US embassy cable - 04RANGOON1572

S E C R E T RANGOON 001572 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
 
STATE FOR DRL, H, AND EAP 
STATE ALSO FOR USAID 
BANGKOK FOR USAID RDA/ASIA (STIEVATER) 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/13/2014 
TAGS: EAID, KDEM, PINR, BM 
SUBJECT: BURMESE PRO-DEMOCRACY LEADERS REQUEST FINANCIAL 
SUPPORT -- DO WE EXTEND A LIFELINE? 
 
REF: A. RANGOON 1450 
     B. RANGOON 1507 
 
Classified By: COM CARMEN MARTINEZ FOR REASONS 1.4 (B,D) 
 
1.  (SBU) Congress has appropriated and earmarked millions of 
dollars to support Burma's pro-democracy movement and those 
Burmese seeking refuge from the junta's tyranny.  While a 
portion of this funding appropriately supports thousands of 
Burmese who have fled their country, direct support for the 
pro-democracy movement inside Burma, despite the dire need, 
is much smaller in scale. 
 
2.  (S/NF) As detailed refs A and B, Embassy Rangoon has 
recently received two requests for USG financial assistance 
from pro-democracy leaders.  The first is from an association 
of ten pro-democracy political parties, the United 
Nationalities Alliance (UNA).  The UNA's member parties, most 
of whom have been de-registered by the regime, represent 
ethnic minority groups.  The parties are well aware that such 
assistance would not have the sanction of the SPDC.  The 
second request came indirectly from U Tin Oo, the Vice 
Chairman of the National League for Democracy who has been 
imprisoned or under house arrest since May 2003, via his 
wife.  The request is to rent a house for $300 per month, as 
the vacant rental property provides the only source of money 
for food and utilities for U Tin Oo and his family.  The NLD, 
as a party, has not requested direct USG financial assistance. 
 
 3.  (S/NF) Post seeks the views of the Department and others 
regarding the possibility of undertaking a small-scale, 
stealthy program of financial assistance directly to 
pro-democracy leaders inside Burma who have asked for our 
support.  Such assistance would best be aimed at helping 
sustain the parties' organizational and leadership 
capabilities. 
 
4.  (S/NF) COMMENT:  $100,000 would be an adequate initial 
sum for the short- to mid-term sustenance of the 
pro-democracy leadership as per the two requests described 
reftels.  Post suggests that a tailor-made, Post-administered 
contract or purchase agreement would be the preferred 
delivery mechanism.  For example, the leadership of 
participating political parties could provide a nominal 
product, such as a written account of its experiences in the 
1990 election, in exchange for a relatively modest sum that 
could be used to help sustain the party.  Further, U Tin Oo's 
vacant rental property could be used, nominally, to store 
materials for our "Global English" Program.  End Comment. 
MARTINEZ