Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
02RANGOON1632
2002-12-20 06:54:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Rangoon
Cable title:  

NOTES ON THAI, BURMESE, AND INDIAN COOPERATION

Tags:  PREL ELTN TH IN BM 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L RANGOON 001632 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/17/02
TAGS: PREL ELTN TH IN BM
SUBJECT: NOTES ON THAI, BURMESE, AND INDIAN COOPERATION


Classified By: DCM RMcMullen. Reason: 1.5 (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L RANGOON 001632

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/17/02
TAGS: PREL ELTN TH IN BM
SUBJECT: NOTES ON THAI, BURMESE, AND INDIAN COOPERATION


Classified By: DCM RMcMullen. Reason: 1.5 (d).


1. (C) Summary: India, Thailand, and Burma will do a survey
of the proposed road link from India to Thailand through
Burma. Work of the Kaladan road/river network from Mizoram
to Sittwe in Burma's Rakhine State is also moving forward. A
Thai/Burmese border committee meeting from December 26 to 28
will focus on "border security," while January will see a
series of visits by Thai Army officers to Rangoon, including
Supreme Commander Surayud. End Summary.

Road Link


2. (C) The Indian DCM, Rahul Kulshrestha, and the Thai
Political Counselor, Kallayana Vipattipumiprates, told Poloff
that the trilateral meeting held in Rangoon December 4 and 5
resulted in an agreement for "technical field study" on the
route alignment for the proposed road from Tamu on the
Burmese/Indian border to Myawaddy on the Thai/Burmese border.
According to both, the survey is intended to resolve
differences between Burma, which argued for new roads in many
areas, and India and Thailand, which want to use as much of
the current road structure as possible. The survey will take
place in March or April and will set the stage for a
follow-up, "senior level" meeting, probably in June 2003,
that will focus on sources of financing. According to
Kulshrestha, the road will be a two lane "class III standard"
road running from Tamu to Pagan and then down through
Nyaunglebin to Moulmein, Hpa'an, and Myawaddy. The Indians
are to take care of the stretch to Pagan, the Burmese the
section from Pagan to Moulmein, and the Thais the part from
Moulmein to Myawaddy.


3. (C) The road makes sense for all three nations, according
to Kulshrestha and Vipattipumiprates. For India, the road
will provide an outlet to the sea (through Rangoon) for
Manipur and other provinces in India's northeast. For
Thailand, a good road from Myawaddy to Moulmein will
facilitate trade with Burma and access to the sea for areas
in Thailand's northwest. For Burma, the road will improve
communications and solidify links with Thailand and India.

Kaladan Road/River Network


4. (C) According to Kulshrestha, work on the proposed Kaladan
Road/River network is also moving ahead. That network will
run from Saiha in Mizoram down through Burma's Chin State to
the Kaladan River and out to the sea by Sittwe. For India,
the road/river network's purpose is basically the same as the
India/Thailand road link above; it is intended to provide an
outlet to the sea for Mizoram and other states in India's
northeast.

Thai/Burmese Border Committee Meeting


5. (C) A Thai/Burmese Border Committee meeting has been
scheduled for December 26 to 28. The topic will be "border
security." According to Vipattipumiprates, who will attend,
that means both drugs and the remaining Burmese insurgents in
Thailand.

Visits


6. (C) In a good sign for bilateral relations, there will be
a series of visits by Thai Army officers to Rangoon next
month. According to Vipattipumiprates, the Thai Army
Commander in Chief Somdhat is due to visit from January 20 to
January 22, followed by the new Thai Defense Minister
Thammarak with the Supreme Commander Surayud and the other
Chiefs of Service in tow. One of the Thai princesses is also
reportedly scheduled to come as a representative of the Thai
king sometime in March.
Martinez