This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 000970 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS; PACOM FOR FPA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/29/2016 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM ECON PREL BM NLD
SUBJECT: NLD RESIGNED ABOUT COERCED RESIGNATIONS 
 
Classified By: P/E: Mark B. Taylor for Reasons 1.4 (b, d) 
 
1.(C) SUMMARY: NLD leaders continue to dismiss any impact 
from the regime's collection of members' resignations, citing 
their survival after earlier government-coerced resignations. 
 However, recent efforts have been more focused and appear 
targeted to eliminate the party's structure in several Shan 
and Kachin townships.  At the same time, articles trumpet the 
strength of the government-organized mass member 
organization, USDA.  The obvious GOB intent is to lay the 
groundwork for a USDA "victory" whenever elections may be 
scheduled.  END SUMMARY 
 
2.(C) State media regularly report on the regime's efforts to 
secure the formal resignations of NLD members across the 
country.  The regime has coerced the resignations over the 
years with no apparent geographical priority or order.  Media 
reports of resignations of groups of 50 to 80 NLD members are 
common.  NLD estimated its membership at two million in 1990, 
when they stopped recruiting. 
 
3.(SBU) More recently, however, the regime has focused on 
obtaining the resignations of the NLD's township leadership 
in two ethnic majority states.   State media in May and June 
reported the mass resignation of several NLD township 
committees in the Shan and Kachin States.  While seldom 
citing "committee members," the reports implied these were 
the NLD's leaders in the townships by referring to them as 
"executives" and the "township original members." 
 
4.(C) In an early July meeting, NLD MP and former NLD Central 
Committee member Sai Ohn Maung (strictly protect) confirmed 
reports of the coerced resignations of NLD committee members 
in the Shan townships of Kalaw and Naungshwe (his home 
constituency), in early May.  Ohn Maung gave Emboff a copy of 
the resignation letter signed by Daw Kyi San, a Naungshwe 
committee member.  Daw Kyi San explained that government 
security officials strongly pressured committee members to 
sign the prepared letters.  The letter she signed states that 
"while it is true that the NLD won a majority in the 
election, the NLD has neglected the people's will by 
rejecting the National Convention. . .and now asks for a 
dialogue with the SPDC, a move that does not make sense." 
 
5.(C) Ohn Maung pointed out the quality of the letter, 
produced by computer and ready for signatures with members' 
names and national identity numbers.  Ohn Maung explained 
that, unlike resignations gained with economic incentives, 
the government's security personnel used threats of future 
harm or other unspecified trouble to obtain the resignations 
from NLD committee leaders in Shan townships. 
 
WE HAVE WAYS TO MAKE YOU RESIGN 
------------------------------- 
6.(C) National and local NLD officials report that the SPDC 
has used a wide range of measures to coerce resignations. 
The government identifies any vulnerability to exploit as 
leverage, stated NLD Central Executive Committee (CEC) member 
U Nyunt Wei.  He cited the recent experience of a female 
township executive committee member in Mandalay Division. 
The woman's niece planned to marry a junior police officer, 
but the officer's family made the marriage contingent on the 
aunt's resignation from the NLD.  The aunt ultimately 
resigned and is now distraught and sick, claimed U Nyunt Wei. 
 Cash or business privileges also have been used as 
incentives. 
 
CREATING NLD-FREE ZONES? 
------------------------ 
7.(C) Sai Ohn Maung, whom the NLD was forced to expel from 
the party in 1990, has watched the steady progression of the 
regime's campaign to collect resignations of the NLD leaders 
in Shan State.  He concluded that the SPDC intends to create 
"NLD-free" townships, perhaps with the ultimate goal of 
declaring Shan state, as well as other states and divisions, 
devoid of NLD structures or activity. 
 
8.(C) In a July 5 meeting, NLD CEC Member U Nyunt Wei 
acknowledged that the resignations of township committee 
members en masse effectively eliminate any NLD structure in 
these localities, with few prospects of regeneration.  In 
parts of the Shan State, the GOB declared villages and 
townships "USDA villages" or "USDA townships."  He believes 
the SPDC seeks as many "NLD-free" townships as possible 
before the November 2006 resumption of the National 
Convention, at which the USDA may play a greater political 
role.  Nyunt Wei noted, however, that the regime's success in 
obtaining mass resignations of NLD township committee members 
in the Shan and Kachin states also reflected the NLD's 
limited strength in these states where ethnic political 
parties won many of the parliamentary contests in the 1990 
elections.  The rolling up of township committees in the NLD 
stronghold, the central divisions, would be much more 
difficult, he declared. 
 
9.(C) COMMENT: The pressure on NLD never eases.  At some 
level, the military understands that significant popular 
support for NLD remains.  If they follow through on an 
eventual election, they do not want to risk a humiliating 
loss as in 1990.  So they continue to persecute NLD members 
and try to build the aura of popular support for USDA.  They 
do not appear ready to test the support anytime soon.  END 
COMMENT 
VILLAROSA