WikiLeaks cable: NZ to remain tough on Burma
November 9, 2007 New Zealand to remain tough on Burma
date:2007-11-09T01:45:00 source:Embassy Wellington origin:07WELLINGTON806 destination:VZCZCXRO2134 PP RUEHCHI RUEHCN
RUEHDT RUEHHM DE RUEHWL #0806 3130145 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 0806 3130145 end_of_the_skype_highlighting ZNY
CCCCC ZZH P 090145Z NOV 07 FM AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4877 INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF
SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS PRIORITY RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 0373 RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 5029
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 0173 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 0149 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 0673
RUEHDN/AMCONSUL SYDNEY PRIORITY 0603 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0103 classification:CONFIDENTIAL
reference:07STATE148528|07STATE148530 ?C O N F I D E N T I A L WELLINGTON 000806
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STATE FOR EAP/ANP, EAP/MLS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/09/2017 TAGS: PREL, PHUM,... ?C O N F I D E N T I A L WELLINGTON 000806
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STATE FOR EAP/ANP, EAP/MLS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/09/2017 TAGS: PREL, PHUM, ASEAN, BM, NZ SUBJECT: NEW ZEALAND TO REMAIN
TOUGH ON BURMA REF: A. A) STATE 148530 B. B) STATE 148528
Classified By: Pol/Econ Counselor Margaret McKean; Reason 1.4 (b) (d)
1. (C) Pol/Econ Counselor met on November 5 with Bernadette Cavanaugh, the newly arrived head of the SouQast Asian
office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) to discuss Burma and next steps for the GNZ. Cavanagh related
that her office has been working on a proposal for the government that outlines various ideas to remain engaged on
Burma. She underscored that PM Helen Clark has been clear that New Zealand will raise Burma at every appropriate
bilateral and multilateral meeting, and at all levels. The PM plans to discuss Burma at the East Asian Summit Leaders
lunch. During the recent ARF intersessional meeting Brunei, Burma was a topic of discussion, according to Cavanaugh.
2. (C) Raising Burma to the level of the Security Council would be a new step for New Zealand, allowed Cavanaugh, but
New Zealand is looking at a variety of options. Regarding sanctions, absent a Chapter 7 resolution, New Zealand domestic
law does not allow imposition of sanctions. However, the violence in Burma has underscored to the government that there
may be instances where New Zealand may want to impose sanctions without the benefit of a UNSC resolution. Therefore, the
government has asked MFAT's legal division to examine if New Zealand might usefully be amended to allow for such a
possibility. The legal division has also been asked to discuss the matter with other partner governments.
3. (C) Cavanagh reported that the GNZ assesses the most useful avenues for positive action on Burma are China, India,
and the ASEAN countries. To that end, New Zealand missions in China and New Delhi and in those ASEAN capitals where New
Zealand has a diplomatic presence were asked last week to demarche the Foreign Ministries in capitals regarding Burma,
said Cavanaugh. In all instances, New Zealand officials pressed host country governments to do more as well as stated
New Zealand's position that the issue should to go to the Security Council. In Beijing, Chinese authorities reportedly
told New Zealand interlocutors that China believed that Gambari was doing a good job and to allow him to continue to
work. In New Delhi, the New Zealand embassy's attempts to schedule a meeting with the Foreign Ministry have been
rebuffed; Cavanaugh opined that their mission believed Indian officials were trying to avoid discussing Burma.
4. (C) New Zealand's assistance program to Burma amounts to roughly NZ$500,000, with all of it going through
international agencies such as UNDP and WFP. The GNZ is examining if any of that money is more available to Burmese
officials as opposed to the public. There are also a small number (approximately 6) English-language training
scholarships and roughly a dozen other scholarships; the GNZ is also analyzing if those benefit officials or their
families.
5. (C) Finally, New Zealand has put off indefinitely its ASEAN dialogue meeting, originally scheduled for later this
year. New Zealand is Burma's dialogue partner, and the GNZ has informed other ASEAN countries that there will be no
meeting with ASEAN because of Burma. Initial reaction within ASEAN has been positive, and Cavanaugh acknowledged that
pressure on New Zealand to schedule a meeting may materialize in the future, as there remains 18 months before the
rotation to Malaysia -- a long time without a dialogue meeting between ASEAN and New Zealand.
6. (C) P/E Counselor noted that the Asian Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) would be meeting in January 2008, and that
might be a useful venue for discussions on Burma, particularly with those ASEAN countries represented. Cavanaugh
responded that the APPF was a useful idea and agreed to include it in the MFAT proposal to government. Cavanaugh offered
to provide a readout to us regarding New Zealand's discussions on Burma at the EAS
McCormick
ENDS