US embassy cable - 05RANGOON1352

C O N F I D E N T I A L RANGOON 001352 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS; PACOM FOR FPA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/04/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, PREL, BM, National Convention 
SUBJECT: BURMA: MEDIA BRIEFING ON NATIONAL CONVENTION PLANS 
 
REF: A. RANGOON 1345 AND PREVIOUS 
     B. RANGOON 1332 
 
Classified By: Poloff Dean Tidwell for Reasons 1.4 (b, d) 
 
1. (U) Following the Burmese government's briefing for 
diplomats on December 1 (ref A), the GOB held two briefings 
on December 3 for local and international media.  The first 
briefing was conducted in Burmese and the second in English 
for foreign media, granted special journalist visas to cover 
the reconvening of the National Convention (NC). 
 
2. (U) In response to media questions, Attorney-General U Aye 
Maung, chair of the NC Working Committee, confirmed that the 
NC process would not conclude before the end of 2006.  In an 
unusual step, Minister of Information Kyaw Hsan, the 
Secretary of the NC, confirmed recent reports that the house 
 
SIPDIS 
arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi (ASSK) had been extended on 
November 27 by six months (ref B).  He stressed that "Burma 
is not a threat to regional security," and denied charges 
that Burma is developing a nuclear program, in a reference to 
recent discussions at the UNSC. 
 
3. (C) COMMENT: Foreign journalists rarely receive visas, and 
this briefing, following the press briefing on the move of 
the capital last month, constitutes a stepped up public 
diplomacy effort by the very closed regime.  The media 
briefing went over familiar ground about the NC, but answered 
two important questions: how long the constitutional process 
in Burma would drag on (at least another year) and the status 
of ASSK.  The GOB no longer claims that ASSK is held in 
"protective custody,"  but acknowledges that it is keeping 
her under house arrest.  The recent UNSC debate and increased 
international criticism of Burma has struck a nerve, 
compelling the regime to provide some explanation of its 
increasingly irrational behavior.  End Comment. 
VILLAROSA