US embassy cable - 04RANGOON1382

C O N F I D E N T I A L RANGOON 001382 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/22/2014 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, BM 
SUBJECT: FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS "NO CHANGE IN FOREIGN 
POLICY"; LINKS FORMER PM TO CORRUPTION 
 
REF: A) RANGOON 1322 B) RANGOON 1345 C) RANGOON 1370 
 
Classified By: COM CARMEN MARTINEZ FOR REASONS 1.4 (B/D) 
 
1.(U) Summary: On October 21, the new Foreign Minister, U 
Nyan Win, briefed the Rangoon diplomatic corps for the first 
time. The FonMin characterized the many recent cabinet 
shuffles as "normal" and said the changes were made to 
"assure success of the seven-step democratization process" 
and that efforts to have the ethnic groups "return to the 
legal fold" would continue. The FonMin made specific charges 
that former PM Khin Nyunt was linked to extensive (over 30 
million USD) corruption.  End Summary. 
 
2. (C) On very short notice on October 21, the Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs (MOFA) called in all Rangoon heads of mission 
for a briefing by the new Foreign Minister, U Nyan Win. This 
was the FonMin's debut for the local diplomatic corps, as he 
has remained a relatively unknown quantity since taking 
office on September 19 (see Ref A). The FonMin provide an 
informative and useful briefing, in good English with no 
interpreter, and with minimal reference to notes.  He earned 
passing marks from an audience accustomed to GOB briefings 
which either bore or bewilder. 
 
3. (U)  The FonMin repeated the October 19 GOB statement (Ref 
C) that "the Prime Minister had been permitted to retire for 
health reasons" and added that the former PM was in his 
residence with his family (regime-speak for house arrest). 
The FonMin characterized the many cabinet and SPDC shuffles 
over the past month as "normal" and said it was "time to pass 
the baton to a new generation" as "times call for a change." 
He also reiterated the message he gave the COM on October 5 
(see Ref A) when he told the assembled diplomats that there 
would be "no change in foreign policy or domestic priorities." 
 
4. (U)  He answered questions that were uppermost in the 
minds of the audience by stating that "the decision to 
undertake the seven-step road map was not an individual 
decision but a decision of the SPDC," that the retirement of 
Khin Nyunt "will not affect it," and that the changes in the 
government were made to "assure success of seven-step 
democratization process." The FonMin used standard regime 
phraseology when he said that efforts will continue to have 
the ethnic groups "return to the legal fold." He went on to 
say that the nation must "close gaps among the races." 
 
5. (C) The most surprising moment came when the FonMin made 
specific charges that the former PM (chief of military 
intelligence - MI) was linked to a specific corruption scheme 
to the tune of 30 billion kyat (over 30 million USD).  The 
FonMin made detailed reference to a September clash on the 
Burma-China border (see Ref B) between the Burmese Army and 
the NaSaKa (an interagency unit that includes MI, customs, 
and immigration elements).  The Foreign Minister said that 
Prime Minister Khin Nyunt "must bear responsibility for those 
under him." This is the regime's first official statement 
alleging corruption on the part of Khin Nyunt and MI. 
 
6. (C) Comment:  The FonMin's message that there would be no 
change in either foreign or domestic policies was not 
unexpected.  However, given Khin Nyunt's fall from grace, one 
would expect that even if the ideas contained in the "seven 
step road map" (which has always been considered Khin Nyunt's 
creation) were retained, the "road map" would have been 
renamed and relaunched as a new  product of the new PM and 
company. Instead, it seems the regime is content to use a 
road map that can only lead Burma on a never-ending journey 
towards a democratic future that seems ever more distant. 
End Comment. 
 
 
Martinez