Cablegate: Media Reaction: Myanmar; Dhaka
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS DHAKA 001919
SIPDIS
FOR I/FW, B/G, IIP/G/NEA-SA, B/VOA/N (BANGLA SERVICE) STATE
FOR SA/PAB, SA/PPD (LSCENSNY, SSTRYKER), SA/RA, INR/R/MR,
AND PASS TO USAID FOR ANE/ASIA/SA/B (WJOHNSON)
CINCPAC FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR, J51 (MAJ TURNER), J45
(MAJ NICHOLLS)
USARPAC FOR APOP-IM (MAJ HEDRICK)
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KMDR OIIP OPRC KPAO PREL ETRD PTER ASEC BG OCII
SUBJECT: Media Reaction: Myanmar; Dhaka
Summary: Commenting on U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan's
call for moves toward democracy in Myanmar, English "New
Age" urges global powers to back him with the same zeal they
showed in Afghanistan and Iraq.
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Myanmar
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"Kofi Annan and Myanmar"
Independent English language newspaper "New Age" editorially
comments (4/25):
Kofi Annan hopes that the Myanmar junta will do something
about freeing Aung San Suu Kyi. The UN secretary general met
General Than Shwe, the leader of the Yangon junta, on the
sidelines of the Asian-African summit in Jakarta the other
day and reportedly impressed upon him the need for a
democratic opening in his country. That, as anyone will
point out, was a good thing on Mr Annan_fs part. But whether
or not the advice will be translated remains a huge
question. For years together the junta has defied the rest
of the world about the growing concerns relating to Suu Kyi
and her politics. Not that the rest of the world has been
very vocal about the need for democracy in Myanmar. The
nations of ASEAN, for instance, have been reluctant to upset
the Yangon military for fear that that might disrupt the
economic nature of Myanmar_fs participation in the
organization. As for the West, the kind of zeal that was
employed about bringing democracy to such nations as
Afghanistan and Iraq has not quite been matched with
anything similar in Myanmar.
The irony today is that the Myanmar junta has in the past
couple of years come by a good deal of international
respectability. It knows its public relations system has
worked. The generals who have been in charge of the country
since 1988 (and earlier, from 1962, it was the junta led by
Ne Win that ran the show) have constantly made sure that no
significant degree of pressure is brought to bear upon them
where establishing democratic government is concerned. But
now that the UN secretary general has spoken to Than Shwe,
one can expect action of some kind on the part of the
Myanmar military. But Annan_fs sentiments deserve the
backing of other players on the global scene. The clear
truth is that the world cannot afford to forget the struggle
of the people of Myanmar for democracy. And if there are
people who feel that Aung San Suu Kyi is becoming
irrelevant, they ought to pause awhile. A sidelining of the
NLD leader can only mean an extension of illegitimate rule
in the country.
Chammas