VISIT TO SHAN CAMP HIGHLIGHTS US CONCERN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CHIANG MAI 000059

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREF PREL PGOV TH BM
SUBJECT: VISIT TO SHAN CAMP HIGHLIGHTS US CONCERN

REF: 05 CHIANG MAI 245

CHIANG MAI 00000059 001.2 OF 002



1. (SBU) Summary. Despite the last-minute refusal by Thai
government authorities to allow entry into an informal Shan
refugee camp in northern Chiang Mai province, Ambassador Boyce's
March 21 visit to the area succeeded in highlighting U.S.
concern about the group. By traveling to the Thai-Burma border
area near the camp and meeting with Thai officials and Shan
groups, the Ambassador encouraged both sides to explore
solutions that would respect Royal Thai Government decisions,
protect the safety of the refugees, and allow greater access to
aid organizations offering humanitarian assistance. The
Ambassador later underscored U.S. interest in the Shan situation
by briefing National Security Council chief Gen. Winai on his
trip. End summary


2. (SBU) RTG sensitivities toward the status of ethnic Shan
refugees in Thailand came to the fore March 21 when Ambassador
Boyce attempted to visit a group of some 600 refugees based at
an informal camp in Wiang Haeng, Chiang Mai province. Thirty
minutes before setting out for the camp, the Ambassador was told
by Chiang Mai Governor Suwat Tantipat that the trip was "not
appropriate." Suwat said he worried that the visit would
strain Thai-Burmese relations and give prominence to the Shan
that the Thai government did not want. At the same time, Suwat
acknowledged the importance of acting in accord with
humanitarian principles and noted that the RTG turns a blind eye
toward the assistance provided the Shan by NGOs.


3. (SBU) After assuring Gov. Suwat that he did not intend the
visit to be a media event, the Ambassador requested and received
permission to travel to an RTA border outpost located 1.5
kilometers from Goong Jor and meet with Swan Women's Action
Network (SWAN) member Charm Tong, who had discussed Burmese
issues with President Bush at the White House last October, and
other Shan representatives. Col. Suthad Charumanee, an ethnic
Shan and RTA 7th Infantry Regiment commander, accompanied the
delegation along with several members of his staff to the border
post.
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Thai Concerns About the Shan
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4. (SBU) The 600 Shan have been living in the makeshift Goong
Jor camp since 2002, after fighting between the Burmese State
Peace and Development Council (SPDC) and the Shan State
Army-South (SSA-S) drove the residents of four small villages
across the border into Thailand (reftel). The RTG has not given
official refugee status to the Shan because of what Thai
officials call the close ethnic, linguistic and cultural
relationship between the Thai and Shan peoples. With these
close ties, RTG officials say, Shan can easily assimilate into
Thai society and refugee camps could be used to perpetuate armed
conflict inside Burma. The Thai also worry about the pull
factor and say the Shan in practice are allowed to enter
Thailand when fleeing fighting. Without official refugee
status, Shan leaders fear their populations are more vulnerable
to labor exploitation and political mistreatment, while
international aid organizations face more barriers to
distributing food and medical assistance. While there are no
precise statistics on the Shan in Thailand, the number is likely
to be in the hundreds of thousands. Some have lived in Thailand
for many years, though others are more recent arrivals who have
fled fighting or persecution in Burma.


5. (SBU) Col. Suthad and Gov. Suwat assured the Ambassador that
the RTG would not forcefully move the 600 Shan away from their
current location. Instead, the Thais are proposing the Shan
voluntarily move to a less accessible location a few kilometers
away, called Doi Dam, which the RTG claimed was a safer location
with more fertile soil. This area is across the border from
SSA-S occupied territory in Burma; the Thais hope that the Shan
will eventually cross back into Burma to the SSA-S controlled
area. In the event of an SPDC attack, the RTG would provide
refuge at the Doi Dam location, allowing the Shan quick movement
across the border as needed. Col. Suthad said he understood the
refugees' concerns but that their leaders had refused to fully
listen to the RTG's proposals.
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Shan Concerns About Thai Proposals
--------------


6. (SBU) Later, in a separate meeting near Goong Jor, SWAN
members and refugee representatives told Ambassador Boyce that
the Thai proposals were less than ideal and did not address
their educational and health needs. From their current
location, refugee children are able to attend Thai government
schools in two nearby towns; it would be more difficult to do so
from the remote Doi Dam area and educational opportunities
inside Burma are nearly non-existent. RTG officials responded

CHIANG MAI 00000059 002.2 OF 002


that children could be allowed to board at their current schools
but that such details had yet to be worked out. Both sides also
disagreed over the quality of access roads to Doi Dam during the
rainy season.


7. (SBU) Refugee representatives said they see a return to
Burma, even to SSA-S-controlled areas, as too dangerous and have
no desire to give the appearance that they have aligned
themselves with Shan rebel forces. Although there has been no
recent major violence between SSA-S and SPDC forces, Shan
leaders said the risk of landmines or attacks from the SPDC and
United Wa State Army was still too high to return to their
homeland. Shan leaders said they were unlikely to accept offers
to relocate.


8. (SBU) A handful of NGOs, some of which also work in the nine
ethnic Karen and Karenni refugee camps along the Thai-Burma
border, are currently supplying Goong Jor with basic foodstuffs
and medical supplies. The Ambassador told the Shan that the USG
would look into getting NGOs better access to the group and
possibly dedicating some USAID funds for the refugees through
Shan community-based organizations. USAID's U.S. NGO partners
have begun discussions with these groups regarding possible
assistance to strengthen access to health and education services
and anticipate beginning to award sub-grants and providing
targeted technical support as early as May 2006. The Ambassador
encouraged the Shan to listen to the RTG proposals and consider
them carefully and added that he would convey their concerns
about access to humanitarian aid to the Thai government and
other interested parties. The Ambassador stressed, however,
that any move of the Goong Jor group would have to be voluntary.


9. (SBU) To underline U.S. interest in the Shan situation, on
March 24 the Ambassador briefed NSC chief Gen. Winai Phattiyakul
on the trip. Ambassador said the current situation seemed
satisfactory and emphasized that anything the RTG asks the Goong
Jor group to do should be voluntary. Winai commented that the
Ambassador was the first envoy from any country to visit the
Goong Jor area.


10. (SBU) Comment: The Chiang Mai Provincial Office confirmed
that the last-minute decision to stop the Ambassador from
visiting Goong Jor was made by Gov. Suwat, after informal
consultation with colleagues at the Ministry of Interior. The
MOI, which drives policy on refugees, prefers to keep the Shan
issue low-profile and Gov. Suwat reportedly wanted to avoid any
publicity that might damage the Thaksin government in the
lead-up to the election. The high level of attention the USG
decided to give to the Shan refugees struck a particularly
sensitive nerve in this context. While the Thai military's
proposed temporary solutions are not ideal for the Shan, the
Ambassador's demonstration of USG interest should help prevent
any drastic actions that will affect this group and open the
door for greater access for humanitarian aid. Shan leaders
expressed their appreciation for the Ambassador's trip, which
they regarded as extremely helpful.
CAMP