US Briefing on Burma/Myanmar, Hariri Assasination

Briefing on Burma/Myanmar Draft Resolution and Brammertz Report on Hariri Assasination

Ambassador Alejandro Wolff, Acting U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations
Remarks following a Security Council Stakeout
New York City
January 9, 2007

Ambassador Wolff: Good evening.

We just finished our consultations, during which I introduced a draft resolution on Burma. We heard members' views on this. There was clear agreement and consensus that the situation in Burma is of concern. Every member that spoke acknowledged that point. We have an experts meeting scheduled tomorrow and look forward to moving forward with this resolution as quickly as possible.

Reporter: Ambassador, this resolution has been sort of under discussion, even we've seen drafts circulated for some time now. Why did the U.S. move at this particular time? Have you been building support sort of quietly and now you think you're over a certain threshold and now is the time to move? Or what's really behind the timing right now?

Ambassador Wolff: Well, as you know, we've been having consultations with members on the content of this resolution and the idea of a resolution. We've also discussed the matter with the secretariat and Undersecretary Gambari, who heads the secretary-general's Good Offices Missions. So the time is right to do it now.

Reporter: Ambassador, have you given any indication, either publicly or privately, to council members about how fast you want to move on this? Are you talking about this week, or days or months or weeks?

Ambassador Wolff: Yes, we've expressed the priority we're attaching to this initiative and the expectation that we will be able to do this as quickly as possible, hopefully this week.

Reporter: I know one thing. This resolution doesn't contain the indication -- clear statement that the situation in Myanmar constitutes a threat to national peace and security. Why did you leave that out?

Ambassador Wolff: I think if you read the text, that's reflected.

Reporter: Ambassador, can you react to the Russian demand to name and shame 10 countries that did not fully cooperate with the Brammertz report?

Ambassador Wolff: The idea also was discussed earlier today. There were differing views on that. We don't think that this is the right way to go. We have tremendous confidence in commission president Brammertz. We have expressed to him on numerous occasions our willingness to be supportive of his efforts and always will be guided by his view of what will help him most. And many members in the council shared that view.

Reporter: (Inaudible) -- on this Indonesian presidential statement? Do you have any --

Ambassador Wolff: I have not had a chance to read it in detail. We again conveyed our well-known view that initiatives designed to single out one party provide an unfair, an illegitimate snapshot of the situation that don't take into account the context. Such unhelpful, unbalanced statements or initiatives do not contribute to peace in the region. And we made those views clear.

Reporter: Why do you oppose naming the names, (since Syria has been?) repeatedly named in all the Brammertz reports? Why not to get to know the other 10 countries?

Ambassador Wolff: Syria has been called on in resolutions by name to cooperate, and that is a core element of the commission's investigation.

Reporter: What is the right way to go to convince these countries to cooperate, if this is the wrong way to go?

Ambassador Wolff: On which issue?

Reporter: I'm sorry; to cooperate with the Brammertz commission. You said this was not the right way to go. What is the right way to go?

Ambassador Wolff: To be responsive to his requests for assistance when he makes them to the council.

Reporter: But these countries have not cooperated with his request.

Ambassador Wolff: This issue was discussed with Mr. Brammertz and we are confident that our support is exactly what he wants.

Reporter: Is (the U.S. ?) one of those countries?

Ambassador Wolff: I'm not going to comment on any of the details of a confidential investigation.

Reporter: On the Middle East, will you look into the PRST, or it's Just the concept of issuing it that you are opposed to?

Ambassador Wolff: We are always open-minded, but we want to underscore the importance of not detracting from efforts that actually will lead to peace and stability in the region, not contributing to a sense that unbalanced efforts to single out one party unjustly provide that type of support.

Reporter: Ambassador, on Burma, you seem very far apart right now from Russia and China. They don't even want this issue on the agenda. So how are you going to reach agreement by the end of this week?

Ambassador Wolff: Well, I'd like to say I have confidence in our persuasive powers, but the facts of the case speak for themselves. The people of Burma are watching us and require our help and support.

Reporter: Why now? This has been an issue for a long time. Why --

Ambassador Wolff: I think I addressed that question already.

Reporter: Ambassador, did you take into account in your draft the recent announcement of amnesty by military rulers of Myanmar?

Ambassador Wolff: I think the facts are that only about 40 of those were political prisoners; the rest of them were petty criminals. And I think if you looked also at the facts, you'll find that there are more political prisoners today than there were a year ago in Burma. Thank you very much.

Released on January 10, 2007

ENDS

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