US embassy cable - 05NEWDELHI8748

C O N F I D E N T I A L NEW DELHI 008748 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/16/2015 
TAGS: PHUM, MNUC, KNNP, IN, IR, Human Rights 
SUBJECT: DUE TO INTERNAL POLITICS, INDIA RELUCTANT ON IRAN 
3RD COMMITTEE VOTE 
 
REF: SECSTATE 207928 
 
Classified By: Charge Robert Blake, Jr. for Reasons 1.4 (B, D) 
 
1.  (C) Charge delivered reftel demarche to Foreign Secretary 
Shyam Saran during a November 15 meeting with Special Advisor 
on UN Reform Ambassador Shirin Tahir-Kheli.  Saran promised 
to examine the issues raised, but pointed out that India is 
already in a difficult position with Iran (as a result of 
IAEA deliberations).  He noted that India has already 
discussed a similar demarche on Human Rights in regards to 
Cuba.  Saran noted that while India wants to promote human 
rights, it is uncomfortable with country specific resolutions. 
 
2.  (C) Ambassador Tahir-Kheli pointed out to Saran that 
China has used the "no action" motion to avoid censure of its 
poor human rights record and now Iran, for the first time, is 
resorting to the same tactic.  This, she emphasized, is 
because Iran has likely concluded that it has no hope of 
defeating this motion.  The President and the Secretary, she 
pointed out, have made human rights a very high priority as 
part of our transformational diplomacy, which has even 
included criticism of the human rights performance of 
friendly countries in the Middle East.  Iran has clearly 
taken a step backward in recent months, she said, arresting 
people, restricting access to the internet and recalling some 
of its Ambassadors, who had been judged by the current 
government as being more moderate.  Because of this behavior, 
Iran knows that it can lose this vote on substance. 
 
Comment:  Staying the Course 
---------------------------- 
 
3.  (C) The GOI is unlikely to deviate from its long-standing 
policy of opposition to country-specific human rights 
resolutions.  This is particularly true regarding a 
resolution specifically criticizing Iran, over which there is 
great domestic political sensitivity.  The GOI has received 
massive criticism for hewing too closely to US 
non-proliferation policies regarding Iran following its 
September IAEA vote in our favor, and will be especially 
reluctant to vote against Iran in the Third Committee and 
invite more internal political attacks, as it prepares for a 
possible second IAEA vote on November 24. 
 
4.  (U) Ambassador Tahir-Kheli has cleared this message. 
BLAKE