VZCZCXRO5963
RR RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #0980 1370803
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 160803Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9023
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1974
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 8424
RUEHPF/AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH 0514
RUEHML/AMEMBASSY MANILA 3210
RUEHHI/AMEMBASSY HANOI 0601
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1844
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 2503
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 2651
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA

UNCLAS JAKARTA 000980 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR EAP, OES, PRM, SES-O 
STATE ALSO PASS TO USAID 
DEPT FOR EB/IFD/OMA 
AID/W FOR DCHA/FFP AND DCHA/OTI 
AID/W FOR DCHA/OFDA KLUU, ACONVERY, RTHAYER 
BANGKOK FOR DCHA/OFDA WBERGER AND RBARTON 
BANGKOK FOR REO OFFICE, USAID/RDMA 
PACOM FOR FPA 
TREASURY FOR IA-SETH SEARLS 
COMMERCE FOR 4430/ KELLY 
SINGAPORE FOR BAKER 
E.O. 12598: N/A 
TAGS: EAID PHUM PREL PGOV KDEM ID BM
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON ASEAN RESPONSE TO BURMA DISASTER 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary.  According to officials at the ASEAN Secretariat, 
most of the members of ASEAN's Emergency Rapid Assessment Team 
(ERAT) are now on the ground in Rangoon.  On May 16, the ASEAN ERAT 
met with Burmese officials to request permission to enter affected 
areas.  The Government of Burma (GOB) approved the request and will 
take the ERAT to several affected areas on May 17, according to our 
contacts at the Secretariat.  The team will report their findings to 
the ASEAN Foreign Ministers at their emergency meeting in Singapore 
on May 19.  ASEAN continues to favor coordinating closely with the 
GOB rather than applying strong pressure. End Summary. 
 
ERAT arrives in Rangoon 
----------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) According to officials at the ASEAN Secretariat, five of 
the seven members of the ASEAN ERAT team are on the ground in 
Rangoon.  The Secretariat expects the remaining members to arrive on 
May 16.  ERAT is coordinating with GOB officials and other relief 
agencies, primarily the United Nations Disaster Assessment and 
Coordination (UNDAC) team, to assess critical needs in areas 
affected by the cyclone.  The team consists of experts from Brunei, 
Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and the ASEAN 
Secretariat.  On May 16, the ERAT met with GOB officials to request 
permission to enter the areas impacted by the cyclone.  According to 
our contacts at the ASEAN Secretariat, the GOB approved their 
request and will take the ERAT to the affected regions on May 17. 
The GOB had not previously granted any foreign nationals access to 
affected areas, according to ASEAN officials.  They note that UNDAC 
teams in Rangoon have been relying on local UN staff to conduct 
assessments.  Once in affected regions, ERAT will gauge areas where 
ASEAN can make the most significant contribution to the relief 
effort. 
 
ERAT to report conditions to ASEAN Foreign Ministers 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan will report on 
ERAT's findings at the Emergency Meeting of the ASEAN Foreign 
Ministers in Singapore on May 19.  ASEAN continues to favor close 
coordination with the GOB rather than applying strong pressure on 
the military junta, according to Secretariat officials.  However, 
recent press statements from Secretary General Surin reveal a 
growing frustration with Burmese resistance to accepting assistance. 
 ASEAN Secretariat officials are closely coordinating with the 
disaster relief focal points in each of the member countries and 
provide updates to this network on a daily basis.  Secretariat staff 
also post public updates on the situation in Burma on the ASEAN 
Committee for Disaster Management website (acdm-online.net). 
 
HEFFERN