US embassy cable - 03ROME568

UNCLAS ROME 000568 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR DRL, IO, EAP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, PREL, BM, IT, HUMAN RIGHTS 
SUBJECT: BURMESE HUMAN RIGHTS TO BE SUBJECT OF CONFERENCE 
HOSTED BY ITALY 
 
REF: ROME 243 (NOTAL) 
 
1.    MFA UNDER SECRETARY FOR ASIA AND HUMAN RIGHTS 
MARGHERITA BONIVER PUBLISHED AN OP-ED IN THE LOCAL JOURNAL 
L'OPINIONE FEBRUARY 6 STATING THAT THE GOI INTENDS TO HOST A 
CONFERENCE ON BURMESE HUMAN RIGHTS IN CONJUNCTION WITH ITS EU 
PRESIDENCY, WHICH RUNS FROM JULY TO DECEMBER 2003.   IT IS 
UNCLEAR IF THIS IDEA IS AN ELABORATION OF THE CONFERENCE 
PROPOSED REFTEL TO BRING TOGETHER MUSLIM AND WESTERN 
COUNTRIES ON THE BASIS OF UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHTS. 
 
2.    FOLLOWING IS AN INFORMAL TRANSLATION OF THE TEXT OF 
BONIVER'S ARTICLE. 
 
BEGIN TEXT.  WHEN IT COMES TO FOREIGN POLICY, EUROPE OFTEN 
ENCOUNTERS MANY OBSTACLES IN FORGING A STANCE SHARED BY ALL 
OF ITS MEMBERS.  RIGHT NOW, IRAQ PROVIDES A DRAMATIC EXAMPLE. 
FORTUNATELY, THIS IS NOT ALWAYS THE CASE.  ON BURMA, FOR 
EXAMPLE, THERE IS A COMMON POSITION.  THE PRESS BLACKOUT 
IMPOSED BY THE MILITARY REGIME THAT RULES MYANMAR HAS CREATED 
A THICK MEDIA FOG OVER ITS INSUFFICIENT RESPECT FOR THE MOST 
BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS AND ITS VIOLENCE AGAINST THE OPPOSITION. 
DESPITE BOTH GEOGRAPHIC DISTANCE AND WIDESPREAD SILENCE, THE 
UNION HAS BEEN ABLE TO EXPRESS A FIRM CONDEMNATION 
ACCOMPANIED BY STRICT POLITICAL SANCTIONS THAT AT THE 
INTERNATIONAL LEVEL, COMPLETELY ISOLATED THE MILITARY JUNTA, 
WHICH HAS BEEN IN POWER FOR MANY YEARS.  AS A MATTER OF FACT, 
IN 1999 (NOTE:  APPEARS TO BE AN ERROR; SHOULD READ 1990  END 
NOTE) FREE ELECTIONS TOOK PLACE, RESULTING IN THE VICTORY OF 
THE NATIONAL LEAGUE FOR DEMOCRACY UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF 
NOBEL PEACE PRICE LAUREATE MRS. AUNG SAN SUU KYI.  THE 
ELECTORAL MANDATE WAS NEVER HONORED, AND THE BRAVE LEADER 
(JUST RECENTLY SET FREE) WAS PUT UNDER HOUSE ARREST. 
 
AT THIS POINT, IT IS CLEAR THAT POLITICAL SANCTIONS SHOULD BE 
CONSIDERED INSUFFICIENT.  INDEED, BURMESE ARE NOT ONLY 
EXPERIENCING A LACK OF FREEDOM UNDER A DESPOTIC AND CRUEL 
DICTATORSHIP, BUT ALSO TERRIBLE POVERTY, AN ECONOMY LACKING 
IN RESOURCES (WITH THE EXCEPTION OF OPIUM), AND A TREMENDOUS 
NUMBER OF PEOPLE AFFECTED BY AIDS. 
 
IT IS, THEREFORE, NECESSARY TO MAKE INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC 
OPINION AWARE NOT ONLY OF THE ANCIENT ARCHITECTURAL, 
HISTORICAL, AND CULTURAL TREASURES OF THE COUNTRY, BUT 
ESPECIALLY OF ITS CURRENT PROBLEMS, WHICH TOURISTS ONLY 
BARELY PERCEIVE WITH CARELESS APATHY.  DURING THE RECENT 
ASEAN SUMMIT (THE RECURRING CONFERENCE BETWEEN THE EU AND THE 
TEN COUNTRIES OF SOUTH-EAST ASIA) HELD IN BRUSSELS A FEW DAYS 
AGO, ITALY, WHICH I REPRESENTED, RAISED THE BURMA ISSUE BY 
POINTING TO THE FACT THAT THE POSITION THUS FAR MAINTAINED BY 
THE 15 MEMBERS, IN SPITE OF ITS FIRM DETERMINATION, HAS NOT 
PRODUCED CONCRETE RESULTS. 
 
THE BURMESE ARE SUFFERING, ALL FREEDOMS -- EVEN THE MOST 
BASIC ONES -- CONTINUE TO BE DENIED, AND THERE IS NO REASON 
TO ANTICIPATE POSITIVE CHANGE EITHER IN THE SHORT OR MEDIUM 
TERM.  IN OUR OPINION, IT IS TIME TO CHANGE TACK.  WE PROPOSE 
A MORE RESOLUTE INTERVENTION AGAINST THE REGIME BY RELYING ON 
EU JOINT ACTION IN CLOSE COOPERATION WITH UN SPECIAL 
REPRESENTATIVE FOR BURMA RAZALI.  THEREFORE, IT IS OUR 
INTENTION TO USE THE PLATFORM OF THE ITALIAN EU PRESIDENCY 
DURING THE FORTHCOMING SEMESTER TO ORGANIZE AN INTERNATIONAL 
EVENT THAT WILL ATTRACT MEDIA ATTENTION TO THE BURMESE 
SITUATION, WHICH IS RARELY ADDRESSED. 
 
SEPTEMBER 11 MARKED A WATERSHED AND ELICITED UNANIMOUS 
CONDEMNATION.  IT IS NO LONGER POSSIBLE TO IGNORE, WHETHER 
DUE TO LAZINESS OR CONVENIENCE, TERRIBLE SITUATIONS THAT WE 
KNOW COULD FOSTER TERRORISM.  THE HARDSHIPS AND ISOLATION OF 
ANY COUNTRY, AT ANY LATITUDE, CAN NO LONGER BE NEGLECTED: 
NOBODY IS SAFE FROM THE THREAT OF TERRORISM. 
 
END TEXT. 
SEMBLER 
 

2003ROME00568 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED