US embassy cable - 04RANGOON779

C O N F I D E N T I A L RANGOON 000779 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV; USPACOM FOR FPA 
COMMERCE FOR ITA JEAN KELLY 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/20/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, BM, ASSK, Human Rights, NLD 
SUBJECT: ASSK'S BIRTHDAY PASSES QUIETLY 
 
REF: RANGOON 695 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: DCM RONALD K. MCMULLEN FOR REASONS 1.4 (B,D) 
 
1.  (C) SUMMARY: AROUND 300 NLD PARTY FAITHFUL ATTENDED A 
CEREMONY AT NLD HEADQUARTERS IN RANGOON TO MARK THE 
NLD-CREATED BURMESE NATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY AND ASSK'S 
COINCIDENT 59TH BIRTHDAY, WHILE THE USUAL HEAVY SECURITY 
PRESENCE LOITERED NEARBY.  THE DAY PASSED PEACEFULLY, AND NO 
ARRESTS WERE MADE DESPITE A BALLOON RELEASE AND BLARING 
PRO-ASSK MUSIC ON LOUDSPEAKERS OUTSIDE THE NLD PARTY 
HEADQUARTERS, AND DESPITE A VERY PUBLIC NLD PROCESSIONAL 
MARCH TO THE SHWEDAGON PAGODA AND BACK.  ONLY THE U.S. 
EMBASSY ATTENDED THE BIRTHDAY CEREMONY, AND ONLY THE BRITISH 
EMBASSY JOINED US IN ATTENDING THE PROCESSION AT THE PAGODA. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (U)  DURING THE JUNE 19 CEREMONY AT NLD HEADQUARTERS 
MARKING NATIONAL WOMAN'S DAY AND ASSK'S 59TH BIRTHDAY (HER 
EIGHTH ONE IN DETENTION), THE NLD CENTRAL WOMEN'S COMMITTEE 
DEMANDED ASSK'S RELEASE, AND CALLED ON BURMESE WOMEN TO BREAK 
THE GLASS CEILING IN THE POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, AND SOCIAL 
SECTORS.  NLD SPOKESMAN U LWIN IN HIS RAMBLING SPEECH ALSO 
CALLED FOR ASSK TO BE RELEASED, AND TOLD THE AUDIENCE THE 
MILITARY WON'T TRANSFER POWER TO ASSK BECAUSE SHE IS A WOMAN. 
 HE CLAIMED THAT THAT ASSK HAS GIVEN THE GIFT OF UNITY TO 
BURMA, THOUGH IRONICALLY ETHNIC NATIONALITIES HADN'T BEEN 
INVITED AND DID NOT ATTEND THE CEREMONY. 
 
3.  (U) THE RANGOON PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL GAVE 
PERMISSION FOR THE GATHERING, AND THE USUAL HEAVY MI AND 
NATIONAL POLICE PRESENCE ACROSS THE STREET WAS PLAINLY 
EVIDENT.  POLOFF FOLLOWED THE POST-RALLY NLD PROCESSION TO 
THE SHWEDAGON PAGODA, THE LARGEST PAGODA IN THE WORLD, WHERE 
THERE APPEARED TO BE ONE SECURITY OFFICIAL FOR EVERY THREE 
NLD PRESENT.  THERE WERE NO ARRESTS, THOUGH MANY OF THE NLD 
YOUTH, SEVERAL WHO HAD BEEN ARRESTED ON MAY 30 AND DETAINED 
FOR SEVERAL DAYS FOR PASSING OUT THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION 
FOR HUMAN RIGHTS (REFTEL), WORE THEIR UNIFORM TEE-SHIRTS WITH 
A PICTURE OF GENERAL AUNG SAN ON THE FRONT AND "FREEDOM FROM 
FEAR" WRITTEN IN ENGLISH ON THE BACK.  DURING THE 45 MINUTE 
VISIT TO THE SHWEDAGON, PLAINCLOTHES MI, THE UNIFORMED 
NATIONAL POLICE, AND PAGODA SECURITY OFFICERS MADE OBVIOUS 
ATTEMPTS TO BLEND INTO THE CROWD, OUT OF FEAR THAT U.S. AND 
BRITISH DIPLOMATS WOULD FIND THEIR PRESENCE OPPRESSIVE. 
 
4.  (C) COMMENT:  THOUGH THIS IS THE EIGHTH TIME ASSK HAS 
SPENT HER BIRTHDAY IN DETENTION, THE NLD FAITHFUL IN 
ATTENDANCE APPEARED FULLY COMMITTED TO CONTINUING THE QUIET 
FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY.  HOWEVER, THE ADVANCED AGE AND LOW 
ENERGY LEVEL OF THE CENTRAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE "UNCLES" WERE 
IN SHARP CONTRAST TO THE YOUTH AND ACTIVISM OF THE NEW 
GENERATION OF NLD, WHO CONTINUE TO BE KEEN TO TAKE THE 
PRO-DEMOCRACY MESSAGE TO THE STREET.  EVEN MORE SIGNIFICANT 
WAS THE DEARTH OF ACKNOWLEDGMENT, MUCH LESS VOCAL SUPPORT, 
FROM THE THOUSANDS OF ONLOOKERS AS THE HUNDREDS OF NLD MADE 
THEIR WAY THROUGH THE CROWDED NEIGHBORHOOD TO THE SHWEDAGON 
ENTRANCE.  FURTHER EVIDENCE OF A NATION COMPLETELY SUBDUED BY 
THE REGIME, EVEN ON THE BIRTHDAY OF GENERAL AUNG SAN'S 
SO-FAMOUS DAUGHTER.  AND PERHAPS AS NOTEWORTHY, NONE OF THE 
OTHER EU "FRIENDS" OF THE NLD SHOWING UP IS EVIDENCE OF 
WANING INTERNATIONAL INTEREST.  END COMMENT. 
MARTINEZ