US embassy cable - 05RANGOON646

C O N F I D E N T I A L RANGOON 000646 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV; PACOM FOR FPA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/25/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, KDEM, BM, NLD 
SUBJECT: BURMA: NLD PLANS NEW PETITION DRIVE 
 
REF: 04 RANGOON 924 
 
Classified By: COM Carmen Martinez for Reasons 1.4 (b,d) 
 
1. (C) On May 26 NLD Chairman U Aung Shwe and Secretary U 
Lwin requested a meeting with P/E chief and poloff to inform 
the Embassy that the party plans to launch a petition drive 
on May 27, coinciding with an NLD 15th anniversary 
commemoration of the 1990 legislative election.  The new 
petition drive, which complements a broader, year-old 
signature campaign (reftel), will target Members-elect of 
Parliament for signatures and demand that the SPDC undertake 
the following: 
 
--the immediate and unconditional release of all democracy 
activists--including Aung San Suu Kyi, U Tin Oo, and various 
ethnic leaders--detained "under fabricated reasons;" 
 
--a meaningful and substantive dialogue between the SPDC and 
the NLD; 
 
--the convening of Parliament. 
 
2. (C) U Aung Shwe, who asked that information regarding the 
petition remain confidential until the NLD issues a statement 
and launches the petition on May 27, acknowledged that the 
regime has viewed party tactics involving the MPs-elect as 
provocative and responded with mass arrests.  "We expect some 
repercussions," said U Aung Shwe, with enthusiasm.  U Lwin 
noted that the number of MPs-elect has dwindled considerably 
since 1990, with many having died, fled into exile, or 
disappeared into the GOB's prison gulag. 
 
3. (C) In a related request, a senior NLD member approached 
Emboffs on May 26 to seek assistance in distributing letters 
from the NLD leadership to parliamentary leaders throughout 
the region, including several ASEAN countries, Japan, and 
South Korea.  The NLD official said that the party did not 
trust the embassies of those countries to make delivery of 
the letters, which address Burma's political situation and 
party objectives. 
 
4. (C) Comment: With Department concurrence, we will forward 
these letters to relevant posts to use at their discretion in 
engaging host-country parliamentarians.  Delivery of the 
NLD's letter would be a significant source of support for 
Burma's pro-democracy movement.  End Comment. 
Martinez