US embassy cable - 04RANGOON1257

UNCLAS RANGOON 001257 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV, DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, PGOV, BM, Human Rights 
SUBJECT: BURMESE ACTIVIST'S RETURN TO THE GULAG? 
 
1. (SBU) Summary: On September 21, GOB authorities detained a 
58-year old Burmese political activist for demonstrating in 
front of UNDP offices in Rangoon.  U Ohne Thant, who has 
served over 13 years in the Burmese political gulag, was 
carrying a placard calling for the United Nations to help 
implement the elections of 1990.  One of several "solo" 
demonstrators rounded up this year, U Ohne Thant apparently 
linked his protest to a concurrent "long march for freedom" 
that led Burmese dissidents from outside Albany to UN 
headquarters in New York.  End Summary 
 
2. (SBU) On September 21, Burmese Military Intelligence (MI) 
agents arrested a lone Burmese demonstrator, U Ohne Thant, in 
front of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) 
offices in Rangoon.  He was holding a placard written in 
English and Burmese calling for the United Nations to assist 
Burma in honoring the election results of 1990.  Prior to his 
arrest, U Ohne Thant had entered the UNDP compound and was 
received by the Deputy Resident Representative (DRR), who 
offered to accept and forward his materials to UNDP 
headquarters.  The DRR also advised the protester not to 
return to the street, lest he be arrested.  U Ohne Thant 
refused both suggestions and was subsequently picked up by 
MI.  Authorities are reportedly holding him for questioning 
and will likely sentence him to a minimum of seven years in 
violation of Section 5(j), Emergency Provision Act of 1950. 
 
3. (SBU) U Ohne Thant's solo protest may have been linked to 
a "long march for freedom" that Burmese activists took on 
September 21 from the Grafton Peace Pagoda north of Albany, 
New York, to UN Headquarters.  He had alerted the media to 
his plans and several locally based foreign media stringers 
witnessed the event.  He is the fourth known "solo" 
demonstrator to be arrested in Rangoon during the past year; 
MI has rounded up at least three in front of City Hall, 
although two of the protesters reportedly suffer from mental 
illnesses. 
 
4. (SBU) Comment: U Ohne Thant is a well-known, independent 
activist who was first arrested in 1988 for leading strikes 
in Kachin State.  Following his release in 1995, he was 
arrested again in 1997 for distributing political pamphlets 
calling for greater human rights and sentenced to seven more 
years in jail.  He was released from his second term on 
October 31, 2003.  He is popular with Burmese students and 
agitated for prison reforms while serving his earlier 
sentences.  His decision to go it alone is reportedly based 
on a desire to draw attention to human rights issues while 
minimizing the human suffering that mass protests would 
entail.  End comment 
 
Martinez