US embassy cable - 05RANGOON353

S E C R E T RANGOON 000353 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV; PACOM FOR FPA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/22/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PHUM, BM, NLD 
SUBJECT: NLD VIEWS SPDC AS "UNFIT" TO CHAIR ASEAN 
 
REF: A. RANGOON 351 
     B. RANGOON 345 
     C. 04 RANGOON 1591 
     D. SECSTATE 50205 
 
Classified By: COM Carmen Martinez for Reasons 1.4 (b,d) 
 
1. (S) Summary:  Two of the National League for Democracy's 
(NLD) top leaders tell us that: "the SPDC is unfit and 
unsuitable" to take over the ASEAN chair in 2006; the 
National Convention will recess o/a April 5; the NLD will 
host a low-key commemoration of Resistance Day (aka Armed 
Forces Day) on March 27; and ASSK is in "fine" health.  End 
Summary. 
 
2. (C) DCM and P/E chief met on March 22 with NLD Chairman U 
Aung Shwe and NLD Secretary U Lwin at the party's Rangoon 
headquarters to discuss current and upcoming events.  Our 
discussions included the following: 
 
--ASEAN 2006:  When asked for party views on attendance by 
the United States at ASEAN events in 2006-2007, the NLD 
leaders simply responded that "the SPDC is unfit and 
unsuitable" to take over the chair of the organization.  U 
Aung Shwe said he had heard "rumors" that the U.S. would not 
attend, but noted that nothing seemed to convince the 
"hard-lined" SPDC to change its behavior.  "Even ASEAN can't 
do anything," he said, but added that perhaps ASEAN would 
take a stand at the upcoming Foreign Ministers meeting in the 
Philippines (ref D). 
 
--National Convention (NC):  The NLD leaders said they had 
not heard much news about developments at the ongoing 
Convention, other than the regime's draconian "lock down" 
procedures for delegates who "can't even leave (the remote NC 
site) unless they have permission and travel in groups."  U 
Lwin said he understood the proceedings would recess o/a 
April 5 and not resume until after water festival (which ends 
on April 17). 
 
--March 27: The NLD leaders said that the party would host on 
March 27 a very low-key Resistance Day (aka Armed Forces Day) 
commemoration at headquarters.  The party will issue a brief 
statement, but has "no plans to announce anything new."  U 
Aung Shwe said that members of the ethnic coalition United 
Nationalities Alliance (UNA) would attend, but said it was 
uncertain who was leading the group while chairman U Hkun 
Htun Oo remains in detention; "there is no clear leader of 
the UNA," said U Lwin. 
 
--NLD arrests: U Aung Shwe said that NLD divisional leader 
Kyaw Hsan, arrested on March 17, was picked up by authorities 
just one day after returning from his constituency in Sagaing 
Division (ref B).  However, U Lwin said, the GOB will charge 
the MP-elect, a retired Lt General, for his son's alleged 
storage on the family compound of property owned by the 
pro-regime Democratic Karen Buddhist Association (DKBA).  U 
Lwin added that MP-elect Kyaw Khin, vice chairman of the NLD 
in Shan State, was arrested on February 25 as part of a 
round-up of ethnic leaders who had participated in a meeting 
in Taunggyi (Shan State).  However, the NLD leaders pointed 
out, Kyaw Khin was in Rangoon at the time and had nothing to 
do with the meeting. 
 
3. (S) On the basis of recent, unsubstantiated rumors that 
Aung San Suu Kyi is suffering from a serious illness, we 
inquired if the NLD leaders had any information about her 
health.  U Aung Shwe said, "she's fine, but that is very 
confidential information," alluding to the extremely low 
 
SIPDIS 
profile that ASSK's personal physician has maintained for the 
past three months, following the regime's tightening of 
access to her compound (ref C). 
Martinez