Is US Senator Webb on a mercy mission to Burma

by Larry Jagan

Friday, 14 August 2009 17:56

BANGKOK (Mizzima) - A prominent US politician, Senator Jim Webb has arrived in Burma’s capital Naypitdaw and is expected to meet the country’s reclusive leader, General Than Shwe on Saturday. American diplomats are tight-lipped about the trip. The whole visit is shrouded in secrecy, but there is increasing speculation that he may be on a mercy mission to try to free the 54-year-old American John Yettaw, who was sentenced to seven years in prison with hard labour on Tuesday for his part in the detained pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi allegedly breaking the conditions of her house arrest. Many are suspicious of his intentions: is he acting as a messenger on behalf of the US government or is there some other mercenary motive. The Burmese pro-democracy groups abroad have already condemned the visit as a publicity stunt on the part of the Burmese authorities, which they fear will not end well for democracy in Burma. Diplomats in Rangoon, remain sceptical that anything useful can come out of the trip – though some believe anything could happen if he does have a fruitful meeting with Than Shwe. While he may not be an envoy, either for President Barack Obama or the Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, the White House certainly supports his trip, believing it was a good opportunity to convey the US’s "strong" views on the need for genuine political reform to the country's leaders. “We welcome Senator Webb's trip to the region, including the stop in Burma,” a spokesman for the National Security Council Mike Hammer, told journalists in Washington on Friday. “It is important for the Burmese leadership to hear of the strong views of American political leaders about the path it should take towards democracy, good governance, and genuine national reconciliation," he said. Mr. Webb is the first member of the US Congress to visit Burma for more than ten years. “It is vitally important that the United States re-engage with Southeast Asia at all levels," he said in statement released to the press on his arrival in the Lao capital Vientiane, on Thursday, the first stop on his five-country regional tour. Mr. Webb, a Democrat, is also chairman of the Senate Foreign Affairs sub-committee East Asia and Pacific Affairs. He is visiting Burma and four other South-East Asian countries in his capacity as the chairman “to explore opportunities to advance US interests in Burma and the region,” according to a statement put out at the start of his trip. However Mr. Webb is now to be a strong supporter of a change in US policy towards Burma. He is also known to be a staunch critic of his country’s sanctions’ policy. At the time the devastating Cyclone Nargis lashed Burma in May last year, leaving more than 140,000 dead and leaving in its trail untold damage, he told the Senate that: “After years of being isolated from the rest of the world, the United States along with the international community can use this opportunity to assist Burma and demonstrate good-will towards the Burmese people.” “The time is ripe to move beyond the strategy of isolation and sanctions and towards the goal of opening up Burma,” he said. “I am hopeful that the administration will move forward in that spirit and that the Government of Burma will accept the outpouring of international aid and allow international relief organisations access throughout the country.”   Since then of course there has been little evidence of the military regime being prepared to engage the international community. In fact the arrest, trial and conviction of Aung San Suu Kyi puts paid to any idea that the regime may be prepared to meet the concerns of the international community or make concessions to the opposition as part of a national reconciliation process. Last month, Senator Webb conceded that the recent trial of Aung San Suu Kyi made it difficult for Washington to pursue "meaningful relations" with Burma. Since then Ms Suu Kyi has been sentenced to a further 18 months under house, for allegedly harbouring an uninvited American intruder who swam across the lake to the back of her residence. Her lawyers are appealing against the conviction and sentence. “Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said the conviction was totally unfair and the court's assessment of the case was not just,” her chief lawyer Nyan Win told Mizzima. Ms Suu Kyi has already spent more than 14 of the last 20 years in detention. But the Burmese pro-democracy movement abroad fears more sinister motives on the part of the senator – and that the very least he would be duped by the old man. "We are concerned that the military regime will manipulate and exploit your visit, and propagandise that you endorse the trial of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the imprisonment of over 2,100 political prisoners, their human rights abuses on the people of Burma and their systematic, widespread and ongoing atrocities against the ethnic minorities,” the All Burma Monks Alliance, 88 Generation Students and All Burma Federation of Student Unions, said in a joint statement to the senator sent through the US embassy in Rangoon. Mr. Webb is anxious not to be seen as a pawn or puppet of the regime. Several key members of the central executive of Ms Suu Kyi’s party, the National League for Democracy (NLD) were flown up to Naypitdaw on Saturday to meet the senator. However it is unclear whether he will request a meeting with the detained opposition leader herself before he leaves the country on Sunday, and even if he did, whether he would be granted one. The Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was refused a meeting last month when met the top general. But, Senator Webb may be seen as a potential ally to be courted. The new conditions on the opposition leader’s current house arrest include being allowed some visitors, who have prior permission from the regime. This gives the senator a great opportunity to test these new restrictions, NLD sources told Mizzima. Unlike her last stint under house arrest, these conditions are the same as when she was under house arrest in 2000, when the secret talks between her and junta started, brokered by the UN special envoy at the time, Razali Ibrahim, and eventually led to her release in May 2002. If that happens, it will not be the first time a US politician has tried to play a significant role in Burmese politics. In February 1994, during Ms Suu Kyi’s first house arrest, Congressman Bill Richardson – at the time a very close ally of President Bill Clinton -- was allowed to visit her in her residence. He then had talks with the military intelligence chief, General Khin Nyunt hoping to secure her release and start a dialogue between the two sides. His efforts failed miserably, like that of many others who have tried to be interlocutors between the pro-democracy movement and the military regime.    In fact, Bill Richardson was scheduled -- at the regime’s request – to visit Burma in late 1993, with the express purpose of helping Aung San Suu Kyi leave the country, unbeknown to the NLD leader herself. When news of this leaked out the planned visit was hastily cancelled. Senator Webb is under no illusions about the likely outcome of his visit. He has said nothing about John Yettaw, but his case is certain to come up during the talks between the two men. Some analysts believe that John Yettaw was always going to be a pawn in future relations between Naypitdaw and Washington. Already the state-run media has hinted that he is an American spy. “John Yettaw’s sentence is a clear ploy on the junta’s part,” said Martin Moreland, a former British Ambassador to Rangoon. “It’s a thinly veiled appeal to Bill Clinton to come on a rescue mission, like that to Pyongyang,” he told Mizzima.   There is no doubt, according to sources in Naypitdaw, that Than Shwe is keen to have a rapprochement with Washington. The countries of Asia, especially China and Singapore, have also been urging the junta to seize the apparent opportunity of a possible US review of its policy towards Burma earlier this year. Asia sees the US position as critical to resolving international difference over sanctions. It is possible that Than Shwe may just be testing the waters with Mr Yettaw’s stiff sentence. So it is certain to figure in the talks between the two. However, Yettaw's lawyer, Khin Maung Oo, believes his release is unlikely. "It is impossible that Mr. Yettaw will be sent back with the visiting senator," Khin Maung Oo said. "I think my client will finally be deported but not immediately." The official response from the US embassy in Rangoon is that the issue had “not been officially discussed”. However most analysts and diplomats in Rangoon seem certain nothing will happen during the trip – though it may be the opening of talks that do eventually lead to his being freed. While it is not prudent to expect too much from Senator Webb’s visit – the fact that he is seeing Than Shwe is in its self extremely significant. Even the Secretary General’s special envoy to Burma, Ibrahim Gambari could not meet Than Shwe, although he did on his earlier visits. A key to what happens may also be the fact that Mr. Webb is something of a military man himself. He is a former marine. That is likely to help him with the senior general who despises civilians. < Prev   Next >