US embassy cable - 05RANGOON1377

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 RANGOON 001377 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, AMGT, BM, Pyinmana 
SUBJECT: BURMA EXPECTS DIP CORPS TO MOVE TO PYINMANA IN 2008 
 
REF: RANGOON 1346 AND PREVIOUS 
 
1.  (U) SUMMARY: Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials told 
the diplomatic corps on December 9 that the Government of 
Burma expects all diplomatic missions to move to the new 
administrative capital of Pyinmana some time in early 2008. 
MOFA officials told the 55 diplomats and UN agency 
representatives attending the short-notice briefing that each 
mission would be allocated five acres of land in the 
GOB-selected &diplomatic enclave8 at the remote new city, 
with an extra two acres for missions with defense attaches. 
The MOFA officials promised that Pyinmana,s current lack of 
electricity, telephone lines, water, sewage capacity, food 
supply and hotel space would improve by the end of 2007, but 
admitted that there are no plans to open international 
schools or expand the airstrip to allow international 
flights.  Diplomats will be allowed to visit their potential 
new homes in mid-2006, but not earlier.  Between now and 
2008, GOB officials will remain out of touch.  End summary. 
 
PACK NOW, PLAN LATER 
-------------------- 
 
2.  (SBU) On December 9, outgoing MOFA Director-General of 
Protocol Thura Aung Htet, the Dir Gen-designate (Brigadier 
General Kyaw Kyaw, who remained scowling and silent 
throughout the meeting) and Director General of Planning and 
Administration Lin Myaing (Burma,s former Ambassador to the 
U.S.) briefed Charges, DCMs and admin officers from the 
Rangoon diplomatic corps and resident UN agencies about the 
ongoing move to Pyinmana, a small city in a remote central 
Burma valley that is becoming the country,s new capital. 
They said that most GOB ministries, including the Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs, are preoccupied with relocating their staff 
and equipment to Pyinmana.  Most remaining staff will follow 
in 2006. After the meeting, Amb. Lin Myaing told emboff, &We 
are all trying to adjust to the move and the hardships it 
causes.  My family is in Rangoon, and I am stuck up there all 
week.8  Americas Division Director Min Lwin told poloff he 
has returned to Rangoon to work until the end of January, 
when MOFA,s new Pyinmana building is due to be completed. . 
 
3.  (U) Aung Htet began the briefing by announcing that 
foreign missions were expected to move to Pyinmana at the end 
of 2007.  He said each embassy would be allowed to lease a 
five-acre plot of land (with two extra acres for missions 
with defense attachs) in an area designated by the GOB as 
the &diplomatic enclave,8 located near the airstrip about 
17 miles south of Pyinmana city and about 25 miles from the 
new GOB offices and military headquarters.  The land would be 
leased, not offered for sale, at a price the GOB would 
calculate later after adding in its costs for infrastructure 
development in the area, he added.  He assured the group that 
leases would be offered &at reasonable prices,8 but did not 
yet know whether the bills would be in Kyat (the Burmese 
currency) or U.S. dollars. 
 
4.  (U) When pressed for details, he said that missions could 
choose which plots they wanted and could lease multiple plots 
as &space allows,8 but that no mission could be located 
outside the designated diplomatic enclave in Pyinmana. 
Housing for all diplomats and their families must be located 
within the chancery site, he added.  Missions would be 
expected to construct their own facilities or work through 
GOB-approved contractors. 
 
5.  (U) The Protocol Director told UN agencies that that the 
GOB was building an office building and housing for them near 
the diplomatic enclave. Both briefers admitted that 
construction at the new capital site was still in its early 
stages, but assured everyone that roads, electrical grids, 
communications, water supply and sewage lines would be ready 
by the end of 2007.  Diplomats would be invited to tour 
Pyinmana at an appropriate time, but no earlier than April 
2006.  The nearby military airstrip would be turned into a 
commercial airfield in about six months, but there were no 
plans to enlarge it for international flights; travelers 
would still need to transfer via Rangoon or Mandalay.  The 
MOFA officials also promised that there would be &at least 
six8 hotels of international standard in Pyinmana, along 
with a modern shopping mall and areas for &public 
entertainment.8  All other details, they said, &will be 
provided at the appropriate time.8 
 
DON,T EVERYBODY RUSH NORTH AT ONCE 
---------------------------------- 
 
6.  (SBU) The briefers faced a barrage of questions from the 
diplomatic corps at the end of the briefing.  The Thais asked 
how embassies could be ready to move at the end of 2007 if 
they were not allowed to start construction in Pyinmana until 
late 2006.  Lin Myaing admitted that, since foreign missions 
are not likely to be able to begin construction until 2007, 
most would not be able to move in until 2008.  A UN 
representative asked when the UN building in Pyinmana would 
be ready and was told &2008 at the very earliest.8 
 
7.  (SBU) The Koreans asked whether embassies could choose 
other locations in the Pyinmana area; the MOFA answer was, 
&No.  All missions must be within the diplomatic enclave.8 
The Koreans also asked whether there would be any 
international schools in Pyinmana.  Aung Htet responded, 
&No.  We do not run international schools in this country. 
The United States Embassy does, so you will have to ask 
them.8 (Note: The U.S. mission provides funding support to 
the International School of Yangon.  The Chinese, Japanese, 
Indonesian, French and Russian Embassies operate their own, 
smaller schools.  End Note.) 
 
8.  (SBU) Several at the meeting asked how they could budget 
for a forced relocation without knowing the costs.  Lin 
Myaing said the lease costs for office space and plots of 
land would not be &too high,8 but said they would also 
include the cost of bringing Pyinmana,s infrastructure &up 
to international standards.8 He said the GOB would work out 
costs and inform foreign missions at a later date; the GOB 
would also inform UN agencies &in due course8 of rental 
costs for their GOB-built office space. 
 
9.  (SBU) The British and Thai asked whether missions would 
be allowed to maintain a presence in Rangoon after 2007. 
Aung Htet and Lin Myaing initially disagreed about this issue 
and argued it out in front of the others before concluding, 
&No one is being forced to move, but missions are expected 
to move there after 2007.8  Aung Htet stressed that office 
space would not be available for missions seeking to post one 
officer in Pyinmana; any embassy would still need to build 
its own chancery in the diplomatic enclave to maintain a 
presence in the administrative capital. 
 
10.  (SBU) The Bangladeshis and Koreans asked how foreign 
missions would be expected to reach and meet with GOB 
officials between now and 2008.  The answers to both 
questions were, &Do not worry.  Everything is under control. 
 We will work those issues out soon.8  When pressed by the 
Japanese, Aung Htet said that the earliest date diplomats 
would be allowed missions to visit Pyinmana would be &April 
2006 or later,8 and stressed that no one should try to visit 
before then (NOTE: our recent reftel excursion was not 
raised).  After April, requests to visit Pyinmana would 
require a diplomatic note 10 days in advance. 
 
11.  (U) Aung Htet admitted at the briefing that there were 
no plans for any international-standard hospitals or schools 
for Pyinmana:  he said the military hospital in Pyinamna was 
off-limits to foreigners and a civilian hospital in the 
nearby city only met &local standards.8  He insisted 
transportation access to Pyinmana was good, citing the 
12-hour &express8 train and the 7 hour drive from Rangoon. 
Emboff asked about communications; Lin Myaing claimed that 
Pyinmana has &excellent8 electrical supply and internet and 
telephone coverage (&better than in Rangoon,8 he said), but 
admitted that cell-phone and satellite communications would 
be a problem in the new location.  &Maybe for geographic 
reasons, maybe for security reasons, I do not know,8 he 
mused.  (Note:  we have heard separately that cell phones and 
satellite dishes are prohibited in the new administrative 
capital.  End note) 
 
NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME 
------------------------ 
 
12.  (SBU) COMMENT: Like Burma,s civil servants a month ago, 
the diplomatic corps was stunned by the illogical request to 
move to Pyinmana before construction is completed and without 
the details necessary to prepare for a major move.  The 
briefing raised many more questions (and eyebrows) than it 
answered.  No one among foreign missions seems to be in a 
hurry to move to a diplomatic ghetto located six hours from 
the nearest international airport (the Malaysians asked how 
missions would receive diplomatic pouches; MOFA officials 
shrugged and admitted that they were already facing this 
problem themselves).  Some foreign missions may feel obliged 
to station one officer (preferably one in good health and 
without a family) in Pyinmana in 2008, but not many will be 
able to afford building a new chancery for one person.  Some 
embassies have indicated that they will close rather than 
move to Pyinmana.  Every move the regime makes these days 
shows they are content to make it harder for GOB civil 
servants to maintain contact with the annoying outside world. 
 If they succeed in driving embassies out of the country, one 
suspects few regime tears will be shed.  End comment. 
VILLAROSA