US embassy cable - 05RANGOON316

S E C R E T RANGOON 000316 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/14/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, EAID, KDEM, BM, NLD 
SUBJECT: MANDALAY NLD COFFERS EMPTY, USDA STRIVING TO 
CREATE "NLD-FREE" VILLAGES 
 
Classified By: Classified by COM, Carmen Martinez - Reason 1.4 (b) 
 
1.  (C) Emboffs met March 8 in Mandalay with members of the 
National League for Democracy's Mandalay Division executive 
committee.  In a wide-ranging discussion, the NLD leaders 
updated us on harassment party members receive from police 
and the Union Solidarity Development Association (USDA), the 
regime's mass membership organization.  As the USDA often 
provides purposefully misleading, negative information to the 
police and others regarding NLD activities, "things are worse 
than before," according the NLD leaders. 
 
2.  (S) The Mandalay NLD leadership includes two individuals 
who were with Aung San Suu Kyi's convoy when it was attacked 
on May 30, 2003.  One of the two has regained nearly full use 
of her arms and hands after suffering multiple fractures 
during the assault by USDA thugs on the convoy.  Emboffs 
could not help but note the massive scaring and physical 
distortions that remain.  When we asked who they thought was 
responsible for directing the May 30, 2003 attack on the NLD 
convoy, the Mandalay NLD was unanimous in naming General Soe 
Win, subsequently promoted by the regime to prime minister. 
 
3.  (C) The NLD executives said the USDA is seeking to create 
"NLD-free villages" to help the regime sweep the expected 
upcoming constitutional referendum.  The well-funded USDA 
offers consumer products like soap and blankets to villages 
that have no registered NLD members.  The Mandalay NLD, in 
contrast, gets no financial help from the cash-strapped NLD 
national HQ in Rangoon.  To support the party's meager health 
care, education, prisoner support, and other social welfare 
programs in Mandalay Division, a province larger in size than 
Maryland and with a population of over 6.4 million, the NLD 
last year spent about $550, all raised locally.  In addition, 
the NLD has struggled to pay rent on the party's padlocked 
office building since it was ordered closed by the GOB in 
2003; the NLD will let the lease lapse in May.  That the 
party's fortunes have fallen so low in Mandalay Division, a 
province in which the NLD won 55 out of 56 seats in the 1990 
elections, is shocking and indicates the need for friends of 
Burma's pro-democracy movement to move quickly to provide 
financial and other assistance to the beleaguered NLD. 
 
 
Martinez