VZCZCXRO8306
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHGO #0945/01 3520901
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 170901Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY RANGOON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8476
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 2128
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1676
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 2056
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 0123
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 5158
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0604
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 8753
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 6325
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 4169
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2146
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 000945 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP AND IO; PACOM FOR FPA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/16/2018 
TAGS:        
SUBJECT: BURMA: UPDATE FROM ASSK'S DOCTOR 
 
REF: A. RANGOON 704 
      B. RANGOON 725 
 
Classified By: Pol Officer Sean O'Neill for Reasons 1.4 (b) & (d) 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
 1. (C)  Aung San Suu Kyi's (ASSK) personal physician told us 
his patient is in excellent health and has regained all of 
the weight she previously lost.  Dr. Tin Myo Win (aka 
Douglas) saw ASSK on December 4 and is scheduled to see her 
again on January 1.  Douglas informed us that the British 
Embassy, with the consent of the Foreign Ministry, gave him 
letters and a parcel from ASSK's son Kim (who lives in the 
UK) to pass to the detained NLD leader on his next visit. 
Douglas told us ASSK remains committed to a genuine 
time-bound dialogue and is skeptical of the regime's planned 
elections for 2010. 
 
ASSK in Excellent Health 
------------------------ 
 
 2. (C)  In a December 16 meeting with Poloff, Dr. Douglas 
said that Aung San Suu Kyi is in excellent health.  Douglas 
met with ASSK December 4, when he and an ophthalmologist 
conducted a physical exam on the 63-year-old NLD leader. 
According to Douglas, ASSK has no serious or chronic medical 
problems and is in exceptional health for her age.  He 
reported that her weight, blood pressure and other vital 
signs are normal, and she remains mentally sharp and in good 
spirits. 
 
 3. (C)  Douglas said ASSK is acutely aware that people are 
very interested in her physical condition and works very hard 
to maintain her health.  Douglas acknowledged that ASSK lost 
about 10 pounds this autumn when she was refusing to accept 
new food deliveries, but said as of December 4, she had 
returned to her normal, healthy weight of 104 pounds.  He 
stressed that at no time in the past year did she go on a 
hunger strike.  Instead ASSK had refused to accept food 
deliveries for a few weeks in August and September to protest 
specific conditions of her house arrest (Ref A and B).  As a 
result, she temporarily reduced her caloric intake to make 
her food supplies last, but never stopped eating. 
 
ASSK to Receive Mail from Son 
----------------------------- 
 
 4. (C)  Douglas told Poloff that the British Embassy had 
given him several letters and a parcel from ASSK's son Kim 
(who lives in the UK) to pass to the detained NLD leader on 
his next visit, scheduled for January 1.  According to 
Douglas, MFA informed him ahead of time that the UK Embassy 
would pass these items for him to deliver to ASSK.  While 
Douglas said he was confused as to why the MFA did not 
deliver the items directly, or pass them to ASSK via the Home 
Ministry, he gladly agreed to deliver them to his patient. 
 
 5. (C)  When asked, Douglas claimed that ASSK's other son 
Alexander (who lives in the U.S.) knows that Kim was 
permitted to send letters to his mother, but acknowledged he 
has not spoken with Alexander directly.  Poloff asked 
Douglas, if possible, to personally relay this information to 
Alexander.  Post is seeking to communicate, directly or 
indirectly, with Alexander to confirm he is aware of the 
opportunity to send mail to his mother and to offer our 
assistance; we are also consulting with the UK Embassy and 
MFA on the mechanics for such deliveries. 
 
Douglas on Politics 
------------------- 
 
 6. (C)  Douglas claimed to have spent a considerable amount 
 
RANGOON 00000945  002 OF 002 
 
 
of time speaking with ASSK about politics, but was reluctant 
to offer specifics of their conversations.  However, he did 
tell Poloff that ASSK believes it will be difficult to accept 
the legitimacy of any election in the absence of a genuine, 
time-bound dialogue involving the opposition, ethnic groups, 
and the regime.  ASSK also remains concerned with the plight 
of Burma's political prisoners and wants to see all ethnic 
and opposition groups work more cooperatively, according to 
Douglas. 
 
The Doctor's Access 
------------------- 
 
 7. (C)  Douglas told Poloff that since October, the regime 
has honored its agreement to grant him access to ASSK on the 
first Thursday of each month.  According to Douglas, his 
visits with ASSK typically last several hours; the last one 
was for over four hours.  Douglas informed us that a senior 
police Special Branch (SB) official, usually Colonel Win 
Naing Tun, is present at each visit, but he stressed that 
there are no SB officials in the house while he meets with 
ASSK. 
 
 8. (C)  Douglas said that before each meeting, he must 
provide SB with a list of all items he will bring with him, 
including medical gear and medicines.  Upon arrival, his bags 
are searched, but not his person.  He said that he is able to 
bring in food, but that unapproved, non-medical papers are 
not permitted.  Douglas confirmed that officials have honored 
their agreement to allow ASSK to receive copies of Time, 
Newsweek, and the magazine Label France, which is published 
by the French MFA (Ref B).  She reads each, and is pleased to 
keep abreast of current events and maintain her French 
proficiency, Douglas said. 
 
 9. (C)  Douglas apologized for his recent reluctance to meet 
with us or any foreign diplomats.  He claimed that ASSK asked 
him to refrain from meeting with diplomats while he undertook 
a "sensitive mission" for her.  When pressed, Douglas said he 
could not reveal the tasking, but told Poloff we may see the 
results of his efforts shortly.  We will keep an eye out for 
any such developments. 
VAJDA