US embassy cable - 04RANGOON695

C O N F I D E N T I A L RANGOON 000695 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV; USPACOM FOR FPA 
COMMERCE FOR ITA JEAN KELLY 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/31/2014 
TAGS: PHUM, PGOV, BM, ASSK, NLD, Human Rights 
SUBJECT: ACTIVISTS ARRESTED ON ANNIVERSARY OF DEPAYIN 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: CDA A.I., RONALD K. MCMULLEN FOR REASONS 1.4 (B,D) 
 
1.  (C) SUMMARY: ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE 
REGIME-ORCHESTRATED ATTACK ON THE NLD AT DEPAYIN ON MAY 30, 
2003, THE REGIME ARRESTED AT LEAST NINE VERIFIED AND POSSIBLY 
DOZENS MORE YOUTHS INVOLVED IN DISTRIBUTING COPIES OF THE UN 
UNIVERSAL DECLARATION ON HUMAN RIGHTS.  THE NLD HELD 
RELIGIOUS SERVICES IN RANGOON AND MANDALAY TO COMMEMORATE THE 
ATTACK, BUT IN GENERAL THE ANNIVERSARY PASSED UNOBSERVED BY 
THE GENERAL POPULATION.  END SUMMARY 
 
2.  (C) THE BURMESE REGIME ARRESTED AT LEAST NINE VERIFIED 
AND POSSIBLY DOZENS MORE OF THE 43 PRO-DEMOCRACY YOUTHS WHO 
WERE HANDING OUT BURMESE-LANGUAGE COPIES OF THE UN UNIVERSAL 
DECLARATION ON HUMAN RIGHTS ON MAY 30 IN AN ORGANIZED 
COMMEMORATION OF THE ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE REGIME'S 
ATTACK ON AUNG SAN SUU KYI AND HER NLD RETINUE AT DEPAYIN. 
THE 34 YOUTHS STILL NOT ACCOUNTED FOR ARE EITHER IN HIDING OR 
HAVE ALSO BEEN ARRESTED BY THE AUTHORITIES.  MOST OF THE 
YOUTHS ARE NLD MEMBERS, WHO REPORTEDLY HANDED OUT THE 
LEAFLETS WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE OR PERMISSION OF THE NLD 
CENTRAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.  THE DEMONSTRATORS HAD NOTIFIED 
THE UNDP RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVE BY LETTER ON MAY 28 THAT THE 
2003 ATTACK WAS A VIOLATION OF SECTION 20, PARA ONE OF THE 
DECLARATION, AND THAT THEY WERE GOING TO HELP THE UN'S 
MISSION IN BURMA BY DISTRIBUTING THE PAMPHLETS. 
 
3.  (C) TWO U.S. EMBASSY LOCAL STAFF WITNESSED SEVERAL OF THE 
ARRESTS AND REPORTED THAT THE MI OFFICERS BADLY BEAT TWO OF 
THE YOUTHS, HITTING THEM IN THE FACE AND BODY DESPITE 
REPEATED ENTREATIES FROM THE YOUTHS TO STOP.  FOUR BYSTANDERS 
CAUGHT READING THE PAMPHLETS WERE ALSO ARRESTED AND TAKEN TO 
A POLICE STATION, BUT WERE LATER RELEASED.  THE NLD YOUTHS 
WERE ALL WEARING KACHIN LONGYIS (OFTEN WORN BY PRO-DEMOCRACY 
ACTIVISTS OF ANY ETHNICITY) AND TEE SHIRTS WITH A PICTURE OF 
UNIFORMED GENERAL AUNG SAN WITH THE TITLE "INDEPENDENCE 
LEADER" ON THE FRONT AND "FREEDOM FROM FEAR" WRITTEN ON THE 
BACK IN BURMESE. 
 
4.  (C) THE NLD OFFICIALLY OBSERVED THE DEPAYIN ANNIVERSARY 
WITH A PRIVATE RELIGIOUS SERVICE FOR ABOUT 100 MEMBERS AND 
SUPPORTERS IN A NORTHERN RANGOON SUBURB AND FOR ABOUT 100 
MORE AT A BUDDHIST MONASTERY IN MANDALAY.  IN A SEPARATE 
INCIDENT, POLICE ARRESTED ONE WOMAN IN THE PARK ACROSS THE 
STREET FROM THE EMBASSY ONLY A FEW MINUTES AFTER SHE BEGAN 
CHANTING PRO-NLD SLOGANS AND CALLING FOR THE RELEASE OF ASSK 
AND U TIN OO. 
 
5.  (C) THE REGIME HAD BEEN ON A HEIGHTENED SECURITY ALERT 
FOR THE ENTIRE WEEK LEADING UP TO THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE 
ATTACK, POSTING SEVERAL ADDITIONAL NATIONAL ARMED POLICE 
COMPANIES IN COMBAT GEAR AT FIVE LOCATIONS IN RANGOON. 
ACCORDING TO THE ORGANIZER OF THE EVENT, THUREIN AUNG, WHO 
WENT UNDERGROUND SHORTLY AFTER THE ARRESTS, THE FOLLOWING IS 
A PARTIAL LIST OF THOSE ARRESTED: 
 
1. MYO THAN HTET (NLD TAMWE) 
2. MYINT KYAW OO (NLD SHWE PYI THAR TOWNSHIP) 
3. MYO MIN WAI    (NLD SHWE PYI THAR TOWNSHIP) 
4. MYO MIN SOE (NLD KAMAYUT TOWNSHIP) 
5. NE SOE (NLD SHWE PYI THA TOWNSHIP) 
6. KYAW KYAW (NLD DAGON MYO THIT TOWNSHIP) 
7. THAN WIN AUNG (NLD DAGON MYO THIT TOWNSHIP) 
8. MYO MIN (NLD MAYANGONE TOWNSHIP) 
9. MYO MIN MAUNG (NLD KUNCHANGONE TOWNSHIP) 
 
6.  (C) COMMENT: THE REGIME HAS BEEN VERY SENSITIVE TO ANY 
PUBLIC MENTION OF THE DEPAYIN ATTACK, AND WAS EVIDENTLY QUITE 
PREPARED TO GO TO GREAT LENGTHS TO PREVENT ANY SMALL CORE OF 
NLD SUPPORTERS FROM SPARKING A GENERAL DEMONSTRATION AGAINST 
THE REGIME.  THAT THE REGIME WOULD ARREST ANYONE FOR HANDING 
OUT A UN PUBLICATION ON HUMAN RIGHTS AGAIN UNDERLINES THE 
MORAL TURPITUDE OF THIS GOVERNMENT.  END COMMENT. 
MCMULLEN