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Viewing cable 04RANGOON694, BURMESE TAKE TO THE ETHER TO AVOID SANCTIONS

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
04RANGOON694 2004-06-01 10:23 2011-08-25 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Rangoon
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS RANGOON 000694 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV, EB/ESC 
COMMERCE FOR ITA JEAN KELLY 
TREASURY FOR OASIA JEFF NEIL 
USPACOM FOR FPA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EFIN ECON PGOV BM
SUBJECT: BURMESE TAKE TO THE ETHER TO AVOID SANCTIONS 
 
REF: A. RANGOON 138 
     B. 03 RANGOON 1337 
 
1. (SBU) SUMMARY: BURMESE BUSINESSES HAVE A WELL-EARNED 
REPUTATION FOR CREATIVITY IN THE FACE OF OBSTACLES.  MANY 
HAVE FOUND WAYS TO WORK AROUND LAST YEAR'S BAN ON U.S. 
FINANCIAL SERVICES (INCLUDING TRADE FACILITATION AND CREDIT 
CARD SERVICES).  ONE OF THE LATEST METHODS INVOLVES LARGER 
COMPANIES USING OFFSHORE AFFILIATES AND THIRD-PARTY 
FACILITATORS TO OFFER CREDIT CARD SERVICES IN RANGOON. 
THOUGH WE CAN'T SAY IF THIS SCHEME LEADS TO VIOLATIONS OF 
U.S. SANCTIONS, IT SURELY CIRCUMVENTS THEM AND IS CONTRARY TO 
THE DESIRES OF THE MAJOR U.S. CREDIT CARD FIRMS WHO LAST 
SUMMER ANNOUNCED THEY WOULD SUSPEND THEIR BURMA OPERATIONS. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
ADAPT, ADOPT, AND IMPROVE 
 
2. (SBU) DESPITE U.S. SANCTIONS THAT PROHIBIT U.S. PERSONS 
FROM PROVIDING FINANCIAL SERVICES AND THE DECISION BY 
MASTERCARD, VISA, AND AMERICAN EXPRESS TO SUSPEND THEIR 
OPERATIONS IN BURMA, MANY HOTELS, SHOPS, AND TRAVEL AGENCIES 
AROUND RANGOON ARE STILL ACCEPTING CREDIT CARDS.  MOST ARE 
NOT KEEN TO DO SO, TAKING A CARD FROM A CUSTOMER ONLY IN A 
PINCH.  HOWEVER, OTHERS ADVERTISE AGGRESSIVELY THAT 
"MASTERCARD AND VISA ARE ACCEPTED!" 
 
3. (SBU) HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?  AS REPORTED NUMEROUS TIMES 
(REFTELS), BURMESE BUSINESSES HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY DEVIOUS IN 
FINDING WORK-AROUNDS TO MINIMIZE THE DISRUPTION OF VARIOUS 
SANCTIONS.  AS ONE BUSINESSMAN TOLD US WHEN THE NEW U.S. 
SANCTIONS TOOK EFFECT IN JULY 2003, "WE'VE HAD SANCTIONS FROM 
OUR OWN GOVERNMENT FOR FORTY YEARS.  YOURS WILL HAVE LITTLE 
EFFECT."  SOME TRADERS, PREVENTED FROM USING U.S. DOLLAR 
LETTERS OF CREDIT WITH A BURMESE BANK, ARE NOW USING AN 
ELABORATE ACCOUNT SETTLEMENT PROCESS THAT OCCURS IN OFFSHORE 
BANKS (MOSTLY IN SINGAPORE).  OTHERS ARE SHIFTING AS MUCH AS 
POSSIBLE TO BORDER TRADE AND ITS CASH-BASED TRANSACTIONS. 
NEARLY ALL USE AN ALREADY ACTIVE INFORMAL REMITTANCE SYSTEM 
(CALLED "HUNDI" OR "HAWALLAH") TO MAKE AND RECEIVE U.S. 
DOLLAR PAYMENTS. 
 
THE MAGIC OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY 
 
4. (SBU) THE HOTELS, SHOPS, AND SERVICES THAT ARE ACCEPTING 
PLASTIC AGAIN IN RANGOON ARE RELYING PRIMARILY ON MERCHANT 
ACCOUNTS SET UP OFFSHORE OR BY INTERNET-BASED SERVICES.  IN 
THE FORMER CASE, AN ENTITY IN RANGOON THAT HAS A CORPORATE 
PARENT OR SUBSIDIARY WITH A MERCHANT ACCOUNT IN A BANK 
OUTSIDE BURMA CAN PHONE IN NUMBERS OR DELIVER CREDIT CARD 
SLIPS TO THEIR AFFILIATE FOR PROCESSING.  THE SETTLEMENT, AS 
FAR AS THE CREDIT CARD COMPANY AND U.S. FINANCIAL SYSTEM IS 
CONCERNED, IS BETWEEN THE MERCHANT ACCOUNT IN SINGAPORE, 
BANGKOK, OR HONG KONG AND THE CUSTOMER'S ACCOUNT IN NEW YORK, 
FRANKFURT, OR LONDON. 
 
5. (SBU) IT'S NOT CLEAR EXACTLY HOW THE LATTER LOOPHOLE WORKS 
-- WHETHER THE BUSINESS CAN CONTRACT WITH AN ONLINE COMPANY 
(SUCH AS WORLDPAY) DIRECTLY OR WHETHER IT MUST DO SO UNDER 
THE NAME OF ITS OFFSHORE AFFILIATE.  WHICHEVER THE CASE, SOME 
ARE USING THESE THIRD-PARTY SERVICES TO PROVIDE MERCHANT 
ACCOUNTS AND SETTLEMENT SERVICES. 
 
COMMENT: ILLEGAL OR INEVITABLE? 
 
6. (SBU) THE QUESTION IS WHETHER THE BURMESE COMPANIES' 
ACTIVITIES LEAD TO VIOLATIONS OF U.S. SANCTIONS OR WHETHER 
THEY ARE MERELY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF A LEGAL LOOPHOLE TO 
CONTINUE SOME MEASURE OF BUSINESS AS USUAL.  IN ANY EVENT, WE 
THINK IT WORTHWHILE TO INFORM THE CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THAT 
THEIR SERVICES ARE BEING OFFERED IN BURMA DESPITE THEIR 
INSTRUCTIONS TO THE CONTRARY.  THEY CAN, IN TURN, INFORM 
THEIR MEMBER INSTITUTIONS THAT TRANSACTIONS THEY ARE 
FACILITATING MAY BE INDIRECTLY SENDING MONEY TO BURMA.  END 
COMMENT. 
MCMULLEN