US embassy cable - 04RANGOON545

C O N F I D E N T I A L RANGOON 000545 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV; PACOM FOR FPA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/27/2014 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, BM 
SUBJECT: BURMA: VIEWS FROM MILITARY INTELLIGENCE 
 
REF: A. RANGOON 514 
 
     B. BANGKOK 2789 
     C. CHIANG MAI 115 
     D. RANGOON 537 
 
Classified By: COM Carmen Martinez for Reasons 1.4 (b,d) 
 
1. (C)  On April 24 DATT and P/E Chief had an opportunity to 
chat at length with Major General Kyaw Win, second in command 
to General (and Prime Minister) Khin Nyunt as the powerful 
deputy chief of Burma's military intelligence.  The occasion 
was a social event, but a significant portion of our 
discussions dealt with political developments in Burma.  A 
few highlights: 
 
--The "Bangkok Process:"  General Kyaw Win said that the SPDC 
had decided to "postpone" participation in the Bangkok 
Process in order to focus exclusively on reconvening the 
National Convention on May 17 (refs A and B).  He said that 
the GOB would be willing to return to the table in Bangkok, 
but did not specify a date.  He dismissed speculation that 
delegates would register for the Convention and then disband 
for the monsoon season, insisting that the Convention would 
convene "for at least two months," and suggesting that the 
SPDC expected nothing less than a fully approved constitution 
to emerge from the process. 
 
--SPDC-KNU Peace Talks:  Kyaw Win also said that the regime 
had postponed peace talks with the KNU as yet another means 
to clear the deck for the National Convention (refs C and D). 
 The General played down the importance of the peace talks 
with regard to forging a new constitution and talked 
confidently about "dealing" with the KNU at an appropriate 
time and place. 
 
--The Old Man's Health:  Regarding local rumors that SPDC 
Chairman Than Shwe had recently fallen seriously ill, Kyaw 
Win said that in fact it was the Senior General's son who had 
health problems.  Kyaw Win said he had been with Than Shwe 
near Mandalay in mid-April when the Chairman received word 
that his son had been hospitalized in Rangoon with acute 
appendicitis. Than Shwe immediately cut short his upcountry 
travel and his entire delegation returned to Rangoon, setting 
off a spate of rumors that the Chairman had suffered a stroke 
(Note: Than Shwe appeared on state-run television on April 
27, his first "public" appearance since Burma's April 12-16 
water festival period.  End note). 
 
--Prime Minister Khin Nyunt:  Kyaw Win lamented that his boss 
at the Office of the Chief of Military Intelligence (OCMI), 
General Khin Nyunt, was a consummate workaholic who made it a 
challenge for his subordinates to enjoy leisure time on the 
weekends.  Khin Nyunt convenes a daily briefing with his top 
advisors every single day of the year at 7:30 a.m., even on 
holidays and weekends, and spends his "free time" conducting 
inspections and touring the regime's latest infrastructure 
projects.  The 59 year-old Kyaw Win, an avid tennis player, 
painter, and photographer, joked that it was part of his job 
description to get mental and physical exercise on behalf of 
Khin Nyunt. 
 
2. (C) Comment:  Although Khin Nyunt retained the military 
intelligence portfolio after assuming new duties as Prime 
Minister last August, General Kyaw Win's role increased 
substantially as the day-to-day manager of the SPDC's vast 
intelligence network.  His remarks on the National 
Convention, and ongoing efforts to clear the deck before May 
17, were yet another indicator that the regime intends to let 
nothing get in the way of this first step in the Prime 
Minister's "road map."  End comment. 
Martinez