US embassy cable - 05RANGOON1186

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 001186 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/19/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, PREL, BM, Mandalay, NLD 
SUBJECT: MANDALAY ACTIVISTS MANAGE TO PERSEVERE 
 
Classified By: APAO Kim Penland for Reasons 1.4 (b,d) 
 
1.  (C) SUMMARY:  The Charge met in Mandalay on October 7 
with NLD senior organizer Win Mya Mya, the leadership of 
YMCA, and toured the Phaung Daw Oo Monastery high school. 
These activists report that the government has made it 
increasingly difficult to operate within Mandalay and the 
surrounding villages.  The government has also restricted NLD 
meetings, begun a covert campaign to pit Muslims against 
Buddhists within the party, and boarded up NLD signboards 
notifying the public of the location of three different 
offices.  END SUMMARY. 
 
Win Mya Mya Continues to Stand Up to Government 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
2.  (C) Win Mya Mya is the spokesperson for the NLD in 
Mandalay and comes from a staunch family of NLD supporters. 
In the May 30, 2003 Depayin attack, when she was 
55-years-old, government thugs broke both her arms.  She 
still bears a six inch scar on her left arm, and she no 
longer has full use of her right hand.  Although she has been 
arrested and re-imprisoned almost every year since 2001, she 
continues to be an outspoken dissident who often defies the 
regime outright.  Her family owns a number of tailor shops 
which have become informal gathering points for citizens who 
wish to see or communicate with her.  The government 
regularly visits these shops to tell her employees and 
customers not to gather.  These warnings have increased in 
frequency so that people have begun to exercise more caution, 
but according to Win Mya Mya, they still find ways to quietly 
inform her about the activities of various groups. 
 
3.  (C) Win Mya Mya told the Charge that government pressure 
has increased in the past few months.  She said since 1996 
the government has waged a campaign of elimination against 
NLD members, which includes both imprisonment and offering 
NLD members financial enticements to leave the party.  Many 
NLD members have been forced by their political activism to 
sacrifice economic gains to the point where they have been 
forced to sell their cars and homes, so these enticements 
have some appeal. 
 
4.  (C) Win Mya Mya said that in recent months Mandalay 
authorities have been actively trying to squash NLD 
operations by boarding up NLD signboards at three separate 
locations  and homes and refusing to grant permission for 
large gatherings.  The NLD has worked around this by using 
its members' homes.  She said authorities tried to restrict 
attendance at recent NLD meetings to 50. She refused, but 
promised NLD would take care of security and would not make 
inflammatory speeches.  Five hundred NLD supporters 
subsequently gathered peacefully with no interference. 
Meanwhile, in a nearby township, government authorities have 
attempted to befriend NLD members in an attempt to infiltrate 
and neutralize the party, said Win Mya Mya. 
 
Pitting Muslims Against Buddhists 
--------------------------------- 
5.  (C) Win Mya Mya said that the government also attempted 
to instigate a rift between Buddhist and Muslim NLD members. 
Leaflets, supposedly written by the Monks Association, were 
distributed on the streets of Mandalay stating that the monks 
should unite to root out Muslim influence in the party.  In 
addition, the notice made derogatory references to Mya Mya 
Win, who is Muslim, stating "What is the NLD in Mandalay 
doing today... following Daw Suu Kyi's path or Kalama 
(derogatory word for Indian) Win Mya Mya's?"  An accompanying 
notice, with no signature, criticizes Win Mya Mya's pride and 
attitude, stating, "Do not be a copycat to the daughter of a 
National leader, you cannot compare."   (The full translated 
texts of both documents have been emailed to EAP/MLS desk 
officer Alex Barrasso.)  Win Mya Mya professed to be 
untroubled by the propaganda, and suggested the general 
public understands that it is a ruse on the part of the 
regime.  In addition, she has spoken to the Monks 
Association, which disavowed the leaflets.  Win Mya Mya added 
that she has a very strong, positive relationship with the 
Monks Association because her family regularly sends food and 
other goods to imprisoned monks. 
 
6.  (C) Win Mya Mya told the Charge that the NLD appreciates 
and supports the recent Tutu-Havel report, especially its 
nonviolent approach, and welcomes the UN Security Council's 
taking up the issue of Burma.  The Charge said that the U.S. 
actively supports the initiative to have the UNSC discuss 
Burma.  Win Mya Mya said that the NLD has sacrificed much and 
she requested the U.S. provide support to pro-democracy 
activists.  The Charge responded that one of our highest 
priorities is to provide moral support to pro-democracy 
activists.  She said that many in the Embassy were frustrated 
with the present situation and wanted to do more, so if the 
Win Mya Mya had any specific requests the Embassy would be 
pleased to consider them.  Win Mya Mya replied that she was 
proud to hear this. 
 
Local NGOs Find Ways Around the Authorities 
------------------------------------------- 
7. (C) Mandalay YMCA and World Vision activists told the 
Charge that government officials recently began restricting 
NGOs from direct community involvement.  Pending projects 
range from the establishment of a primary school to 
introducing a program on personal hygiene to children in 
local communities.  Many Township Coordinators, who approved 
projects in the past, can no longer do so because their 
superiors have made it clear that final approval will no 
longer be forthcoming for any project.  The climate is such 
that Township Coordinators are scared to approach even those 
authorities who might accept and approve project proposals. 
Even though World Vision has an MOU with the Ministry of 
Heath to provide better health care to Burmese citizens, 
every new project now must receive permission to take place. 
If the project does not strictly adhere to the MOU, the 
government refuses permission.  In addition, the government 
has made it harder to get visa extensions for foreigners 
working with YMCA and World Vision. 
 
8.  (C) However, the YMCA can still organize and hold various 
classes and workshops at their Mandalay headquarters and at 
its branches around Mandalay, including on topics such as 
grassroots organizing and leadership.   The activists agreed 
that despite the added pressures, they would continue to make 
end-runs around the regime.  One of the participants, who has 
his own travel business, said that the government recently 
began refusing to allow international tourists to donate 
school supplies directly to poor schools north of Mandalay. 
He therefore put in requests for supplies from the schools 
that happened to match the donations received, and then told 
the government that a local person would fill the schools' 
request. 
 
Monastery Runs the Only Quasi-Private School in Burma 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
9.  (C) The Charge toured the Phaung Daw Oo Monastery High 
School -- one of the few schools that provide an education 
and curriculum not entirely dictated by the government.  The 
Monastery has a total of 5,885 students, most of whom are 
poor.  They come from throughout Burma, including minority 
areas.  All of the students benefit from the higher standard 
of training the teachers have received, and 227 of the 
brightest students, regardless of ethnicity or sex, are 
taught classes in both Burmese and English with the English 
courses using imported textbooks and supplementing the 
curriculum.  U Nayaka, the abbot, said that they were given 
the freedom to offer extra curricula and better teaching 
methodologies because they fall under the jurisdiction of the 
Ministry of Religious Affairs, rather than the Ministry of 
Education like all other schools.  However, there are only 
two high schools like this in the entire country and the 
other only uses the Burmese curriculum. 
 
10.  (C) Comment:  Mandalay is the second largest city and is 
the cultural heart of Burma.  We spoke to a variety of people 
willing to stick their necks out to make a positive 
difference in their country.  They have a sense of how hard 
and where they can push to do more for the disadvantaged. 
These particular individuals are not unique.  Many people 
throughout the country quietly strive for ways to bring 
change to Burma.  The cumulative impact of these individual 
efforts can be powerful, but it may take time.  End Comment. 
Villarosa