US embassy cable - 05RANGOON729

C O N F I D E N T I A L RANGOON 000729 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV; PACOM FOR FPA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/15/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, PREL, BM, NLD, Human Rights 
SUBJECT: BURMA: FIVE POLITICAL ACTIVISTS RECEIVE LIFE 
SENTENCES 
 
REF: A. 04 RANGOON 1149 
     B. RANGOON 224 
 
Classified By: CDA, a.i. Ronald K. McMullen for Reasons 1.4 (b,d) 
 
1. (C) Summary: Five political activists were sentenced to 
life imprisonment on June 13.  They were among a group of six 
activists arrested in December and included four former 
members of the National League for Democracy (NLD).  The NLD 
leadership had previously suspended the four and expressed 
little knowledge of or interest in the case.  End Summary. 
 
2. (C) Six Rangoon political activists, four with NLD 
connections, were arrested on December 13, 2004.  Reports at 
the time, though we could not verify them, stated that they 
were arrested for distributing the UN Declaration on Human 
Rights and possibly a pamphlet titled "Appeal to the People, 
Armed Services Personnel and Artists" on December 10, 
International Human Rights Day.  The only female among them 
was released on January 7, 2005 and has remained out of 
contact.  The others remained in detention in Insein Prison, 
where they were tried and sentenced to life imprisonment on 
June 13, 2005. 
 
3. (C) After they were arrested, the prisoners' family 
members reportedly appealed to lawyers sympathetic to the NLD 
to defend them in court, but the lawyers were denied access 
to the detainees.  The defendants reportedly were not allowed 
any legal representation during their trial; therefore, it is 
difficult to know exactly what law(s) they were charged with 
violating.  (Note: A Rangoon lawyer stated that according to 
Burmese law a person may not be given a life sentence absent 
legal representation.  End Note.) 
 
4. (C) Poloff questioned NLD leadership about this case, but 
they claimed ignorance of any details.  Since the arrest of 
these persons, the NLD leadership has not tried to contact 
the detainees' families or their released colleague to 
inquire about the case.  The NLD reportedly had earlier 
suspended the four NLD members of the group, including the 
female, from party membership, so did not feel responsible to 
follow up the case.  NLD leaders described the group leader, 
the NLD Chairman from Ahlone Township, as a former communist 
party member and a "leftist." 
 
5. (C) Comment: The NLD continues to grapple with a 
generational gap between the "old guard" and the "young 
turks."  This may be partly the result of the leadership 
vacuum that occurred following the May 30, 2003 attack on 
Aung San Suu Kyi's convoy when the NLD party leaders were all 
arrested and isolated NLD groups tried to carry on activities 
independently.  The NLD leaders admit that they are treading 
water until Aung San Suu Kyi and U Tin Oo are released from 
house arrest and can lead the party again.  End Comment. 
McMullen