THAILAND: PM THAKSIN'S PUBLIC REMARKS ON RANGOON

C O N F I D E N T I A L BANGKOK 003314

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/BCLTV, EAP/RSP, S/CT. HQ USPACOM FOR FPA
(HUSO)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/17/2015
TAGS: PREL PTER BM TH ASEAN BURMA
SUBJECT: THAILAND: PM THAKSIN'S PUBLIC REMARKS ON RANGOON
BOMBINGS; MFA COMMENTS ON BURMA AND ASEAN CHAIRMANSHIP

REF: A. RANGOON 590


B. BANGKOK 3208

C. BANGKOK 3128

Classified By: Political Counselor Robert Clarke. Reason: 1.4 (d)


1. (C) Summary: It has not been lost on Thai observers
that SPDC propaganda about who is responsible for the May 7
bombings in Rangoon (Ref A) vaguely suggests Thai
involvement as well as that of a "superpower nation."
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra tackled this issue on May
16 by rejecting any suspicions of Royal Thai Government
(RTG) involvement. However, his formulation seemed
designed to keep open his lines to the SPDC. His spin was
that it had not been Rangoon's intention to suggest
official Thai involvement, only that someone might be
involved in secret activities along the border. Thaksin
said Rangoon would have to request through diplomatic
channels any follow-up by the RTG. He reiterated that
Thailand will not support anyone intending to harm
neighboring countries and would not harbor terrorists. On
a separate Burma issue, the ASEAN Chairmanship, a Foreign
Ministry (MFA) official dispelled speculation that Foreign
Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon is pursuing a "secret plan"
to resolve that matter. He confirmed that Kantathi was
trying to convince other ASEAN members to allow Burma, if
it gave up its turn in the rotation for the ASEAN Chair
this time, immediately to assume the Chair when it achieved
credible reforms, rather than waiting for 10 years at
another chance. End Summary.


2. (U) Prime Minister Thaksin's May 16 rejection of any
suspicions of Thai Government involvement in the May 7
triple bombings in Rangoon has been covered in the Bangkok
press, most notably the English-language Bangkok Post.
Responding to journalists who raised vague statements by
the SPDC which insinuated Thai involvement as well as that
of "a world famous organization of a big nation," Thaksin
reportedly said that the Burmese statements had not
indicated suspicion of the RTG, but were claiming that
"maybe someone is doing something secretly along the
border." He said that, if that is what the Burmese
Government suspects, it must indicate so through diplomatic
channels and ask for a joint investigation and pursuit of
culprits to prevent further attacks. Thaksin said that the
Thai Government does not support anyone intending to do
harm to neighboring countries and will never allow
terrorists to use Thailand as a shelter. Reportedly,
Thaksin added that Thailand always acts with sincerity in
its political relations with neighboring countries and is
always ready to talk openly or behind closed doors on any
problem. He noted that the Burmese Government had not made
any official approach to the RTG.


3. (C) Comment: Privately, Thaksin recently indicated to
the Ambassador that he believes people linked to former
SPDC PM Khin Nyunt are responsible for the bombings. This
is a theory that other Thai officials share, with some even
stating so publicly. While there is some Thai sentiment
for protesting the Burmese insinuations about Thai
involvement, Thaksin was careful in his public statements
not to burn his bridges with the SPDC. End Comment.


4. (C) On a separate matter relating to Burma, PolCouns
clarified with Damrong Kraikruan, head of MFA's Burma
office, recent press reports on statements by FM Kantathi
in Thailand and the U.S. that he has been consulting on the
matter of Rangoon's controversial prospective assumption of
the chairmanship of ASEAN and suggesting that he has been
working on a "secret plan" to resolve the issue. Asked
whether Kantathi's diplomacy on Burma had progressed beyond
what he had outlined to PACOM Commander ADM Fallon on May 4
(Ref C) -- and to Deputy Secretary Zoellick (septel) --
Damrong said that press reports were erroneously painting
Kantathi as taking credit for a unilateral SPDC initiative
to announce "for the sake of ASEAN unity" that it will
forgo the ASEAN chairmanship "when the timing is right."
Damrong said that Kantathi was, however, trying to convince
other ASEAN governments that, if Burma were to give up its
turn in the rotation, it should not have to wait another 10
years, through the whole cycle, before becoming the ASEAN
Chair. Kantathi, he said, hoped to use the ASEAN chair as
an incentive for Burma to make real reforms, at which time
it could be confident of gaining the Chair without further
delay.

ARVIZU