AMBASSADOR CRUMPTON DISCUSSES CT COOPERATION WITH

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGKOK 000501

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/26/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER TH PSI
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR CRUMPTON DISCUSSES CT COOPERATION WITH
RTG OFFICIALS

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


1. (C) Summary: S/CT Coordinator Henry Crumpton and
Ambassador Boyce met with Deputy Prime Minister and Justice
Minister Chidchai Wannasathit, National Security Council
General Secretary General General Winai Phattiyakul and
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Counter-terrorism Coordinator
Ambassador Kriangsak Kittichaisaree on January 23.
Ambassador Crumpton thanked his Thai hosts for their
country's cooperation with the U.S. in the war on terrorism,
and added that we should look at additional areas to work
together. He urged the Thai to support the PSI and to sign
and ratify all of the UN counter-terrorism conventions.
Ambassador Crumpton emphasized the Secretary's call for
increased regional cooperation in combating international
terrorism. Both Ambassadors Crumpton and Boyce urged the
Thais to exercise strict adherence to human rights principles
in their efforts to fight violent terrorists in Thailand's
south. End summary.


2. (C) In back to back meetings with Deputy Prime Minister
and Justice Minister Chidchai Wannasathi and on National
Security Council General Secretary General General Winai
Phattiyakulon January 23, Ambassador Crumpton expressed his
deep satisfaction with Thai continued willingness to work
with the United States against international terrorism. He
cited the capture of Hambali in 2003 as a textbook example of
how cooperation and information sharing can bring
international terrorists to book. Both DPM Chidchai and
General Winai shared Ambassador Crumpton's satisfaction with
the state of US-Thai counter-terrorism (CT) cooperation and
agreed on the need for more joint efforts to meet new threats
to the region.


3. (C) Ambassador Crumpton noted that new international
threats are coming to the fore. Iran's profile is rising and
Al Qaeda remains a long-term threat. Bio-terrorism is an
area of particular concern. He stressed the importance of
Thailand signing on to the Proliferation Security Initiative
(PSI) in light of the evolving threat. Ambassador Crumpton
also urged Thailand to sign and ratify all of the UN Counter
Terrorism Conventions. Winai responded that Thailand in
recent years has been facing a new dynamic. He said that
Thailand's experience in combating the avian flu has raised
sensitivities on the Public Health Ministry's need to address
potential bio-terrorism threats. Winai said that Thailand
consults with its ASEAN partner Singapore on CT issues and
cited the recent urban disaster response "Exercise North
Star" in Singapore as particularly relevant for Thailand's
needs.


4. (C) Ambassador Crumpton told both Winai and Deputy Prime
Minister Chidchai that the Secretary is emphasizing the
importance of regional cooperation in the international
effort against terrorism. Al Qaida (AQ) and Jemaah Islamiya
(JI) ignore international borders, he said -- in response we
need to cooperate across borders. Ambassador Crumpton added
that it is important now that we graduate from CT operational
commonality to regional CT policy coordination. As threats
and locales change, so must strategies to confront them.


5. (S) Turning to the violence in Thailand's deep south,
Ambassador Crumpton asked Chidchai for his assessment.
Chidchai commented that "things are on the right path," and
described related U.S. assistance to Thailand as "just
right." In response to Ambassador Crumpton's query, Chidchai
said that Thai-Malaysian cooperation on their border is good.
The Ambassador asked about the recently announced civil
rights commissions that will succeed the National
Reconciliation Commission (NRC) (The National Committee on
Civil Liberties and Justice and the Independent Commission on
Justice and Civil Liberties for the Southern Border
Provinces). Chidchai said that these bodies will help ensure
that security personnel will not abuse their powers. He said
he himself has been urging security forces personnel to
respect citizens' human rights. The Ambassador pointed out
that they should be aware that separatists will try to
provoke the security forces and that any brutal responses by
police or soldiers would only play into the hands of the
separatists. Both Ambassadors Crumpton and Boyce stressed
the need to Chidchai for Thai police and army personnel to
adhere to good human rights practices while enforcing
security measures in the region. (This point was also
strongly emphasized to Chidchai by Embassy SA in a meeting
the same day.)


6. (C) Ambassador Crumpton also emphasized to Ministry of
Foreign Affairs Counter-terrorism Coordinator Ambassador
Kriangsak Kittichaisaree the priority Washington has given to
regional cooperation against international terrorism and
urged Thailand to announce support for the PSI Statement of
Principles and all of the UN Counter Terrorism conventions.
Kriangsak described to Ambassador Crumpton the RTG's efforts
to keep Thai Muslim youth from being attracted to Al Qaeda
and JI's philosophy by improving the education system and
through expanded job training programs. Kriengsak said that
religious school-educated Thai Muslims do not have adequate
Thai language or marketable employment skills. Kriangsak
agreed with Ambassador on the need for greater
counter-terrorism cooperation in Southeast Asia and noted
that the Thai Embassy in Jakarta had been threatened in the
aftermath of the Tak Bai incident. Kriangsak also noted the
past U.S. role in detaining and turning over to Thailand
Somali pirates who had hijacked a Thai fishing vessel in the
Indian Ocean, citing this as a good example of multilateral
cooperation against international crime.
BOYCE