VZCZCXRO2563
OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHGO #0357/01 1340458
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 130458Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY RANGOON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7562
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
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RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 RANGOON 000357 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS, SES-O, INR/EAP 
BANGKOK FOR USAID/OFDA DART LEADER 
DEPT PASS TO USAID/OFDA 
PACOM FOR FPA 
TREASURY FOR OASIA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID ECON PGOV PREL BM
SUBJECT: FIRST TRANCHE OF USG CYCLONE ASSISTANCE ARRIVES IN 
BURMA 
 
REF: RANGOON 352 AND PREVIOUS 
 
RANGOON 00000357  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  Summary.  USAID Administrator Henrietta Fore and 
PACOM Commander Admiral Timothy J. Keating on May 12 
delivered the first tranche of USG assistance to Burma, 
including bottled water, blankets, and mosquito nets.  During 
a meeting with Burmese Commander of the Navy Vice Admiral Soe 
Thein and other GOB officials, Administrator Fore and Admiral 
Keating offered continued U.S. assistance, including 
additional C130s with relief supplies, civilian and military 
disaster relief experts, and military support.  After 
thanking the U.S. delegation for its offer, the Burmese 
Government officials noted that the GOB was only accepting 
relief supplies at this time.  GOB officials identified 
potable water, food, construction supplies, and fuel as their 
top priority needs.  Vice Admiral Soe Thein also noted that 
the U.S. could provide assistance to Burma without an 
established Memorandum of Understanding.  Burma continues to 
receive substantial aid from neighboring countries, with an 
average of 10 support flights arriving in Rangoon daily.  End 
Summary. 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  The first tranche of USG humanitarian assistance 
to Burma arrived on May 12 with the landing of a C-130 filled 
with supplies.  USAID Administrator Henrietta Fore, PACOM 
Commander Timothy Keating, DAS Scott Marciel, and USAID/OFDA 
DART Leader William Berger presented to the Burmese 
Government, represented by Deputy Minister of Social Welfare 
Brig. General Kyaw Myint, 8,300 bottles of water, 10,800 
mosquito nets, and 1,350 blankets.  After the presentation, 
the U.S. delegation met with Burmese officials, including 
Commander of the Navy Vice Admiral Soe Thein, Deputy Foreign 
Minister U Kyaw Thu, Brig. General Kyaw Myint, Commodore Win 
Shein, Commander of the Irrawaddy Naval Region, Commander of 
the Mingaladon Air Force Base Brig. General Zin Yaw, Foreign 
Relations Director for the Defense Attache Corps Colonel San 
Nyunt Oo, Deputy Director General of Protocol U Soe Win, and 
Director General of the Fire Brigade U Myint Tun. 
 
Only Commodities Needed 
----------------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  Vice Admiral Soe Thein thanked the United States 
Government for its support and donation to the Burmese 
people.  He observed that the Burmese navy was playing a 
significant role in relief operations, working with NGOs and 
other government agencies to help the Burmese people.  The 
cyclone did a lot of damage, and he added it would take time 
and hard work to recover.  Currently, more than 386,000 
displaced Burmese are living in more than 15 temporary camps 
in the Irrawaddy Delta region.  Many of them will live in the 
camps for more than two months as the GOB and NGOs work to 
repair the damage caused by the cyclone.  Vice Admiral Soe 
Thein identified potable water and food as the people's most 
immediate needs.  While the health of the people remains a 
concern, Vice Admiral Soe Thein noted that the GOB and NGOs 
are sending medicines and doctors to the region and that 
there have not yet been any disease epidemics in the region. 
When asked by Administrator Fore, Vice Admiral Soe Thein 
indicated that the NGOs had been distributing relief supplies 
on their own. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  USAID Administrator Fore, Admiral Keating, and 
AID/OFDA DART Leader William Berger explained to the GOB that 
the USG was prepared to assist the Burmese in a myriad of 
ways, including continued C130 support flights with relief 
 
RANGOON 00000357  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
supplies including water purification capability, the 
provision of civilian and military disaster response experts, 
and military support.  Admiral Keating emphasized that the 
U.S. military, which could provide support in a matter of 
days, respected the sovereign authority of the GOB and would 
not enter Burma without an invitation.  The U.S. military was 
willing to be flexible and creative, and the Burmese 
Government could decide how to best use U.S. military 
resources and assets to meet the needs of its people. 
Admiral Keating extended to Admiral Soe Thane a personal 
invitation to visit the USS Essex to observe its capacity as 
a relief platform.  Bill Berger observed that the USAID DART 
teams, with expertise in providing shelter, health, and water 
sanitation, respond to more than 67 disasters a year.  These 
teams stood ready to come into Burma to assist in disaster 
recovery, he explained.  Administrator Fore inquired whether 
the Burmese Government needed the USG to sign a memorandum of 
understanding for the delivery of relief supplies and 
expertise. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) After the presentation, Vice Admiral Soe Thein 
again thanked the United States for its offer and noted that 
he would raise the issue with the Prime Minister, who is the 
overall coordinator for assistance.  He then stated that 
there was no need for an MOU between the U.S. and Burma 
because it was "just a matter of one country helping out 
another country." The GOB was meeting the needs of the people 
he declared, and it was working to improve its coordination 
with the NGOs working in the Irrawaddy Delta.  He then 
reiterated that the GOB was in need of commodities, such as 
potable water, foodstuffs, and shelters.  Deputy Foreign 
Minister Kyaw Thu noted that the United States could also 
provide diesel fuel and construction materials, which would 
be used to rebuild homes for thousands of homeless Burmese. 
The GOB continues to receive humanitarian assistance and 
relief supplies from neighboring countries, with an average 
of 10 planes arriving daily.  Two C130s from Malaysia, one 
from India, and one from Greece arrived carrying food and 
shelter supplies. 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  Administrator Fore and Admiral Keating agreed on 
the need for relief supplies, and pledged to include 
additional water, blankets, food, mosquito nets, and hygiene 
kits on future C-130 flights.  Two U.S. planes are scheduled 
to arrive in Burma on May 13 and the Burmese indicated their 
receptivity to additional flights later this week.  After the 
meeting, the Burmese officials escorted the U.S. delegation 
to the Mingaladon Air Force base, where the GOB collects and 
houses relief supplies.  They witnessed two helicopters 
carrying USAID supplies taking off for the Irrawaddy Delta. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Although many of the military officers seemed 
extremely pleased with the visit of Administrator Fore and 
Admiral Keating, the meeting went as we expected.  The 
Burmese delegation, which did not include anyone with 
decision-making authority, was pleasant and cordial, but made 
no firm commitment to accept U.S. assistance beyond relief 
supplies flown into Rangoon.  There was very little 
substantive discussion of how the United States and Burma 
could coordinate on continued relief efforts.  If it was not 
clear before, it is now:  the Burmese Government, at this 
time, welcomes the donation of commodities to assist with 
cyclone relief and only that.  Nevertheless, we do not 
 
RANGOON 00000357  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
believe the door to additional cooperation was totally closed 
and will continue to work with the UN, USAID, and PACOM on 
how we might be able to expand our cooperation to improve 
delivery of desperately needed relief supplies to the two 
million victims of Cyclone Nargis. 
 
¶8.  (SBU)  This cable has been cleared by PACOM Admiral 
Keating and USAID/OFDA DART Leader William Berger. 
VILLAROSA