Cablegate: Brunei Wants to Give Humanitarian Aid to Burma

VZCZCXRO9315
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHBD #0144 1300805
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 090805Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4221
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 000144

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MTS & EAP/MLS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID PREL BM BX
SUBJECT: BRUNEI WANTS TO GIVE HUMANITARIAN AID TO BURMA

Ref: State 48651

1. (SBU) DCM delivered reftel points on May 8 to Joana Hj Daniel,
Assistant Director of the Political I Department (ASEAN member
countries) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MoFAT).
She had no immediate response, but offered to follow up later in the
day.

2. (SBU) That afternoon, MoFAT staff followed up, reporting that
MoFAT officials had made a direct appeal to the Burma regime to
grant visas to foreign disaster relief workers but had received no
response.

3. (SBU) The Sultan of Brunei has given preliminary approval for the
GoB to donate US$100,000 in funds to support disaster relief efforts
in Burma. The GoB has not/not announced this publicly. MoFAT
officials are currently looking at providing the assistance directly
to the Burmese government. DCM suggested that unless the GoB has a
mechanism in place to assure that the funds will be used as intended
and not be diverted, Brunei would be better off providing this
assistance through UN or other relief agencies.

SKODON

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