US embassy cable - 02RANGOON1628

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 001628 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV 
CINCPAC FOR FPA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/04/2012 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, BM, Human Rights, Ethnics 
SUBJECT: ICRC ACTIVE IN KAREN STATE BUT STILL SEEKING ACCESS 
 
Classified By: COM CARMEN M. MARTINEZ FOR REASON 1.5(D). 
 
1. (C)  Summary: On a recent visit to Karen State, Poloff was 
told by an International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) 
representative that the agency is making progress on 
establishing a meaningful presence in the area.  While 
progress has been slow, the ICRC has had some success in 
providing clean water to residents, assisting mine victims, 
and delivering messages to families of prisoners.  The agency 
has also helped improve conditions in labor camps.  The ICRC 
has not yet succeeded in establishing contacts with military 
commanders -- a step ICRC feels is essential for 
investigations of alleged human rights abuses in the area. 
End Summary. 
 
2.  (U)  In late November, Poloff met with the head of the 
ICRC office in Karen State, Ms. Amela Husagic.  Ms. Husagic 
and two other ICRC international staff provide coverage of 
Karen State from their offices in the state capital, Hpa'an. 
Husagic said the ICRC has four priorities in the area: 1) 
water sanitation for hospitals, schools, and homes; 2) 
orthopedic care for mine victims; 3) delivering messages to 
families of prisoners; and 4) protection activities. 
 
3.  (U)  While the ICRC has had a presence in Hpa'an since 
2000, Husagic said it has been a slow process to gain access 
to local officials and build confidence with them.  The ICRC 
has remained patient, however, has developed good relations 
with key authorities, and is starting to implement programs. 
For example, the ICRC has provided clean water supplies (tube 
wells) for two township hospitals, supplies to build simple 
toilets in some homes and schools, and training to improve 
sanitation.  In addition, in January the office will open an 
orthopedic care facility in Hpa'an to provide prosthetics and 
therapy for mining victims.  While the ICRC has assisted in 
providing orthopedic care through government clinics in other 
areas of Burma, this is the first independent ICRC orthopedic 
care clinic. 
 
4.  (C)  In providing communications between prisoners and 
their families, Husagic said she and her colleagues have been 
allowed to travel throughout most of Karen State to deliver 
messages to family members.  Identifying and working through 
the process for obtaining government permission to travel has 
been slow, she noted, but now the ICRC has standing 
permission to travel between Hpa'an and Kawkareik, and other 
specific travel requests are generally processed quickly. 
 
5. (C)  Husagic said her office does not conduct prison 
visits because the only prison in Karen State, on the 
outskirts of Hpa'an, is under construction and not scheduled 
to open until January 2003.  Her team has requested access to 
two "New Life" and other prison labor camps the SPDC has 
established in Karen State.  She explained that the New Life 
camps are a type of labor camp located in previously 
undeveloped border areas the government wants to populate. 
The prisoners at the New Life camps are required to clear the 
jungle, plant agricultural products, and build villages.  The 
prisoners' families are encouraged to live near the camps and 
are given some land and other incentives to encourage them to 
stay in the area when the prisoners complete their sentences. 
 (Note: The ICRC Head of Delegation in Rangoon told Poloff 
recently that although the New Life idea sounds reasonable, 
the camps have not been successful because of difficult 
living conditions and isolation. End Note.) 
 
6. (C)  Husagic said she has been allowed to visit one of the 
New Life camps and some of the other labor camps in Karen 
State.  While not wanting to provide specific details due to 
ICRC's confidentiality rules, she said life in the camps is 
generally quite hard but that ICRC's presence has led to some 
improvements. 
 
7. (C)  When Poloff queried whether ICRC had attempted to 
follow-up on allegations of SPDC abuses in Karen State, 
Husagic responded that she has not yet been able to establish 
communications and working relations with the responsible 
officials, i.e. the Burmese military, necessary for this 
activity.  She said that although she had built up good 
contacts with many local township and Military Intelligence 
officials, she did not have access to Burma Army field 
commanders.  She also noted that the lines of authority 
between various military authorities in the field are not 
clear and appear to vary depending on location.  The Nasaka 
(a combined force of MI, Customs, Immigration, and the Police 
Force) appeared to be in charge in certain areas while MI or 
the Army appeared to have the upper hand in other areas. 
This was complicated by the fact that some authorities 
apparently report to the Regional Commander while others 
reported directly to various elements in Rangoon. 
 
8. (C)  Husagic is working to establish the relations 
necessary to extend protection activities in the area.  She 
said she continues to hear credible reports of continuing 
abuses in Karen State and the ICRC will continue to press for 
access in order to mitigate these abuses.  She noted, 
however, that this is the most sensitive aspect of the ICRC's 
activities and it will take time to develop. 
Martinez