Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05BANGKOK3129
2005-05-11 05:10:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Bangkok
Cable title:  

PACOM MEETING WITH PM THAKSIN: IRAQ, F-16, CHINA,

Tags:  OVIP PGOV MASS MARR TH IRAQ POL MIL BURMA 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BANGKOK 003129 

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EAP, P, EAP/BCLTV.
HQ PACOM FOR FPA HUSO

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/04/2015
TAGS: OVIP PGOV MASS MARR TH IRAQ POL MIL BURMA
SUBJECT: PACOM MEETING WITH PM THAKSIN: IRAQ, F-16, CHINA,
BURMA, VIOLENCE IN THE SOUTH


Classified By: Ambassador Ralph L. Boyce, Reason 1.4 (a and d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BANGKOK 003129

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EAP, P, EAP/BCLTV.
HQ PACOM FOR FPA HUSO

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/04/2015
TAGS: OVIP PGOV MASS MARR TH IRAQ POL MIL BURMA
SUBJECT: PACOM MEETING WITH PM THAKSIN: IRAQ, F-16, CHINA,
BURMA, VIOLENCE IN THE SOUTH


Classified By: Ambassador Ralph L. Boyce, Reason 1.4 (a and d)


1. (C) Summary: In a May 4 meeting with visiting PACOM
Commander ADM William Fallon, PM Thaksin Shinawatra did not
directly address a U.S. request for Thailand to send staff
officers to the multinational headquarters in Iraq, but did
suggest that Thailand might be able to provide additional
support to Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) so long as that
assistance could be labeled "humanitarian." Regarding
Lockheed Martin's efforts to sell F-16 aircraft to Thailand,
Thaksin recounted his efforts to have Sweden and Russia agree
to enter into a barter arrangement involving Thai chicken in
exchange for Saab Gripen or Sukhoi SU-30 fighters. He made
it clear that he was inclined toward Russia's or Sweden's
offer of a barter -- not counter trade -- deal, or "birds for
birds." Thaksin expressed gratitude for U.S. assistance
during the tsunami crisis and was very supportive of the
Cobra Gold exercise program. The Prime Minister was pleased
that Iraq had chosen a new Cabinet and said that his recent
trip to Jordan had convinced him that PM Adnan Badran was
serious about fostering good governance in Iraq. Noting
Thailand's good relations with both Tokyo and Beijing,
Thaksin was concerned about the Sino-Japanese rift and
pledged to do what he could to reconcile the two sides. He
was pleased about Taiwan KMT leader Lien Chan's recent visit
to Beijing, and was optimistic that tensions over the Taiwan
Strait would ease. Thaksin said that Thailand was committed
to promoting democratization and reconciliation among various
factions in Burma. He seemed sure that Burma would
eventually agree to give up its upcoming chair of ASEAN but
suggested Rangoon needed a way to do so without appearing to
cave in to outside pressure. Thaksin explained that his
Government's problems in the southern part of the country
were a domestic matter but expressed concern that teachers in
Koranic schools had been distorting Islamic teachings to

promote unrest. In dealing with the violence in the South,
Thaksin was disappointed in Malaysia's lack of cooperation in
arresting suspected terrorists who had entered Malaysia from
Thailand. Thaksin seemed pleased that members of the
National Reconciliation Commission were traveling to the
southern provinces to assess the situation in person rather
than only "reading critical reports in the Bangkok papers."
Thaksin pledged to implement the Commission's recommendations
and singled out the Commission head, former PM Anand
Panyarachun, as a man to whom he would listen. END SUMMARY.

RELATIONS ARE GOOD -- THE TSUNAMI BROUGHT OUT OUR STRENGTHS


2. (C) PM Thaksin began the meeting by expressing approval
that this year's Cobra Gold exercise, underway in Chiang Mai
and elsewhere in the country, was focused on lessons learned
from the relief effort after the December 26 tsunami. He
thanked ADM Fallon for U.S. assistance during the crisis and
said he was pleased Thailand was able to allow U.S. forces to
use Utapao Royal Thai Naval Air Station as the hub for
regional military relief efforts. Cobra Gold and similar
exercises allowed U.S. and Thai forces to work together
effectively, he said. Thaksin noted with approval the new,
multinational flavor to Cobra Gold but stated that, to his
mind, the most important part of the exercise was the
combined U.S.-Thai cooperation. ADM Fallon agreed about the
importance of the bilateral relationship, telling Thaksin
that in his conversations with senior Thai military
officials, he had pledged to work with them to upgrade
facilities at Utapao and to enhance our ability to work
together in the future. Fallon told Thaksin how reporters
and others who attended the Cobra Gold opening ceremony in
Chiang Mai on May 2 had expressed admiration for how well and
how quickly the United States and Thailand were able to
cooperate during the tsunami crisis.

IRAQ


3. (C) ADM Fallon thanked the Prime Minister for Thailand's
assistance in Afghanistan and in OIF and inquired whether
Thailand would be prepared to send staff officers to man the
multinational headquarters as requested in a recent letter
from CJCS Gen. Myers. Thaksin said he was pleased with
recent positive moves in Iraq, noting the establishment of a
new Cabinet. Without specifically addressing General Myers'
letter, Thaksin highlighted the humanitarian nature of
Thailand's previous six-month rotations to Iraq and said that
Thailand might be able to provide future assistance so long
as it could be labeled as "humanitarian." Thaksin noted that
some Thai MP's had tried to link the Muslim insurgency in
southern Thailand with Thailand's OIF deployment but he
dismissed such comments, saying that Thailand's commitment to
OIF had not caused any undue problems for his Government.

THAKSIN'S TRIP TO JORDAN


4. (C) Continuing his assessment of the Middle East,
Thaksin said that during his recent trip to Jordan, he had
related well with PM Adnan Badran. Noting that Badran was a
Sandhurst graduate while he was a graduate of the Thai
National Police Academy, Thaksin said "we former cadets know
how to talk to each other." Badran struck Thaksin as
committed to helping to build a democratic Iraq.

CHINA


5. (C) While noting Bangkok's good relations with both
Tokyo and Beijing, Thaksin expressed deep concern over the
ongoing Sino-Japanese rift. Saying "this is not healthy for
the region" twice, Thaksin suggested that all concerned
countries should do their utmost to heal the relationship
between the two countries and pledged to do his "modest best"
to repair things. He predicted that cross-strait relations
would improve, suggesting that Taiwan KMT leader Lien Chan's
recent visit to Beijing had helped immensely as had Taiwan
President Chen Shui-bian's expressed willingness to conduct
talks with the PRC. Thaksin was dismissive of suggestions
that Taiwan and the Mainland might someday come to blows,
characterizing any separatist talk in Taiwan as designed for
domestic consumption, and citing the PRC's paramount desire
not to disrupt economic growth.

BURMA


6. (C) Explaining differences between U.S. and Thai
approaches to Burma, Thaksin pointed to the 2,000 plus
kilometer border Thailand shares with Burma. Thaksin claimed
that the Burmese leadership was comfortable talking with him
and that he always stressed the importance of freedom and
democratization in talks with Rangoon. He said that the
ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) was "riding
a tiger and afraid of being eaten" in dealing with Karen and
other minority groups. Thaksin claimed that ASEAN is the
only organization linking Burma to the outside world and that
the SPDC cannot afford to lose that link. He expressed
optimism that Burma would eventually agree to give up its
upcoming chair of ASEAN but admitted it must find a way to do
so that does not make it seem it is giving in to outside
pressure. Thaksin was skeptical that Aung San Suu Kyi would
be released from house arrest before a new Constitution comes
into effect and the junta can demonstrate its ability to
control the political process.

UNREST IN THE SOUTH


7. (C) Thaksin pointed to Koranic teachers in schools in
the South who distort the Koran by persuading youths to rise
up against the Government as the chief cause for unrest in
that region. He stressed that the matter was a strictly
domestic issue but noted problems with criminals crossing the
border into Malaysia. He said that outward appearances of
smooth relations between Thailand and Malaysia covered
increasing tensions between the two countries due to
Thailand's growing frustration over Malaysian unwillingness
to arrest criminal suspects on their side of the border.
Thaksin also noted the need to monitor the flow of funds from
outside Thailand to Koranic schools and other institutions in
the South. He suggested that he had evidence that militant
groups were funded that way in the past.


8. (C) Thaksin told ADM Fallon that he was pleased that
members of the National Reconciliation Commission were now
traveling to the southern provinces to assess the situation
in person. He claimed that earlier they only stayed in
Bangkok and read press stories criticizing Thaksin's
policies. "Such is life with a democratic free press," he
sighed. Now that the Commission was working in earnest, he
pledged to implement their recommendations. He also singled
out Commission head, former PM Anand Panyarachun, as a man to
whom he would listen.

F-16


9. (C) ADM Fallon noted the importance of Thailand
procuring new weapons systems with an eye on interoperability
with U.S. forces and suggested that F-16 would be a better
choice for Thailand's planned new fighter purchase than the
Saab Gripen or the Sukhoi SU-30. Thaksin told ADM Fallon
that, during his meeting last year with the Swedish Prime
Minister, he explained the glut of Thai chicken created in
the wake of the avian flu crisis and asked whether Sweden
might be willing to "barter trade things that fly -- Thai
chickens for Swedish airplanes" or "birds for birds," he
joked. According to Thaksin, the Swedish PM agreed to
explore this deal. Later, Thaksin said, he met with Russian
President Putin who also agreed to explore swapping Thai
chicken for SU-30s. Putin went on to say that he viewed the
deal with Russia as better than the deal with Sweden.
(Comment: Although not discussed, Thaksin was unaware that
Lockheed Martin had offered a one hundred percent
countertrade deal or other recent developments in the fighter
negotiations. End Comment). He clarified that what he
wanted in the fighter deal was "barter" rather than "offsets"
or "countertrade" because of Thai concerns about their
current account situation.


10. (U) ADM Fallon has cleared this message.
BOYCE