Cablegate: Finland: Burmese Participation in Eu-Asean And

VZCZCXRO2783
RR RUEHAG RUEHROV
DE RUEHHE #0802 3030946
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 300946Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY HELSINKI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3871
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 0065
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0392
RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA 0106
RUEHML/AMEMBASSY MANILA 0078
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0108
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 0375
RUEHGP/AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE 0094
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0363
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 0088

C O N F I D E N T I A L HELSINKI 000802

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/MLS/AARON COPE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/29/2017
TAGS: PGOV PHUM BM FI
SUBJECT: FINLAND: BURMESE PARTICIPATION IN EU-ASEAN AND
OTHER UPCOMING SUMMITS

REF: STATE 148530

Classified By: POLCHIEF GREG THOME FOR REASONS: 1.4 (B) AND (D)

(C) PolChief delivered subject demarche to Rauli Suikkanen,
Deputy Director of the Finnish MFA,s Office of Asia and
Oceania, Oct. 29. Suikkanen agreed that now is a good time
for the international community to condemn the Junta,s
recent behavior and press for genuine dialogue on democracy
and reform. He noted that during its EU Presidency, Finland
used Burmese attendance at the EU-ASEAN Summit in Helsinki to
address the crisis and the dismal human rights situation in
Burma. (NOTE: By pre-arrangement with ASEAN, Burma attended
that 2006 head-of-state level event at the Deputy Minister
level.) The GOF has not yet determined whether it will
attend the EU-ASEAN Commemorative Ministerial in Singapore at
the Foreign Minister level, but if it does it will support
using that event to condemn the Junta,s recent behavior and
press for greater democracy and respect for human rights,
just as it did during the Summit in Helsinki, Suikkanen added.
WARE

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