US embassy cable - 03RANGOON778

C O N F I D E N T I A L RANGOON 000778 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP AND DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/26/2013 
TAGS: PHUM, BM, NLD, Human Rights 
SUBJECT: EMBASSY OFFICERS VISIT RESIDENCES OF DETAINED 
SENIOR NLD OFFCIALS 
 
REF: A. RANGOON 724 
 
     B. RANGOON 636 
     C. RANGOON 639 
     D. RANGOON 768 
 
Classified By: COM CARMEN M. MARTINEZ.  REASON:  1.5(B) 
 
1.  (C)  Summary:  Pol/Econ chief, accompanied by a senior 
Burmese FSN, went to the residences of eight of the ten CEC 
members on June 26.  We found the security at the houses of 
the Central Committee members lax in contrast to 2000, when 
the GOB posted military intelligence agents (MI) and Ministry 
of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) officers at the houses of the CEC 
members.  Any easing may have been a result of the GOB not 
believing that we would continue pressing to see the 
detainees in the face of continuing stonewalling by the 
government.  Continued visits by U.S. Embassy officials serve 
to keep not only the GOB, but also the democratic opposition, 
on notice that we will continue to protest what is happening 
here.  End Summary. 
 
2. (C)  As part of post's continuing efforts to gain access 
to members of the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the 
National League for Democracy (NLD), Pol/Econ chief, 
accompanied by a senior Burmese FSN, went to the residences 
of eight of the ten CEC members on June 26.  The GOB 
continues to insist publicly they are not under arrest.  Our 
information, gleaned from loose-lipped guards at the gates, 
as well as from conversations with members of the detainees' 
families, indicates otherwise.  In reality, the detainees are 
under house arrest under the provisions of Section 10 (b) of 
a 1975 law "restraining" them for up to year (Ref A - in 
practice they can be held as long as the GOB sees fit). 
 
3. (C)  We found the security at the houses of the Central 
Committee members lax in contrast to 2000, when the GOB 
posted military intelligence agents (MI) and Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs (MOFA) officers at the houses of the CEC 
members.  The current security is also less than was in place 
in the first few days after the May 30 attack on ASSK and her 
followers in Depeyin, when MI and MOFA were very much in 
evidence when we were barred from entering the houses of 
detained CEC members (Ref B).  Currently, those same houses 
are being watched by low-level local government officials and 
USDA members. 
 
4. (C)  We did not get a chance to talk to the detained NLD 
leaders, although several looked out from the windows of 
their houses.  We did talk to members of the households of 
several of the detainees and were told that family members 
are being allowed to go in and out of the residences.  From 
the information we gathered from the relatives, it seems the 
detainees are in relatively good health and are allowed 
visits from physicians.  To judge from the reactions of the 
family members, these latest visits were welcome, just as 
before (Ref C).  We will continue these visits as part of our 
ongoing efforts (Ref D) to remind the GOB and the democratic 
opposition, in a public way, that the USG's support for the 
NLD  is still strong. 
 
5. (C)  We took this opportunity to deliver invitations to 
the CEC members for post's upcoming Independence Day 
reception, and we were able to leave the invitations with 
members of the household in all but one case.  Post was 
amused to see the French press release announcing that they 
have invited Aung San Suu Kyi and the other detained NLD 
leaders to their Bastille Day ceremony on July 14.  In fact, 
the French have passed their Bastille Day invitations to the 
CEC and ASSK to us for delivery and we will try to deliver 
them next week.  Hopefully, the French will come along. 
 
6. (C)  Comment: The apparent slight easing of security and 
permitting family members access to the detained CEC members 
should not be taken as a sign that detainees will be released 
any time soon.  Any easing may have been a result of the GOB 
not believing that we would continue pressing to see the 
detainees in the face of continuing stonewalling by the 
government.  However, continued visits by U.S. Embassy 
officials serve to keep not only the GOB, but also the 
democratic opposition, on notice that we will continue to 
protest what is happening here.  End Comment. 
Martinez