US embassy cable - 05RANGOON138

C O N F I D E N T I A L RANGOON 000138 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP AND INL; DEA FOR OF, OFF; 
USPACOM FOR FPA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2015 
TAGS: SNAR, KCRM, BM, Ethnics 
SUBJECT: UWSA DRUG INDICTMENTS: ONE WEEK LATER 
 
REF: A. RANGOON 88 
     B. RANGOON 66 AND PREVIOUS 
 
Classified By: COM Carmen Martinez for Reasons 1.4 (B,D) 
 
1. (C) Summary:  The GOB has yet to go public with a reaction 
to the January 24 indictments against seven top UWSA leaders, 
although sources claim the GOB (and the Wa) are preparing to 
hold press conferences.  UNODC staff and NGO partners, 
convinced that all is quiet and normal in Wa territory, are 
anxious to return to the region and resume program 
activities.  The GOB has not authorized such a return, 
intimating to UNODC that future, though unspecified, law 
enforcement actions are pending--a likely reference to the 
GOB's anticipation of further U.S. indictments, not to any 
meaningful GOB measures against the indicted Wa leaders.  End 
Summary. 
 
2. (U) The Government of Burma has thus far had no public 
reaction to the January 24 unsealing of indictments in New 
York against seven leaders of the United Wa State Army (UWSA) 
(ref B).  According to January 25 Chinese press reports, the 
GOB captured and returned to China a major heroin smuggler 
(Ma Shunsu).  However, the reports indicated (and DEA has 
confirmed) that Burmese police and army officials had 
originally arrested Ma on January 9 and the action has no 
connection to Operation Warlord. 
 
3. (C) According to a senior GOB police source, the UWSA 
plans to hold a press conference in the Wa capital of 
Pangsang o/a February 5 addressing the indictments.  The GOB, 
the source told Emboff, has been planning to hold its own 
press conference but has postponed doing so until the Wa go 
public with their reaction to the indictments.  That said, 
the GOB source opined that "it is quite obvious (the SPDC) 
will not arrest or extradite the Wa leaders; the government 
will not do anything to destabilize the prevailing peace 
agreement situation." 
 
4. (C) A UNODC source in Pangsang reported that the city is 
calm and most UWSA leaders have left town for their home 
villages to celebrate Chinese New Year.  The source had 
spoken personally with UWSA Commander Pao Yu Hsian (Pao Yu 
Chang) who "seemed very surprised that his name was on the 
list of indictments."  Pao and other Wa leaders indicated to 
the source that, despite the indictments, they would maintain 
their pledge to make Wa territory poppy-free by June 2005. 
 
5. (SBU) UNODC's country representative concluded after 
reviewing DOJ statements that the unsealing of the 
indictments had few direct implications for the 
organization's current programs in Burma and he decided 
against issuing a press release (ref A).  He has also 
expressed to Emboffs a desire to return his expatriate staff 
to Wa territory in order to resume programs.  However, the 
country rep acknowledged that GOB counterdrug officials have 
not authorized their return, intimating to UNODC that future, 
though unspecified, law enforcement actions are pending 
(Comment: the GOB is likely referring to further U.S. 
indictments, not GOB measures.  End Comment). 
Martinez