high-level SPDC officials and their faithful 
minions.  Diplomats were invited to a low-key MOFA event 
co-hosted by the Myanmar Asean Women's Friendship 
Association.  The NLD held a morning observance at a local 
pagoda and then, in defiance of local authorities, marched in 
formation to the party's de facto national headquarters.  The 
leading ethnic democracy coalition, the United Nationalities 
Alliance (UNA), hosted a commemorative dinner that attracted 
cease-fire groups and the NLD CEC.  END SUMMARY. 
 
NLD: At the Pagoda, in the Street, and on the Stump 
 
2. (C) The NLD began its parallel Union Day commemoration on 
February 12 with a morning religious ceremony at the Sasana 
Gonyi Monastery, on the grounds of ASSK's favorite Rangoon 
pagoda.  The five released members of the NLD's Central 
Executive Committee (CEC), representatives from the Committee 
to Represent the People's Parliament, U.S. and British 
diplomats, and about 400 NLD members attended the ceremony. 
 
3. (C) At noon, all of the NLD members queued in pairs and 
marched peacefully several miles to CEC member U Than Tun's 
residence -- the NLD's de facto national headquarters.  A 
truckload of military intelligence agents, police officers, 
and a local township SPDC official closely followed the 
procession, but did not interfere.  OCMI photographers 
stationed every 50 meters along the route thoroughly 
documented the march with their long lenses. 
 
4.  (C) Upon the procession's arrival at U Than Tun's 
residence, CEC member U Soe Myint called for the release of 
ASSK and other detained NLD leaders and demanded that the GOB 
allow the five CEC members to meet ASSK at the earliest 
opportunity.  MP-elect U Khun Myint Tun from Thaton Township, 
Mon State, read out the NLD's Union Day statement, calling 
for "the unity of all ethnic nationalities" and reiterating 
NLD policies of equality, autonomy, and cultural freedom. 
 
Ethnics: Dinner With the UNA 
 
5.  (C) On the evening of Union Day, Shan Nationalities 
League for Democracy (SNLD) Chairman Hkun Htun Oo hosted a 
dinner for the ethnic democracy coalition, the United 
Nationalities Alliance (UNA).  The event was attended by 
about 75 representatives from Kachin, Kayah, Karen, Chin 
Zomi, Mon, Burman, Rahkine, and Shan political parties, as 
well as political veterans, the NLD CEC, NLD MP's-elect, and 
U.S. Embassy representatives.  Notably, this was the first 
time that major cease fire groups such as the KIO and the 
NMSP attended a political function with elected 
representatives of the political parties. 
 
6. (SBU) The UNA distributed a statement calling for the 
release of political prisoners and a tripartite dialogue 
among the SPDC, the NLD, and ethnic groups as called for by 
the UNGA.  The ethnics talked about a "second Panlong 
agreement," referring to the 1947 agreement reached between 
General Aung San and the ethnic minority groups.  A Kachin 
representative commented that the SPDC will go forward with 
the road map and those who do not participate will be left 
behind. 
 
Government: A Ceremonial Hoist 
 
7.  (C) The GOB held its official Union Day ceremony by 
hoisting the union flag at City Hall and holding an ethnic 
parade for selected guests at the People's Park.  Among those 
invited were core USDA members and representatives of the 
election commission and sundry National Convention 
committees.  In typical fashion for major national holidays, 
members of the general public were prohibited from attending 
and security was tight.  Rangoon Division's SPDC military 
commander read a statement from SPDC Chairman Senior General 
Than Shwe urging support for the regime's road map.  The 
Chairman himself later hosted a state dinner and 
uncharacteristically skipped his uniform and wore a 
traditional longyi and a traditional Burmese headdress. 
6.  (C) COMMENT:  The NLD road march from the pagoda and the 
public reading was a brave pushing-of-the-envelope, and it 
was good  to see that the SPDC may be giving the NLD a tiny 
bit more latitude to operate.  However, it would be worse for 
the democracy movement if the now-free CEC members were again 
imprisoned.  The well attended UNA dinner highlights the 
level of cooperation ethnic nationalities have with each 
other and with the cease-fire groups and the NLD.  END 
COMMENT. 
Martinez