US embassy cable - 91DHAKA5954

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 DHAKA 05954 
 
 
E.O. 12356:  DECL: OADR 
TAGS:  PREL, PGOV, BG 
SUBJECT:  MEETING WITH AWAMI LEAGUE LEADER SHEIKH HASINA 
 
1.  CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT. 
 
2.  SUMMARY:  I MET WITH THE LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION, 
SHEIKH HASINA, IN AN EXTRAORDINARILY LONG, TWO-HOUR 
MEETING ON JULY 10.  CLEARLY SHEIKH HASINA WANTS TO 
IMPROVE HER IMAGE, AND THAT OF THE AWAMI LEAGUE, WITH 
AMERICANS, AND THE USG.  SHE RAISED THE ISSUE OF 
WHETHER THE U.S. OPPOSED HER AND/OR HER PARTY.  SHE 
ALSO SAID THAT THE BNP GOVERNMENT WAS BECOMING 
AUTHORITARIAN AND, ITSELF, ERODING INFANT DEMOCRATIC 
STRUCTURES.  SHE SAID THAT ONLY THE BNP GOVERNMENT 
COULD SOLVE THE UNIVERSITY SITUATION.  END SUMMARY. 
 
3.  SHEIKH HASINA APPEARED RELAXED AND MUCH MORE 
FRIENDLY THAN USUAL IN OUR TWO-HOUR MEETING ON JULY 10. 
IT IS CLEAR SHE WANTS TO IMPROVE RELATIONS WITH THE 
USG (WE HAVE HEARD THIS FROM ANOTHER SOURCE ALSO). 
IN PREVIOUS MEETINGS, SHE HAS APPEARED TENSE AND 
SOMEWHAT ON GUARD; IN THIS MEETING, SHE SEEMED MUCH 
MORE OPEN AND WILLING TO DISCUSS A RANGE OF ISSUES 
WITHOUT THE USUAL SLOGANEERING.  HER RELAXED DEMEANOR 
WAS ALSO EVIDENCED BY HER WILLINGNESS TO TALK ABOUT 
HER FAMILY AND OTHER PERSONAL ITEMS. 
 
4.  SHE BEGAN THE DISCUSSION BY SAYING THAT SHE HAD 
JUST COME FROM A MEETING WITH UPAZILLA CHAIRMEN WHO 
WERE EXTREMELY UPSET BECAUSE THEY WERE BEING 
DISMISSED BY THE BNP GOVERNMENT.  AS SHE POINTED OUT, 
THESE CHAIRMEN WERE ELECTED IN THE UPAZILLA ELECTIONS 
OF MARCH 1990, AND THEIR TERMS ARE NOT YET COMPLETED. 
SHEIKH HASINA RAISED THE QUESTION OF HOW ELECTED 
UPAZILLA CHAIRMEN COULD BE DISMISSED BY THE MAJORITY 
PARTY IN THE PARLIAMENT UNDER THE CONSTITUTION. 
 
5.  THIS LED HER TO EXPAND ON THE SUBJECT OF THE GROWING 
AUTHORITARIANISM OF THE BNP.  SHEIKH HASINA SAID THAT, 
FOR EXAMPLE, THE BNP WAS HARASSING AWAMI LEAGUE 
MEMBERS AND WORKERS IN VILLAGES AND UPAZILLAS THROUGHOUT 
THE COUNTRY.  SHE MENTIONED THE BNP-PROPOSED CONSITU- 
TIONAL AMENDMENT, WHICH WOULD RESTORE PARLIAMENTARY 
GOVERNMENT IN BANGLADESH, AS EVIDENCE OF THE GROWING 
AUTHORITARIAN CAST OF THE BNP GOVERNMENT.  SHE SAID 
THAT THE BNP PROPOSAL CONTAINS A PROVISION THAT THE 
PRESIDENT IS "BOUND" TO DISSOLVE THE PARLIAMENT IF 
THE PRIME MINISTER SO REQUESTS.  THE AWAMI LEAGUE, 
SHEIKH HASINA SAID, IS OPPOSED TO THIS SHACKLING 
OF PRESIDENTIAL DISCRETION ON THE MATTER OF DISSOLUTION 
OF THE PARLIAMENT.  SHE MENTIONED ALSO THAT THE AWAMI 
LEAGUE WAS VERY MUCH OPPOSED TO THE PROVISION THAT 
WOULD BAR A PARTY MEMBER WHO CROSSED THE FLOOR FROM 
RUNNING FOR REELECTION FOR FIVE YEARS.  SHEIKH 
HASINA POINTED OUT THAT THE PRIME MINISTER WOULD END 
UP WITH AUTHORITARIAN POWERS OVER HER PARTY AND OVER 
ANY DISSENTERS IN IT THROUGH SUCH PROVISIONS. 
 
6.  SHE SAID THAT SHE WAS TRYING TO LEAD HER PARTY IN 
RESPONSIBLE OPPOSITION.  SHE POINTED OUT THAT THERE HAD 
BEEN PRESSURE WITHIN THE AWAMI LEAGUE FOR INSISTING 
THAT THE "INDEMNITY BILL" BE LINKED TO THE CONSTITU- 
TIONAL AMENDMENT.  (THE INDEMNITY BILL IS A BILL WHICH 
AUTHORIZES THE PROSECUTION OF THE ASSASSINS OF HER 
FATHER, SHEIKH MUJIB.)  SHE RESISTED THESE PRESSURES 
AND INSTEAD DIRECTED THAT THE INDEMNITY BILL BE PUT 
IN AS A SEPARATE BILL, TO BE DEBATED ON ITS OWN MERITS. 
 
7.  I MENTIONED THAT WE HAD NOTED HER RESPONSIBLE 
LEADERSHIP OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS, AND PRAISED HER 
FOR KEEPING OPPOSITION TO THE BNP GOVERNMENT WITHIN 
THE CONFINES OF PARLIAMENT.  I INDICATED THAT THE 
ROOTS OF DEMOCRACY MUST SINK DEEP AND TAKE GOOD 
HOLD, AND THAT A RESPONSIBLE OPPOSITION, CONFINING 
ITS OPPOSITION TO LEGITIMATE PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURES, 
WOULD HAVE GREAT BEARING ON THE ABILITY OF DEMOCRACY 
TO FLOURISH. 
 
8.  I ASKED ABOUT THE STUDENT VIOLENCE AT THE UNIVERSITY. 
I INDICATED THAT IN MY VIEW THIS ISSUE HAD TO BE 
RESOLVED QUICKLY IF IT WAS NOT TO SPREAD AND WORSEN. 
I WENT ON TO SUGGEST THAT ALL PARTIES WOULD HAVE TO 
AGREE TO REFRAIN FROM BACKING THEIR STUDENTS IN THESE 
UNIVERSITIES POWER STRUGGLES, AND INDICATE TO THEIR 
STUDENT FACTIONS THAT THEY WOULD NOT SUPPORT THE 
USE OF ARMS OR VIOLENCE ON THE CAMPUS.  SHEIKH HASINA 
REPLIED THAT IT IS UP TO THE GOVERNMENT TO STOP 
VIOLENCE ON THE CAMPUS.  SHE BLAMED THE PRIME MINISTER 
FOR CONTINUING TO ALLOW STUDENT VIOLENCE TO OCCUR. 
SHE SAID THAT, IF THE GOVERNMENT CRACKED DOWN, THE 
SITUATION COULD BE RECTIFIED IN 30 MINUTES.  THESE 
STUDENTS ONLY HAVE WEAPONS SHE SAID BECAUSE THE 
GOVERNMENT LOOKS THE OTHER WAY.  SHE WOULD SUPPORT 
THE GOVERNMENT IN A GENERAL AGREEMENT TO BACK AWAY 
FROM STUDENT POLITICIZATION AND ON DISARMING THE CAMPUS. 
WHEN PRESSED, SHE MENTIONED THAT THE MAIN REASON SHE 
WOULD SUPPORT SUCH A RESOLUTION IS BECAUSE ARMING 
THE STUDENTS IS COSTLY.  SHE SAID THE AWAMI LEAGUE 
CAN NO LONGER AFFORD TO SUPPLY ITS STUDENTS WITH 
ARMS. 
 
9.  THE CONVERSATION SHIFTED TO U.S. PRESENCE IN 
BANGLADESH, PARTICULARLY AFTER I BROACHED THE SUBJECT 
OF THE RECENT VISIT OF THE PEACE CORPS DIRECTOR, PAUL 
COVERDELL.  I MENTIONED THAT, IN 1978, A PEACE CORPS 
AGREEMENT HAD BEEN SIGNED BUT THAT THE THEN-GOVERNMENT 
OF ZIA RAHMAN HAD NEVER ESTABLISHED A PEACE CORPS 
PROGRAM BECAUSE OF THE REACTION OF THE OPPOSITION, 
INCLUDING HER PARTY.  I WENT ON TO DESCRIBE THE PEACE 
CORPS AS A VOLUNTEER, FACE-TO-FACE ORGANIZATION WHICH 
ESSENTIALLY WORKS AT THE MICRO LEVEL, USUALLY UNDER 
THE DIRECTION OF THE GOVERNMENT ITSELF.  SHEIKH 
HASINA DID NOT RESPOND DIRECTLY TO THE POINTS I MADE 
ABOUT THE PEACE CORPS.  INSTEAD SHE ASKED ME WHETHER 
THE U.S. OPPOSES HER AND OR HER PARTY.  SHE SAID THAT 
ONE OF THE CURRENT RUMORS IN BANGLADESH, PARTICULARLY 
AMONG HER OWN PARTY WORKERS, IS THAT THE U.S. IS 
STRONGLY OPPOSED EITHER TO HER OR TO HER PARTY 
COMING TO POWER. 
 
10.  I RESPONDED IMMEDIATELY THAT THERE WAS NO SUBSTANCE 
TO THIS RUMOR AND THAT WE DID NOT TAKE SIDES AMONG 
POLITICAL PARTIES IN ANY COUNTRY, AND THAT WE WOULD 
WORK EAGERLY AND POITIVELY WITH ANY GOVERNMENT ELECTED 
BY THE PEOPLE OF BANGLADESH.  IMENTIONED THAT WE 
DID NOT AGREE WITH ALL OF THE ASPECTS OF THE PARTY 
PROGRAMS OF MOST OF THE PARTIES IN BANGLADESH.  I SAID 
THAT THE TNDENCY ON THE PART OF SOME ELEMENTS 0F THE 
AL TO THINK IN TERMS OF OCIALIST SOLUTIONS HAD ALWAYS 
BEEN TROUBLESOME TO US.  I ALS MENTIONED THAT, AS 
HAD BEEN DEMONSTRATED OVER THE PAST SIX MONTHS, THERE 
WERE SMALL ELEMENTS OF HER PARTY AND OF THE LEFTIST 
PARTIES WITH WHICH THE AL IS ALIGNED, TOWARDS A KNEE- 
JERK ANTI-AMERICANISM.  SHE RESPONDED THAT THERE IS 
STILL THE FEELING AMONG SOME MEMBERS OF HER PARTY'S 
CADRE THAT THE U.S. WAS SOMEHOW IMPLICATED IN THE 
ASSASSINATION OF HER FATHER.  SHEIKH HASINA SAID THAT 
SHE HAD TAKEN GREAT RISK WHEN SHE VISITED THE U.S. 
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE MIDDLE 1980'S.  SHE STATED 
THAT SHE HAD BEEN CRITICIZED LOUDLY BY MANY PARTS OF 
HER PARTY AS WELL AS OTHER PARTIES FOR DOING BUSINESS 
WITH THE AMERICANS.  SHE WENT ON TO SAY THAT SHE 
DOES NOT THINK THAT MOST OF THE MEMBERS OF HER PARTY 
STILL HOLD THIS VIEW, BUT THAT SOME DO.  SHE SAID 
THAT PERHAPS THE U.S. SHOULD HAVE WORKED HARDER TO 
REBUT THESE ALLEGATIONS IN THE EARLY YEARS AFTER THEY 
OCCURRED, AND THAT THE USG SHOULD STILL SEEK TO ASSURE 
PEOPLE THAT IT HAD NO CONNECTION WITH SHEIKH MUJIB'S 
DEATH, WHENEVER THE OPPORTUNITY ARISES. 
 
11.  SHEIKH HASINA SPENT A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME 
EXPLAINING WHY THE PARTY'S CALL FOR SOCIALISM WAS 
REALLY NOT/NOT A CALL FOR SOCIALISM.  SHE SAID THAT 
SHE PERSONALLY HAD NO SYMPATHY FOR SOCIALISM, THAT SHE 
KNOWS THAT IT IS A FAILED SYSTEM, EVERYWHERE.  SHE SAID 
THAT THE ONLY PRESCRIPTION SHE WANTED WAS HOW TO HELP 
THE BANGLADESH PEOPLE DEVELOP ECONOMICALLY. 
 
12.  I ASSURED HER AGAIN THAT WE DO NOT INTERFERE IN 
THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF COUNTRIES AND WE WORK 
POSITIVELY WITH FREELY ELECTED GOVERNMENTS.  SHE 
MENTIONED THAT IN PART, THE ANTI-AMERICAN CAST OF 
SOME AL WORKERS MIGHT ALSO STEM FROM OUR PERCEIVED 
PROCLIVITY TO WORK WITH ANTI-DEMOCRATIC FORCES SUCH 
AS THE PREVIOUS REGIME.  (NOTE: SHEIKH HASINA CON- 
TINUALLY THROWS THE REGIME OF ZIA RAHMAN INTO THE 
ANTI-DEMOCRATIC FORCES.) 
 
13.  THE MEETING ENDED ON A VERY FRIENDLY NOTE.  TOWARDS 
THE END, I SUGGESTED THAT IF SHEIKH HASINA WERE PRIME 
MINISTER WE WOULD BE WORKING CLOSELY AND POSITIVELY 
WITH HER, AS WE WOULD WITH MOST GOVERNMENTS.  WHEN I 
SAID THAT SHE MIGHT NOW BE PRIME MINISTER, SHE LIFTED 
HER EYES TO THE CEILING AND SAID "GOD HELP ME," 
IMPLYING VERY STRONGLY THAT SHE WAS PERFECTLY PREPARED 
AT THIS POINT IN BANGLADESH HISTORY, WITH ALL THE 
IMMENSE PROBLEMS THE NEW GOVERNMENT FACES, TO SIT IN 
OPPOSITION.  DURING THIS SAME PART OF THE CONVERSATION, 
I HAD MENTIONED THE TREMENDOUS TASK THE GOVERNMENT 
HAS IN REFORMING THE ECONOMY AND SHE AGREED WITH 
THAT, AND UNDERSTOOD THAT IT WOULD TAKE VERY, VERY 
HARD DECISIONS ON VERY DIFFICULT ISSUES. 
 
- 
14.  COMMENT:  I AM UNABLE TO JUDGE WHETHER SHEIKH 
HASINA REALLY BELIEVES THAT THE U"S. OPPOSES HER 
OR HER PARTY.  HOWEVER, THE LENGTH OF THE MEETING, 
ITS WARMTH, AND HER RELAXATION CLEARLY INDICATE THAT 
SHE WANTS TO IMPROVE HER TIES TO ME, TO THIS MISSION, 
AND TO THE USG. 
 
 
MILAM