THAILAND: REQUESTS FOR FUNDING PKO PROJECTS IN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 BANGKOK 006094 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MLS, EAP/RSP. PM (SKWAK) DEFENSE FOR OSD/ISA (JPOWERS) PACOM FOR FPA HUSO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR TH PKO SUBJECT: THAILAND: REQUESTS FOR FUNDING PKO PROJECTS IN SUPPORT OF THE WAR ON TERROR REF: A. SECSTATE 143881 ¶B. HIGGINS-LAMBERT EMAILS ¶1. (SBU) Post appreciates the opportunity to propose projects supporting U.S. strategic peace keeping and counter terrorism objectives. The Embassy outlines below several projects, in priority order, to improve the Thai ability to thwart terrorism and to fulfill more effectively its peacekeeping obligations. We offer three different categories of projects. First, we propose funding the purchase of a number of items that will improve the safety of flight operations at Utapao Naval Air Station. Utapao is a Royal Thai Navy facility that services hundreds of U.S. military flights to OIF, OEF or the region per year and was the hub for our military relief operations during the Indian Ocean Tsunami response. Second, we have been working with the Royal Thai military, PACOM and Washington for some time to build a state-of-the-art National Training Facility (NTF) that can by used by both Thai and U.S. forces training for counter terrorism and peacekeeping operations and to ensure that Thai forces have the proper training and equipment to conduct PKO and CT operations. We envision the NTF also becoming a key site for joint/combined training with militaries from other countries and help us to work with the Thai to strengthen our links with other militaries in Asia. Finally, we propose a number of projects aimed directly at promoting moderate responses by the Government and by local citizens to the ongoing unrest in the southern provinces of Thailand. ¶2. (SBU) PROJECT: PURCHASING "STRIKER" AIRCRAFT RESCUE AND FIRE FIGHTING (ARFF) VEHICLE AND OTHER SAFETY EQUIPMENT FOR UTAPAO NAVAL AIR STATION THAILAND Background: Utapao has served as one of the key transportation hubs in support of the War on Terrorism. Key air refueling operations were supported out of this base during the initial air operations in Afghanistan. The air field also plays a key role today as a refueling and rest stop for air crews conducting support operations into the operational theater as well as the Strait of Malacca. This base served as the regional staging hub for the multi-national response to the December 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. Current assessments of the air field indicate that its regional and operational support role will likely increase in the future. The crash and rescue equipment located at Utapao only marginally meets the requirements for safe operations under U.S. Military safety standards. Communications and lighting facilities should also be upgraded. Increasing the crash and rescue readiness posture by providing modern fire fighting capabilities will increase the overall safe operations of the air field possibly saving the lives of U.S. air crews and limiting damage to U.S. aircraft in an emergency. Initial assessments of Utapao indicate that three modern fire fighting trucks are needed to optimize the safety response capabilities there. In this proposal, we seek funding for one. Please see para. 6 for our request for a second truck and additional safety equipment, should additional funds be made available. Notional Use: The continued operation of this air field is critical to the U.S. operational mission in prosecuting the War on Terrorism. Cost: Currently under research -- a Striker fire fighting truck suitable for Utapao would cost roughly $500,000. ¶3. (SBU) PROJECT: UPGRADING CLOSE QUARTER BATTLE (CQB) TRAINING FACILITY, SPECIAL WARFARE CENTER, LOP BURI, THAILAND Background: Units assigned to the Thai Special Warfare Center are the designated Counter Terrorism forces for the Kingdom of Thailand. This project would upgrade the current CQB building, expanding the level and quality of live fire training that can be conducted there. This facility would be a key component of a National Training Facility designed to train Thai, U.S. and third country CT forces. The CQB would allow users to hone skills needed for direct action missions required during CT operations. The CQB building will be co-located with an Exercise Related Construction project at Lop Buri designed to provide a realistic urban training environment for U.S. and Thai Special Operations Forces. This directly benefits the training resources available to U.S. forces in developing realistic training in preparation for missions in support of the War on Terrorism. Notional Use: This facility will be used to train Thai and U.S. forces in skills sets that directly support counter terrorism. It could also be used by other militaries in the region -- enhancing our ability to work with the Thai to better integrate CT and PKO training in Asia. Cost: Approximately $1,000,000 ¶4. (SBU) PROJECT: NON-LETHAL WEAPONS (NLW) AND CIVIL DISTURBANCE RESPONSE TRAINING FOR THAI MILITARY DEPLOYING TO THE SOUTH Background: The Thai military seeks to improve its ability to respond to various civil disturbances in the three southern border provinces of Yala, Narathiwat, and Pattani, particularly in light of the incident at Tak Bai in October of 2004 in which scores of Thai demonstrators suffocated while being transported in military trucks. During the U.S. - Thailand Senior Leader Talks (an annual bilateral military meeting between the U.S. Pacific Command and the Royal Thai Supreme Command),the Director of Operations of the Royal Thai Supreme Command, Lieutenant General Kemarat Kanchanawat, specifically requested U.S. assistance regarding NLW training as it relates to civil unrest. The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is the DOD proponent for the training and application of NLW. A USMC Special Operations Training Group (SOTG) has the ability to deploy to Thailand and conduct comprehensive NLW training. However, due to U.S. Code Title 10 restrictions, it cannot use its own operational funds for this deployment. Funding must come from some other source. Notional Use: The NLW training conducted by the USMC SOTG focuses on rules of engagement and graduated response protocols in a practical application environment. NLW training is a viable approach to address the issue of unrest in Southern Thailand. Cost: Currently under research. Approximately $150,000. ¶5. (SBU) PROJECT: PUBLIC AFFAIRS TRAINING AND PROGRAMS AIMED AT SOUTHERN THAILAND Background: Thai scholars and journalists have asked for assistance to improve their ability to promote peaceful resolution of the conflict in Southern Thailand. We have a number of projects that we can offer to assist them. ¶A. Study on People's Peace Movements Moderate Narathiwat Muslim community activist Hama Mayunu has initiated a program to study populist anti-terrorism movements in other countries. With support from the Thai Government, he has already traveled to Indonesia and is seeking to expand the project to include the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Israel and Northern Ireland. His stated outcome is to share approaches to peaceful conflict resolution with Southern community leaders in a series of conferences upon his return. We would propose partnering with the People's Peace Movement Narathiwat for this program. Cost: $29,000 (Overhead and supplies $3000, Conference $2000, Philippines travel and research $5000, Sri Lanka travel and research $5000, Northern Ireland travel and research $7000, Israel travel and research $7000). ¶B. Promoting Journalistic Responsibility and Investigative Journalism in the South Prominent Southern Muslim moderate Sampan Musordee has recently stated that both the national and local level journalists covering the South need training in two major areas. First, they tend to report all crimes as terror incidents, confusing and exacerbating the situation. They need training to understand their responsibility to report accurately and fairly on incidents. Second, they do not tend to check into local claims of corruption and prejudice before publishing. They need training to understand the power and necessity of conducting good investigative journalism in the South. Standard training in good journalistic practices would encourage more accurate and worthwhile reporting. We would partner with the Association of Yala Journalists to conduct training courses. Cost: $5,000 per training session -- five sessions would cost $25,000. ¶C. Community Radio and Democracy Media activist Supinya Kangnarong is promoting the concept of community radio as a responsible, moderate force in the South. Community radio stations broadcast a few hours per day and cannot be heard more than 10 or 15 km from the station. They carry local news, views and discussions, and frequently do not follow the government line. These small-time operators in the South are influential, but also completely untrained and usually lack any concept of journalistic responsibility. The quality of broadcasting would benefit greatly from a program aimed at offering an explanation of community broadcasting in the United States, including the role of community radios to serve needs and interests of specific audiences and how the stations can best serve their communities. We would partner with the Campaign for Popular Media Reform to conduct training courses. Cost: $5,000 per training session -- five sessions would cost $25,000. ¶D. Giving Power to Southern Muslim Women According to a World Bank study, rural Southern Muslim women have little political or economic power. Many researchers have correlated poor women's education and power with a rise in poverty, birth rates and political radicalism. A nascent women's group in the South is seeking to give women an increased say in their lives, while staying within the bounds of cultural and social norms. It is called Friends of Thai Muslim Women and is run by a female professor at Prince of Songkhla University, Pattani. In order for this grassroots organization to create a workable game plan, it will require assistance from an experienced NGO or international consultant. Cost: $7,000 ¶E. Speaker Series on Terrorism. The Department has recommended a number of U.S. experts, including Tom Sanderson from CSIS, Richard Falkenrath from Brookings, Michael Radu from FPRI, William Rosenau and Bruce Hoffman from Rand, Audrey Cronin from NDU, Robert Lieber from Georgetown and Donald Emmerson from Stanford as persons willing to give a series of lectures around the country to a variety of audiences. Cost: About $10,000 per iteration, we would propose a three-part series of lectures to take place over the course of a year for a total cost of $30,000. ¶F. Speaker Series on Terrorism Financing. Thailand is a regional transportation and financial hub. The State and Treasury Departments have put together a series of courses to recognize the patterns of terrorism financing. These courses could be based in Bangkok, but also travel to Hat Yai to address financial workers in the South. Cost: About $15,000 per iteration -- two sessions would cost $30,000. ¶6. (SBU) PROJECT: A SECOND "STRIKER" AIRCRAFT RESCUE AND FIRE FIGHTING (ARFF) VEHICLE FOR UTAPAO NAVAL AIR STATION THAILAND Background: Utapao has served as one of the key transportation hubs in support of the War on Terrorism. Key air refueling operations were supported out of this base during the initial air operations in Afghanistan. The air field also plays a key role today as a refueling and rest stop for air crews conducting support operations into the operational theater as well as the Strait of Malacca. This base served as the regional staging hub for the multi-national response to the December 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. Current assessments of the air field indicate that its regional and operational support role will likely increase in the future. The crash and rescue equipment located at Utapao only marginally meets the requirements for safe operations under U.S. Military safety standards. Increasing the crash and rescue readiness posture by providing modern fire fighting capabilities will increase the overall safe operations of the air field possibly saving the lives of U.S. air crews and limiting damage to U.S. aircraft in an emergency. Initial assessments of Utapao indicate that three modern fire fighting trucks are needed to optimize the safety response capabilities there. Our first priority request outlined in para. 1 above seeks funding for one Striker vehicle. Should sufficient funds be made available, we propose purchasing a second Striker fire fighting truck and additional safety equipment. Notional Use: The continued operation of this air field is critical to the U.S. operational mission in prosecuting the War on Terrorism. Cost: Currently under research -- approximately $774,400. A second Striker fire fighting truck suitable for Utapao would cost roughly $500,000. Fire fighting agent can be purchased commercially for approximately $43,000. An off the shelf tower generator costs $38,800. A fire station generator costs $26,300 off the shelf. A commercial airfield sweeper costs $130,000 and a generator for airfield lighting has been priced at $36,300. ¶7. (SBU) PROJECT: COUNTER-TERRORISM TRAINING MULTI-PURPOSE RANGE COMPLEX (CTT-MPRC) Background: The primary counter terrorism response force of the Royal Thai Government, the Army Special Forces, use the training site at Lop buri to maintain a high-level of combat readiness required for short-notice reaction to terrorist related crises. Construction will soon be initiated at the site to build a facility for conducting Military Operations in Urbanized Terrain (a MOUT site). The MOUT site will be a key feature of the National Training Facility described above. In order to expand the support capability of the training site and to complement the MOUT facility, additional infrastructure is required. Notional Use: Improving the counter terrorism training facilities of the Royal Thai Government directly addressed the ability of Thai Special Forces to effectively respond to emerging intra-regional threats and to react quickly in contingency operations. Cost: $400,000 for CTT-MPRC allocated as follows: $250,000 for two multi-purpose buildings that can support multiple storage requirements, after action review facilities, and range control automation. $150,000 for a live-fire range with integrated multi-echelon engagement capability and real-time training assessment systems. BOYCE