US embassy cable - 05RANGOON1262

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 001262 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS; PACOM FOR FPA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/06/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, PINS, BM, Human Rights, Ethnics 
SUBJECT: ETHNIC SHAN LEADERS: OUT FOR THE COUNT? 
 
REF: A. RANGOON 185 
     B. RANGOON 332 
 
Classified By: Poloff Dean Tidwell for Reasons 1.4 (b, d) 
 
1. (SBU) SUMMARY: A GOB court has sentenced eight leading 
ethnic Shan politicians and cease-fire group leaders, 
arrested in February 2005, to stiff prison sentences ranging 
from 12 to over 100 years.  The harshest sentence of all was 
reserved for Hkun Htun Oo, one of Burma's most effective 
pro-democracy ethnic leaders.  The sentences represent yet 
another setback to the democracy movement and a blow to Shan 
ethnic leaders and their nascent efforts to develop common 
objectives among ethnic political parties and cease-fire 
groups.  The sentences also show the lengths the regime will 
go to get the constitution of their dreams.  End Summary. 
 
2. (C) According to Embassy sources, a GOB court on November 
2 sentenced eight ethnic Shan politicians and other 
cease-fire group leaders, including Shan Nationalities League 
for Democracy (SNLD) Chairman Hkun Htun Oo.  The ethnic 
leaders had been arrested in early February (ref A) and 
subsequently tried at secret tribunals inside Rangoon's 
Insein Prison (ref B).  According to the wife of Hkun Htun Oo 
and his lawyer, U Aung Khaing, the sentencing session lasted 
for eight hours and the presiding judge became so weary of 
reading the numerous charges that a volunteer judge had to 
relieve him. 
 
3. (SBU) Sentences were handed down for eight Shan leaders. 
Sentences of some of the key persons include: 
 
-- Hkun Htun Oo, SNLD Chairman: nine charges (6 political, 3 
economic); 53 years imprisonment, plus two life sentences. 
 
-- Gen. Hso Ten, Chairman Shan State Army-North: eight 
charges (6 political, 2 economic); 46 years imprisonment, 
plus three life sentences. 
 
-- Sai Nyunt Lwin, SNLD Secretary: six political charges; 25 
years imprisonment, plus three life sentences. 
 
-- Sai Hla Aung, SNLD CEC member: six political charges, 39 
years imprisonment, plus two life sentences. 
 
-- Sao Tha Oo, SNLD CEC member: two political charges, 12 
years imprisonment (Note: Sao Tha Oo reportedly agreed to be 
a prosecution witness in return for leniency.  End Note.) 
 
-- Three other members of the Shan State New Generation Group 
were charged on six political charges and each received 35 
years imprisonment, plus two life sentences. 
 
4. (U) Hkun Htun Oo's SNLD party won 23 seats in the 1990 
legislative election.  His party represented the largest bloc 
of ethnic MPs-elect and was second only to the National 
League for Democracy (NLD) in the overall election.  Until 
the time of his arrest in February, Hkun Htun Oo chaired the 
United Nationalities Alliance, Burma's leading coalition of 
ethnic political parties. 
 
5. (C) COMMENT: With Hkun Htun Oo and other key ethnic 
politicians out of the picture for the foreseeable future, 
the GOB has effectively emasculated the ethnic pro-democracy 
movement, which the Shan have heretofore dominated.  The 
National Convention, charged with "drafting" a new 
constitution, is scheduled to reconvene in December 2005.  It 
seems clear that the GOB wants only the voices of its handful 
of handpicked ethnic delegates to be heard.  The sentences, 
harsh even by regime standards, send a loud message to all 
pro-democracy groups of the consequences of independent 
thinking.  The sentences are also a blow to Shan ethnic 
leaders who had undertaken efforts early in the year to 
develop common objectives among ethnic political parties and 
cease-fire groups.  The regime, which claims the pursuit of 
"national unity" as its primary raison d'tre, clearly took 
affront to their effort.  They sent a clear message to other 
ethnic group leaders that they rubberstamp the regime's plans 
or go to prison.  End Comment. 
VILLAROSA