THAILAND UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 25

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BANGKOK 005895

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

TREASURY PASS TO FRB SAN FRANCISCO/TERESA CURRAN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/24/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL MOPS KDEM ASEC TH
SUBJECT: THAILAND UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 25

REF: A. BANGKOK 5874 (CONTINUED CALM)

B. BANGKOK 5834 (RETURNING TO NORMAL)

C. BANGKOK 5747 (HAT YAI BOMBING)

D. BANGKOK 5463 (BORWORNSAK ASSESSES THAKSIN)

Classified By: DCM Alexander A. Arvizu, reason 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: The Council for Democratic Reform Under the
Constitutional Monarchy (CDRM) banned both wiretapping and
political activities against the interests of the CDRM.
Television broadcasts have featured the coup leaders
receiving the Royal Command that gave the King's imprimatur
to their seizure of power. The CDRM has appointed members of
the National Counter Corruption Commission and a special
panel to investigate corruption during the Thaksin
administration. A September 23 roadside bomb in Pattani
province marked the first significant act of political
violence since the coup. An MFA official dismissed rumors of
a Burmese high-level visit to Thailand. The CDRM's search
for a civilian Prime Minister continues. End Summary.

CDRM UPDATE - MORE GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS
--------------


2. (C) The CDRM issued Public Announcement 21, banning
illegal eavesdropping/wiretapping of telephones or other
communications. This announcement appears to be in response
to the widespread fears (which we believe were justified)
that Thaksin and his supporters were using their control of
the largest cellphone operator to eavesdrop on their
political opponents (ref D). In Public Announcement 22, the
CDRM advised all administrative and political organizations
on the local level which "disagree with the CDRM" to "stop
their political movements or activities until the situation
in the country is back to normal." Nevertheless, press
reports indicated students and university lecturers in
Bangkok would hold an anti-coup political discussion at
Bangkok's Thammasat University late on the afternoon of
September 25.

RECEIPT OF ROYAL COMMAND TELEVISED
--------------


3. (C) All television stations simultaneously broadcast a
September 22 ceremony at which CDRM leader General Sonthi and
other CDRM figures received the Royal Command empowering the
CDRM to run the government (ref B). The King does not appear
in person for such ceremonies, however. Thai television has
yet to broadcast video footage of the King subsequent to his
August 4 release from a local hospital. Meanwhile, a Chinese
journalist from Guangming Daily informed us that the Thai MFA
protested a Xinhua News Agency story that linked the coup
with the monarchy, and Xinhua was in the process of formally
apologizing for the report.

CORRUPTION INVESTIGATIONS TO MOVE FORWARD
--------------


4. (C) The CDRM on September 22 appointed the members of the
National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC),to be headed
by Panthep Glanarongran, who formerly headed a royal
development foundation. (Note: The NCCC, one of the
independent agencies featured in the now-abolished 1997
Constitution, had not been operative since May 2005, when its
members resigned en masse after a legal determination of
wrongful action in connection with an attempt to raise their
own pay. End Note.) Embassy contacts in the NGO community
have generally characterized the new NCCC as credible,
although noting Panthep may not be the strongest figure to
chair it. One member of the new NCCC suggested publicly that
the NCCC would prioritize investigation of the purchase from
General Electric of CTX explosives detection equipment for
the new Bangkok airport. Besides appointing the NCCC
members, the CDRM also established a new eight-member panel
to focus solely on corruption in projects approved by the
Thaksin administration.

EDITORS KEEP AN EYE ON FTAS
--------------


5. (C) Since the coup, various editorial comments in the
press have warned disapprovingly that the CDRM might conclude
free trade agreements with foreign governments. (Note: An
FTA with Japan has been awaiting the Prime Minister's
signature since early 2006. End Note.) We believe the media
is primarily voicing concern in order to pre-empt any impulse
by the CDRM to use FTAs to gain foreign favor; we have no
reason to believe the media has detected concrete indicators
of CDRM interest in concluding FTAs. Numerous Embassy
contacts in the finance sector tell us the CDRM is highly
unlikely to take controversial steps or undertake major
initiatives in the economic realm.

SEVEN DAY CLOCK ON DETENTIONS
--------------


6. (C) In a September 25 meeting organized by the EU
delegation in Thailand to discuss human rights issues,
including those related to the recent coup, Somchai Homlaor
of the Lawyers Council of Thailand outlined some of the
CDRM's restrictions of civil liberties. In discussing the
cases of four prominent pro-Thaksin TRT politicians (ref A),
Somchai noted there are currently no declared charges against
them. Thai law stipulates that detainees would need to be
released within seven days unless criminal charges are filed.
(Note: Prommin Lertsuridej and Chidchai Vanasatidya have
been detained since September 19; Yongyuth Tiyapairat and
Newin Chidchob since September 23. End note.)

BOMBING IN THE SOUTH
--------------


7. (C) Midday on September 23, a roadside bomb injured four
policemen in the Muslim-majority province of Pattani. This
marked the first significant act of political violence in
southern Thailand since the September 19 coup. According to
press reports, the Pattani United Liberation Organization
(PULO) -- one of a half-dozen secessionist groups in southern
Thailand -- has publicly supported the coup, and Yala Islamic
Committee Deputy Chairman Nimu Makaje also publicly stated
that the coup could mark the beginning of reconciliation
between southern Thailand's Muslim population and the
country's Buddhist majority. Meanwhile, the authorities have
arrested two suspects in the September 16 Hat Yai bombings
(ref C).

BURMA VISIT UNLIKELY
--------------


8. (C) Kallayana Vipattipumiprates, Acting Director of the
MFA division responsible for Burmese affairs, told us on
September 25 that, contrary to rumor, Burmese Army
Commander-in-Chief Maung Aye would not/not visit Thailand in
the near future.

RUMOR CONTROL
--------------


9. (C) In the past few days, there has been widespread
speculation in the press and on the internet that the
generals' coup was in fact a move to pre-empt a coup that
Thaksin was planning for the following day. These appear to
be nothing more than an effort at a post-facto justification
of the coup by journalists, who are supporting the coup
because they hated Thaksin, but have a guilty conscience
about it. We note that the generals themselves have not
given this excuse, even in private, and it is clear that the
preparations for the coup started several days at least
before the event. Overall, we put this story in the category
of wishful thinking.

WHO WANTS TO BE A PRIME MINISTER?
--------------


10. (C) Lots of names are circulating as possible interim
Prime Minister, but no one candidate seems to have a clear
lead. Economic contacts say that Band of Thailand Governor
Pridyathorn does not want the job.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
--------------


11. (U) Former Agriculture Minister and Thai Rak Thai senior
official Sudarat Keyuraphan has returned to Bangkok from
Brussels with her family. She says she will take a break
from politics.

KINDER, GENTLER COUP - PHOTO OP OF THE DAY
--------------


12. (U) Everyday, the front page of the various newspapers
show pictures of smiling soldiers receiving flowers from the
public and playing with children. Today's best public
relations photo showed a smiling bride and groom in Chiang
Mai, getting their wedding pictures taken in front of a tank.
BOYCE