Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BANGKOK4742
2006-08-04 09:45:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Bangkok
how-toVZCZCXRO0422 PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM DE RUEHBK #4742 2160945 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 040945Z AUG 06 FM AMEMBASSY BANGKOK TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0689 INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 2816 RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 3319 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1161 RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 1251 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 4036 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0615 RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 1967 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 8193 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 5093
C O N F I D E N T I A L BANGKOK 004742
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR P, EAP, EAP/MLS, IO
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/03/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV TH
SUBJECT: SURAKIART ON HIS UNSYG CANDIDACY
Classified By: AMBASSADOR RALPH L. BOYCE. REASON 1.4 (B,D)
C O N F I D E N T I A L BANGKOK 004742
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR P, EAP, EAP/MLS, IO
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/03/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV TH
SUBJECT: SURAKIART ON HIS UNSYG CANDIDACY
Classified By: AMBASSADOR RALPH L. BOYCE. REASON 1.4 (B,D)
1. (C) Summary. In a lunch meeting on August 3, Deputy
Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai briefly explained to
Ambassador the message he hopes to deliver next week in his
conversation with Under Secretary Burns. In a last ditch
effort to boost his candidacy, Surakiart plans to highlight
the quiet, but effective, role that he and Thailand have
played in supporting the United States. End Summary.
STRAW POLL, WHAT STRAW POLL?
--------------
2. (C) DPM Surakiart's relentless crusade to replace UNSYG
Kofi Annan continues undaunted despite the shaky results of
the July 24 UN Security Council straw poll where Surakiart
reportedly received seven votes of encouragement, three votes
of discouragement and five votes of no opinion, finishing
third in a field of four. Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA)
officials interpreted these totals as signs that Surakiart
remains a serious candidate for the top job, even as some
media outlets have called for the DPM to abandon his efforts
after this major "snub." Indeed, both Surakiart supporters
and detractors have combed every statement made by UN member
states on the UNSYG selection process as "proof" of their
position.
I WANNA BE A FRIEND OF YOURS.. AND A LITTLE BIT MORE
-------------- --------------
3. (C) During lunch Surakiart said that his main pitch to U/S
Burns will be to remind him of the many quiet ways that
Thailand (read: Surakiart) has been a faithful ally of the
US. Among other things, he will mention the RTG's
willingness to send troops to both Afghanistan and Iraq even
given the problems in Southern Thailand; the RTG decision to
sign an Article 98 agreement; and other areas in which the
Thai have quietly cooperated with the USG in
counter-terrorism efforts. (Note: Surakiart will decline to
mention his initial opposition, when he was Foreign Minister,
to authorizing the U.S. military to deploy its humanitarian
relief mission out of Utapao in December 2004 following the
Indian Ocean tsunami. It was PM Thaksin who gave the U.S.
the green light. End note.)
4. (C) Surakiart reiterated his belief that the US should
play a strong leadership role at the UN. He said that if he
were to become UNSYG, he could be counted on to take US
interests into account.
5. (C) Comment: Surakiart was quick to point out that he
finished third, not fourth, in the UNSC straw poll. He shows
absolutely no signs of reconsidering his candidacy and will
maintain that he remains the firm ASEAN consensus candidate.
BOYCE
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR P, EAP, EAP/MLS, IO
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/03/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV TH
SUBJECT: SURAKIART ON HIS UNSYG CANDIDACY
Classified By: AMBASSADOR RALPH L. BOYCE. REASON 1.4 (B,D)
1. (C) Summary. In a lunch meeting on August 3, Deputy
Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai briefly explained to
Ambassador the message he hopes to deliver next week in his
conversation with Under Secretary Burns. In a last ditch
effort to boost his candidacy, Surakiart plans to highlight
the quiet, but effective, role that he and Thailand have
played in supporting the United States. End Summary.
STRAW POLL, WHAT STRAW POLL?
--------------
2. (C) DPM Surakiart's relentless crusade to replace UNSYG
Kofi Annan continues undaunted despite the shaky results of
the July 24 UN Security Council straw poll where Surakiart
reportedly received seven votes of encouragement, three votes
of discouragement and five votes of no opinion, finishing
third in a field of four. Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA)
officials interpreted these totals as signs that Surakiart
remains a serious candidate for the top job, even as some
media outlets have called for the DPM to abandon his efforts
after this major "snub." Indeed, both Surakiart supporters
and detractors have combed every statement made by UN member
states on the UNSYG selection process as "proof" of their
position.
I WANNA BE A FRIEND OF YOURS.. AND A LITTLE BIT MORE
-------------- --------------
3. (C) During lunch Surakiart said that his main pitch to U/S
Burns will be to remind him of the many quiet ways that
Thailand (read: Surakiart) has been a faithful ally of the
US. Among other things, he will mention the RTG's
willingness to send troops to both Afghanistan and Iraq even
given the problems in Southern Thailand; the RTG decision to
sign an Article 98 agreement; and other areas in which the
Thai have quietly cooperated with the USG in
counter-terrorism efforts. (Note: Surakiart will decline to
mention his initial opposition, when he was Foreign Minister,
to authorizing the U.S. military to deploy its humanitarian
relief mission out of Utapao in December 2004 following the
Indian Ocean tsunami. It was PM Thaksin who gave the U.S.
the green light. End note.)
4. (C) Surakiart reiterated his belief that the US should
play a strong leadership role at the UN. He said that if he
were to become UNSYG, he could be counted on to take US
interests into account.
5. (C) Comment: Surakiart was quick to point out that he
finished third, not fourth, in the UNSC straw poll. He shows
absolutely no signs of reconsidering his candidacy and will
maintain that he remains the firm ASEAN consensus candidate.
BOYCE