US embassy cable - 04RANGOON1435

UNCLAS RANGOON 001435 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, OPDC, BM 
SUBJECT: BURMA: CONGRATULATIONS TO PRESIDENT BUSH FROM THAN 
SHWE 
 
REF: RANGOON 728 
 
1. (U) On November 4, 2004 Embassy Rangoon received a 
diplomatic note from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
transmitting a congratulatory letter (unsigned) from Senior 
General Than Shwe to President Bush on the occasion of the 
latter's re-election.  Post will forward the original to 
EAP/BCLTV.  The text of the note and letter is as follows: 
 
Begin text of diplomatic note: 
 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Union of Myanmar 
presents its compliments to the Embassy of the United States 
of America and has the honor to transmit herewith for 
information of the embassy a copy of the congratulatory 
message from His Excellency Senior General Than Shwe, 
Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council of the 
Union of Myanmar, to the honorable George W. Bush, on the 
occasion of his re-election for the second term as the 
President of the United States of America. 
 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Union of Myanmar 
avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the Embassy of 
the United States of America the assurances of its highest 
consideration. 
 
Dated November 4 2004 
 
End text. 
 
Begin text of letter from Senior General Than Shwe: 
 
The Honorable George W. Bush 
President of the United States of America 
Washington, D.C. 
 
Mr. President, 
 
On behalf of the people of the Union of Myanmar as well as on 
my own, it gives me great pleasure in extending to you, Mr. 
President, our sincere congratulations on the occasion of 
your re-election for the second term of the President of the 
United States of America. 
 
Please accept, Mr. President, the assurances of my highest 
consideration. 
 
Senior General Than Shwe 
Chairman 
The State Peace and Development Council of the Union of 
Myanmar 
 
2.  (SBU) Comment:  The letter is an unusual gesture from the 
SPDC.  We have not received friendly correspondence on any 
occasion in recent years.  The November 6 edition of the New 
Light of Myanmar ran a front page notice about the letter to 
President Bush, stating "Senior General Than Shwe sends 
felicitations to U.S. President - Yangon, 5 Nov - Senior 
General Than Shwe, Chairman of the SPDC of the Union of 
Myanmar, sent a congratulatory message to the Honorable 
George W. Bush, on the occasion of his re-election as the 
President of the United States of America."  The then-Deputy 
Foreign Minister's June 2004 visit to the chancery to sign 
the Reagan condolence book was the last GOB effort to reach 
out to the Embassy in any meaningful way (reftel).  However, 
we don't believe that Than Shwe's letter portends a change in 
the regime's bilateral posture.  Official media this week 
maintained robust coverage of the situation in Iraq with 
articles and commentary highly critical of U.S. military 
operations.  End Comment. 
Martinez