NRC HEAD ANAND ON HIS CONVERSATIONS WITH MALAYSIAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGKOK 006980

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/07/2015
TAGS: PREL PTER ML TH
SUBJECT: NRC HEAD ANAND ON HIS CONVERSATIONS WITH MALAYSIAN
LEADERS ABOUT SOUTHERN THAILAND

REF: (A) BANGKOK 6639 (B) KUALA LUMPUR 4027 (C) KUALA

LUMPUR 3993

Classified By: AMBASSADOR RALPH BOYCE. REASON: 1.4 (D)


1. (C) Summary: During his visit to Malaysia last month,
National Reconciliation Commission Head (NRC) Anand
Panyarachun met with Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi and
former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad to discuss the
Thai-Malaysian relations in context of the ongoing violence
in Thailand's southern border provinces. Anand invited
Mahathir to visit Thailand on November 21-22. Anand said he
was told by Badawi and Mahathir, that during their
administrations there has been no Government of Malaysia
assistance given to PULO. They told Anand that the brutality
inflicted on demonstrators at Tak Bai by Thai security units
fuels support for the Malaysian Muslim opposition "PAS"
party. Badawi expressed frustration at Thaksin's suspicious
attitude towards Malaysia and his public airings of their
differences. Amidst the current sour relations between the
two governments over the situation in Thailand's south, Anand
appears to be working hard to rekindle dialogue between
Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. End comment.

NCR HEAD CALLS ON BADAWI AND MAHATHIR


2. (C) National Reconciliation Commission Head (NRC) Anand
Panyarachun told the Ambassador on November 3 that during his
trip to Kuala Lumpur last month, he met with Prime Minister
Abdullah Badawi and former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.
Anand had told Prime Minister Thaksin beforehand that he
planned to visit Malaysia. Thaksin didn't object. Anand
went to Kuala Lumpur on October 5-6 as NRC head, not as an
official Thai government representative, although the RTG MFA
arranged the trip. The meetings with Badawi and Mahathir
were in the wake of an acrimonious exchange of words between
the two governments following the flight of 131 Thai Muslims
to Malaysia in September (reftels). Anand said that he had
no specific agenda, but wanted a general discussion on an
issue that was causing mutual suspicion between the two
governments. Mahathir requested a private meeting with
Anand. Prime Minister Badawi was initially accompanied by
three aides. Later, Badawi and Anand spoke alone for an
hour.

MAHATHIR VISIT INVITATION


3. (C) During the meeting with Mahathir, Anand extended an
invitation to visit Thailand (According to Anand he had come
up with idea and told Thaksin about it after the fact. He
said Thaksin had no problem with the idea.). Mahathir is
scheduled to visit Thailand on November 21-22. Mahathir will
have an audience with the King on the 22nd. Anand hoped that
a visit by Prime Minister Badawi will follow Mahathir's trip
to Thailand.

NO QUESTION OF SEPARATION


4. (C) According to Anand, Mahathir maintained that there
is no question of the southern provinces separating and
joining Malaysia. There is no possibility of a referendum to
this effect or any possibility of a "decolonization" process.
These were "Siamese-Malay" states. Mahathir noted that in
the past these state paid tribute to Bangkok in the same
manner in which the Thai kingdom paid tribute to the Chinese
emperors. The British gave the "Siamese-Malay" states to
Bangkok. Now the Malaysian Malays are independent but the
Siamese Malays are still under the Thai. The border is fixed
and recognized internationally, so there is no question of
separation.


5. (C) However, Anand noted that Mahathir's urging that
Bangkok consider a form of autonomy for the deep south
provinces was an unfortunate (and potentially incendiary) use
of words. Anand said that the Malaysians, nor anyone else
for that matter, should not use the term "autonomy." There
is no term for that in Thai and it unfortunately translates
into the same word as "independent."

OR SUPPORT TO SEPARATISTS


6. (C) Anand said he was told by Badawi and Mahathir that
during their administrations there has been no Government of
Malaysia assistance given to PULO. They noted to Anand that
if Kuala Lumpur supported separatism across its border in
Thailand, it would give impetus to the separatist-minded
living in Sabah or Sarawak. Kuala Lumpur does not want to
risk arousing any latent separatist feelings, Mahathir and
Badawi said, according to Anand.

HARSH RTG CRACKDOWNS RESONATE IN MALAYSIA


7. (C) The brutality inflicted on the demonstrators at Tak
Bai last year by Thai security units was the "last straw" for
many Malaysians. This fuels support for "PAS", especially in
the provinces bordering Thailand where a network of kinship
and other ties exist. If Thailand has its south issues,
Kuala Lumpur has its own "north issues," Badawi told Anand.

STRAINS WITH THAKSIN


8. (C) According to Anand, Prime Minister Badawi asked why
Thaksin has to publicly air his differences with the
Malaysians when quiet diplomacy would be so much more
productive. Badawi noted that at the recent meeting of ASEAN
leaders with Kofi Annan in New York, Thaksin publicly snubbed
him, despite the fact that Badawi was sitting as both the
Chairman of the meeting and as head of ASEAN. Anand said
that Badawi described to him how Thaksin, followed by Deputy
Prime Minister Surikiart and Foreign Minister Kantathi swept
past the Malaysian Prime Minister without acknowledging him
in front of the assembly. He also noted for example
Thaksin's public demand for extradition of a suspected Thai
separatist from Malaysia to Thailand last year that put
Malaysian authorities in a tough spot.


9. (C) Comment: Anand viewed his visit as successful. He
appears to see Thaksin's attitude, born of a personal
mistrust of Malaysia, as a major contributor to the current
tensions between the two governments. Anand attributes
Thaksin's unhelpful stance to Bedawi's family lineage to
Pattani. Anand clearly sees the Malaysians as an essential
component of any long-term resolution to Thailand's southern
travails and is working to rekindle dialogue between Bangkok
and Kuala Lumpur. End comment.








BOYCE