PSI: AUSTRALIA UNWILLING TO PRESS FOR IMMEDIATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CANBERRA 000510

SIPDIS

STATE FOR T, EAP/ANP, AC/ISN, NP/CBM AND NP/RA,
OSD FOR DCOOPER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/14/2015
TAGS: PARM KNNP PREL MNUC ETTC AS TH
SUBJECT: PSI: AUSTRALIA UNWILLING TO PRESS FOR IMMEDIATE
THAI ENDORSEMENT OF THE STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES

REF: A. STATE 39747

B. BANGKOK 1772

C. 04 CANBERRA 2249

D. CANBERRA 0016

Classified By: ACTING POLCOUNS TAMARA FITZGERALD FOR REASONS 1.4 (B AND
D).


1. (C) SUMMARY: Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and
Trade (DFAT) officials balked at the U.S. request (Ref A) for
the GOA to endorse Washington's message calling upon Thailand
to publicly support the Proliferation Security Initiative
Statement of Interdiction Principles (PSI SOP) in order to
participate in the March 21-22 Operational Experts Group
(OEG) meeting in Omaha. DFAT officials told us that, in
their view, Thai endorsement of the principles prior to the
meeting was "not required" because the GOA was already
satisfied with Thailand's level of commitment to the PSI thus
far. Citing familiar views on the need to account for "Asia
Pacific nuances" in working on sensitive security issues with
ASEAN countries, the officials said the GOA would continue to
press Bangkok to endorse the Principles as soon as the RTG
could, but Australian encouragement to do so would not
include language making it a condition for participation in
the OEG meeting. They understood, however, that the U.S.
demarche in Bangkok contained this indication of
conditionality. End Summary.


2. (C) We presented Ref A information points on March 8 to
DFAT PSI Action Officer Lucinda Bell, in the absence of more
senior officials. She expressed surprise that the U.S. would
ask the GOA to formally encourage Thai endorsement of the SOP
as a condition of participation at the March OEG meeting,
commenting that Australia's position on the need for Thailand
to be involved was well-known (Ref C). We re-engaged with
Counterproliferation Section Director Peter Sawczak upon his
return on March 10. Sawczak and Bell said Canberra's
position was that it was not necessary for Thailand to
endorse the Principles in advance of the Omaha OEG meeting.
The GOA was "quite happy with the distance Thailand has
travelled thus far on PSI." Furthermore, there were no other
"door knockers" in the Asia Pacific seeking to join the PSI,
and this was a region of significant proliferation concern.


3. (C) We stressed the need to ensure the effectiveness of
the OEG by having participants operate from a common base of
understanding, as well as the unhelpful precedent Thailand's
attendence in Omaha could set for other countries wanting to
participate. Sawczak rejoined that if the only ones allowed
in were those who could readily support the SOP, "all you've
got is a regional European meeting." That said, he
continued, Australia was "not interested in compromising the
operational effectiveness of the OEG in any way." Sawczak
said the GOA regarded Bangkok's level of commitment and
interest as "sufficient to engage in PSI activities." In
addition, Thailand's involvement would help Singapore to feel
less exposed within ASEAN.


4. (C) Sawczak stated that during the Eighth PSI OEG in
Sydney in December 2004 (Ref D),Canada, Germany, Singapore
and Japan had told the GOA they fully supported Thailand's
inclusion. Canberra supported the USG's desire for Thailand
to endorse the SOP and would continue to engage with Thai
officials to this end, he emphasized, but the GOA did not
intend to use language withholding support for Thailand's
participation if it did not publicly endorse the principles
prior to the Omaha meeting. Bell related that Australia's
most recent engagement with the RTG on PSI had been in early
February when Australian Emboffs had been told that some Thai
agencies still had legal concerns. Sawczak suggested that
the U.S. might be able to do more to address specific RTG
concerns. Per Ref A background, we reviewed U/S Bolton's
conversations in Tokyo in early February with Thai officials
when he had addressed their legal concerns.


5. (C) While expressing understanding for the USG's
"orthodox position" on participation, Sawczak stressed that a
more flexible approach with Thailand could have a "knock-on"
effect within ASEAN and was the best way to garner "sensible
regional participation" in the wider Asia Pacific. While
Sawczak thought Thai officials were worried about how China
and others might view Thailand's participation in PSI, he
viewed their legal concerns as sincere. In contrast, the GOA
believed other ASEAN nations used legal arguments as an
excuse not to participate in PSI. He reiterated that the GOA
would continue to engage with the RTG on its commitment to
PSI.
STANTON