VZCZCXRO2566
OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHPF #1534/01 2400956
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 280956Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7214
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHCHI/AMCONSUL CHIANG MAI PRIORITY 0040
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY 0030
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM  PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PHNOM PENH 001534 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS; NSC FOR HOLLY MORROW 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AORC PREL KDEM CB
SUBJECT: CAMBODIA'S LEGISLATURE LAUNCHES BURMA CAUCUS 
 
 
PHNOM PENH 00001534  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
 ¶1.  (SBU)  Summary.  On August 25, Cambodia's National 
Assembly launched its Burma Caucus, which includes 26 members 
from Cambodia's three political parties.  Members of the 
ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus (AIPMC), diplomats, 
and NGOs participated in the inauguration ceremony, as did 
members of the Burmese National League for Democracy (NLD) 
and Charm Tong, a young female activist of the Shan Women's 
Action Network (SWAN).  New Zealand PM Helen Clark sent a 
congratulatory letter.  PM Hun Sen met for two hours with the 
visiting ASEAN parliamentarians and two NLD members of 
parliament; the first time an ASEAN leader has met with the 
AIPMC.  The SPDC reportedly sent a letter of protest to Hun 
Sen denouncing the Burmese attendees as "terrorists."  End 
Summary. 
 
Burma Caucus Inaugurated 
------------------------ 
 
¶2.  (U)  Cambodia's National Assembly held a modest 
inauguration ceremony on August 25 at the Cambodiana Hotel to 
launch its Burma Caucus -- the sixth ASEAN member state to 
form such a group.  Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, 
Singapore, and Indonesia have launched similar caucuses since 
2004; Cambodia is the last country among the six whose MPs 
have participated in AIPMC events.  AIPMC Chairperson Zaid 
Ibrahim of Malaysia gave welcoming remarks to the Cambodian 
MPs present for the inauguration, while RGC Burma Caucus 
Chairman Son Chhay introduced each of the 26 Cambodian MPs 
who joined the Caucus.  Son Chhay gave special thanks to 
National Assembly President Heng Semrin and PM Hun Sen for 
supporting the effort and encouraging CPP parliamentarians to 
join.  Dr. Sann Aung, MP in exile belonging to the NLD of 
Burma, spoke of the importance of bringing greater pressure 
within ASEAN on the Burmese junta.  He thanked the Cambodian 
MPs for their solidarity and urged greater ASEAN pressure on 
the Burmese generals.  The AIPMC Secretariat representative 
read a letter from New Zealand PM Helen Clark congratulating 
the Cambodian Burma Caucus in its launch and welcoming the 
group's active contributions to "AIPMC's efforts to bring 
peace, stability, and safety to the region." 
 
¶3.  (U)  At the evening's dinner, MFA Secretary of State for 
ASEAN Affairs Kao Kim Hourn highlighted the recent statements 
by PM Hun Sen relating to Burma, noting that Cambodia has 
joined with other ASEAN voices in calling for greater action 
on the part of the military generals in Rangoon to accede to 
ASEAN demands for real progress towards democratic reform. 
Burmese activist Charm Tong from SWAN spoke about the 
hardships experienced by the Burmese people, in particular 
the ethnic minority groups along the Burma-Thai border. 
Philippine congresswoman Loretta Rosales noted that the five 
other ASEAN countries with a Burma Caucus all belong to the 
original group of ASEAN nations.  Cambodia's Burma Caucus is 
significant because Cambodia is one the newer members, and 
the only one to join AIPMC, she added. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  Rosales commended PM Hun Sen for his reception of 
the AIPMC delegation, noting that no other ASEAN leader had 
taken the time to meet with the AIPMC group.  Hun Sen, she 
noted, gave the delegation more than two hours of his time, 
and provided a substantive exchange on the issue.  The PM 
reportedly encouraged an ASEAN plus nine formula that would 
exclude Burma from international gatherings.  He was also 
reportedly receptive to the UNSC putting Burma on the agenda. 
 The PM told the delegation that while the Rangoon generals 
had earlier extended an invitation to him to visit Burma, he 
doubted the invitation would still stand after the 
inauguration of the Burma Caucus.  The PM reportedly showed 
the delegation a letter from the SPDC protesting the 
establishment of the Burma Caucus and the Cambodian 
government's invitation to NLD MPs to join the launch.  The 
letter allegedly referred to Burma's democratic activists as 
"terrorists."   Although the SPDC reportedly further 
requested the PM to refuse an audience to the Burmese MPs and 
NGO officials, the PM did permit two NLD representatives to 
attend the meeting at the PM's residence.  The AIPMC reps 
urged Hun Sen to engage with Vietnam and Laos on Burma; the 
PM 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  Son Chhay was disappointed that some members of 
the Caucus (notably the CPP representatives) remain wary of 
the initiative and unsure of their role.  He plans to begin 
meeting with them with an eye towards eventual passage of a 
resolution calling for democratic change in Burma consistent 
with language already adopted by other ASEAN states.  He was 
 
PHNOM PENH 00001534  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
also disappointed that more members of the National Assembly 
did not turn out for the launch of the Caucus, and attendance 
at the launch was supplemented by members of the Senate.  The 
important point, he emphasized, was that the launch took 
place and received positive media coverage.  We have 
encouraged the Cambodian NGO attendees to congratulate the PM 
and Heng Semrin for their support of the Burma Caucus.  One 
NGO rep noted that her organization rarely commends the 
government, but should do so when positive steps such as 
these are taken.  The Canadian Ambassador planned to go back 
to Ottawa to request a high-level note along the lines of the 
New Zealand PM, noting that such encouragement will work to 
keep the positive momentum going.  End Comment. 
MUSSOMELI