ANAND COMMENTS ON FINAL PHASE OF NRC'S PROCESS

C O N F I D E N T I A L BANGKOK 006979 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/07/2015 TAGS: PGOV PHUM PTER TH NRC SUBJECT: ANAND COMMENTS ON FINAL PHASE OF NRC'S PROCESS REF: (A) BANGKOK 6904 (B) BANGKOK 6853 (C) BANGKOK 6850 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: AMBASSADOR RALPH BOYCE. REASON: 1.4 (D) ¶1. (C) Summary: The Ambassador called on National Reconciliation Committee (NRC) Head and former Prime Minister Anand Panyarachun on November 3 to discuss the NRC's wrap-up phase. Anand said that Thaksin still has no idea of the root causes of the problem and has used his aides and media influence to snipe at the Committee. He accused the Prime Minister of playing to latent nationalist and religious prejudices within the 95 percent non-Malay (i.e. ethnic Thai) population. Nevertheless, Anand said, there are encouraging signs that some RTG officials working directly on the problem are good and that the work and pronouncements of the commission itself have sparked a dialogue within the Thai populace on how to comprehensively resolve the conflict and its causes. Anand said that he hopes to wrap up and release the NRC's final report in late January. End summary. ¶2. (C) During a November 3 conversation with the Ambassador, NRC Head and former Prime Minister Anand Panyarachun said that he was "stepping back" from public comment on the south and focusing on the wrap-up drafting phase of the Committee's report. Anand expressed his resentment over what he saw as Prime Minister Thaksin's "double game." Thaksin may speak of his faith in the NRC to solve the problems of the south, Anand said, but the Prime Minister uses his officials and media connections to undermine its work. The Ambassador noted that the issues in the region are complex and long-standing. Anand agreed and said that Thaksin does not realize that this problem is more ethnic than religious or separatist based and has its roots in the region's history. Instead, Thaksin is playing to religious and nationalist feelings of the 95 percent of non-Malay Thai. Anand further accused Thaksin of having a "bigoted" view of the southern problem. ¶3. (C) Anand noted that many friends and colleagues had warned him in the beginning that accepting the position of NRC Head was taking a poisoned chalice -- Thaksin would shift problems caused by his own policies to the NRC. But without the NRC addressing the causes of the conflict, Anand said, the country would be "haywire" by now. "We are engaged in a damage control exercise on Thaksin's failed approach to the region's problems, Anand said. The King is very worried over the situation in the region, Anand added. ¶4. (C) On the other hand, Anand affirmed that the NRC has successfully generated a dialogue in the country on the situation in the south and educated Thais on the issues, especially those who had previously held no opinion on the subject. He also noted that some of the officials dealing directly with the problems seem to be getting the NRC,s message. He described Army Commander in Chief Sonthi Boonyaratglin and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice Pol. Gen. Chidchai Vanasatidya as better than their predecessors in coming to grips with the issues in the area. "I'm stepping back," Anand said. "I have spoken out and it's time for those on the ground to begin implementing the reconciliation process." Anand added that the Palace, spearheaded by Privy Councillors General Surayud Chulanont and Palakorn Suwanrath, have been particularly supportive of the committee's work and in articulating Palace concerns over the government's southern policy. ¶5. (C) In response to the Ambassador's concern that recent comments by RTG officials could be construed as a prelude to a big crackdown, Anand shrugged and said that if Thaksin is determined to go down that road, there is nothing anyone can do. Anand said that he was not unhappy about a recent leak of the NRC,s draft resolution (ref. C). Although he did not authorize the release of the document, there was no harm done and it was indeed beneficial to put some points out to the public. He added that the form that was released was not that of the to-be-completed list of recommendations. Anand said that he hopes to have the final report ready for release by the end of January next year. ¶6. (C) Comment: Anand, no friend of the Prime Minister, was especially harsh in his criticism of Thaksin, accusing him of hindering through proxy the NRC's work. In no uncertain terms, Anand made it clear that he sees Thaksin as a major part of the challenge in easing tensions in the southern border provinces. End comment. - BOYCE