VZCZCXYZ0049
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHZP #0279 0571613
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 261613Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY PANAMA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9880
INFO RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 0016
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0084
RUEHKI/AMEMBASSY KINSHASA 0002
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0063
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 0200
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0103
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0260

C O N F I D E N T I A L PANAMA 000279 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR IO, EAP/MLS (A. COPE), AND WHA/CEN (E. TELLO) 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/26/2017 
TAGS: PREL PHUM UNSC BM CH EUN IN KS RS PM
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED TO PANAMA:  NEXT STEPS ON BURMA 
 
REF: STATE 20000 
 
Classified By: POLCHIEF BRIAN R. NARANJO.  REASON:  1.4 (D) 
 
--------------------------------------- 
Panama Supports Continued UN Engagement 
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¶1. (SBU) POLCHIEF delivered reftel demarche to Panamanian MFA 
Senior Advisor Nils Castro on February 26.  Castro, who heads 
the MFA's UNSC team, said that it was important to sustain 
the international focus on the situation in Burma and agreed 
full-heartedly with efforts to address the situation in other 
UN fora, including the ILO, ECOSOC, and the UNGA Third 
Committee.  Panama supported action on Burma by the UNHRC, 
Castro said.  Though China and Russia had vetoed the UNSCR on 
Burma, Castro said, "The problem is still with us."  Castro 
said Panama would support naming a strong Special Envoy of 
the UNSYG for Burma and agreed that such a Special Envoy and 
the UN Secretariat should keep the UNSC regularly informed of 
developments in Burma. 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
MFA and PANUN Disagree on UNSC Engagement 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (C) Castro noted that Panamanian UN PermRep Arias 
believed that the Burma matter died in the UNSC with the 
Chinese and Russian vetoes and should not be brought back to 
the Council.  Since Burma did not constitute a threat to 
international security, Arias believed that the situation in 
Burma did not fall within the UNSC's jurisdiction, Castro 
explained.  Panama's own ambiguous position on the failed 
UNSCR on Burma -- voting yes on the resolution but giving an 
explanation of vote (EOV) that was more in line with EOVs of 
abstaining countries that raised jurisdictional questions -- 
reflected the GOP's own internal struggle over Burma.  Castro 
said that Panama's Castro said he disagreed with Arias and 
would work to ensure Panama supported continued UNSC 
engagement on Burma.  Castro said he did not know how Panama 
could oppose being kept informed on developments in Burma. 
Eaton