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FM AMEMBASSY RANGOON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9050
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 2003
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 5480
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 9074
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RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 4463
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2456
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 000324 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR CA/OCS/ACS/EAP; STATE FOR EAP/MLS AND IO; PACOM 
FOR FPA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/31/2019 
TAGS: CASC PGOV PHUM PREL PINR BM
SUBJECT: BURMA:  CLOSING ARGUMENTS IN TRIAL POSTPONED TO 
JUNE 5; PAGODA COLLAPSE SEEN AS BAD OMEN FOR JUNTA 
 
REF: A. RANGOON 314 
     ¶B. RANGOON 291 
 
Classified By: P/E Chief Jennifer Harhigh for Reasons 1.4 (b) & (d) 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1.  (C)  Burmese authorities have postponed until June 5 the 
next trial session for Aung San Suu Kyi (ASSK), her two 
assistants, and American John Yettaw.  That session is 
expected to include closing arguments in the trial.  ASSK met 
May 30 with her attorneys for over two hours; they confirm 
that she and her two assistants are in good health.  That 
same day, Consul met for over half an hour with Yettaw, who 
continues his fast and has requested to be held without 
roommates as he prepares a final statement to read to the 
court.  Meanwhile, Rangoon residents are interpreting the May 
30 collapse of an ancient pagoda near Rangoon as a bad omen 
for the senior generals.  End summary. 
 
Closing Arguments Postponed to June 5, ASSK in Good Health 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
 
¶2.  (C)  ASSK's personal attorney, Kyi Win (aka Neville), 
confirmed that authorities notified him by letter at 6 p.m. 
May 29 that the next court session, during which prosecuting 
and defense attorneys will present closing arguments, has 
been postponed from June 1 to June 5.  Neville, who had 
argued for additional time to consult with ASSK, was 
surprised by the letter, which provided no explanation for 
the delay.  Lawyers still expect a verdict within several 
days after closing arguments (Ref A).  Post is using all 
available channels to urge Burmese authorities to permit 
diplomats to attend the announcement of the verdict, even as 
we press for continued consular access to Yettaw. 
 
¶3.  (C)  On June 1, ASSK lawyer and NLD spokesman Nyan Win 
told us he and Neville met with ASSK and her two assistants 
from 2 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. on May 30 to discuss the trial. 
Nyan Win confirmed that all three women are in good health. 
Nyan Win added that authorities still have not provided any 
reason for postponing closing arguments.  When asked, Nyan 
Win declined to comment on the significance of the delay or 
his opinion of it.  He noted that although it can take as 
long as a couple of months to render a verdict once testimony 
concludes in normal criminal cases, he expects this court 
will render a verdict relatively quickly due to the special 
nature of this case. 
 
Yettaw Continues to Fast, Plans to Address Court 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  Burmese authorities granted Consul access to 
Yettaw on the morning of May 30 for 35 minutes.  Home 
Affairs, Prison Department, and Immigration officials were 
present during the meeting.  Yettaw said he was on day 23 of 
his fast and was being treated for ringworm but otherwise was 
feeling fine.  He confirmed he is taking vitamins and 
electrolytes daily but said he plans to stop those June 1. 
Consul urged him to reconsider his fast; Yettaw agreed to 
daily medical examinations and said he would discontinue the 
fast if his "levels run low."  Yettaw said his greatest 
desire is to return to his family.  Yettaw told Consul he is 
no longer suffering from nightmares and declined a second 
psychiatric consultation, but added that he has requested to 
be held without roommates so he can pray without 
distractions.  He hopes to read a self-penned final statement 
in court entitled "Proclamation of Mercy, Declaration of No 
Evil for Myanmar." 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  At the time of the consular meeting, neither 
Yettaw, his attorney, nor prison officials were aware of the 
trial postponement.  Authorities notified Yettaw's attorney, 
 
RANGOON 00000324  002 OF 002 
 
 
Khin Maung Oo, of the delay by letter later that afternoon, 
but provided no explanation. 
 
Pagoda Collapse Seen as Ominous for Junta 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  Some local residents are interpreting the collapse 
of a local pagoda as a bad omen for the senior generals 
responsible for prosecuting Aung San Suu Kyi.  Danok pagoda, 
located about two hours south of Rangoon, collapsed without 
warning May 30 amidst heavy rains.  A local journalist told 
us rescue workers have found 12 bodies in the rubble but 
believe the death toll will rise.  Approximately 70 people 
are believed to be hospitalized with injuries.  Kyaing 
Kyaing, the wife of Senior General Than Shwe, participated in 
a ceremony at the pagoda May 7 to donate diamonds to affix to 
its top.  The pagoda suffered damage in 2006 and during 
Cyclone Nargis in May 2008.  Notably, neither government 
media nor local journals have yet reported on the collapse. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  Charge met with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
Deputy Director-General for Political Affairs Kyaw Tin 
several hours prior to the court's notification to lawyers of 
the trial delay.  One objective of the MOFA meeting was to 
remind the GOB of our continued strong interest in ASSK's 
release (Ref B).  It is unclear if the postponement is in any 
way related to that meeting -- which we doubt -- or to 
Neville's request for more time to consult with ASSK.  It 
could be that the senior generals have not yet made up their 
minds about what to do with ASSK.   Even the pagoda collapse, 
which happened a day after the trial delay, could have some 
impact on their thinking.  Than Shwe and his cohort are known 
to rely on the advice of soothsayers and astrologers.  The 
reality, though, is that nobody but those centrally situated 
within the regime know the actual state of play. 
DINGER