PRM DAS RYAN'S MARCH 23-26 VISIT TO THAILAND

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BANGKOK 001891 SIPDIS SIPDIS GENEVA FOR RMA E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/28/2017 TAGS: PREF PHUM PREL TH LA BM SUBJECT: PRM DAS RYAN'S MARCH 23-26 VISIT TO THAILAND BANGKOK 00001891 001.2 OF 003 Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR SUSAN SUTTON. REASON 1.4 (B,D) ¶1. (C) Summary. During a March 23-26 visit, RTG officials told PRM DAS Kelly Ryan that the Lao Hmong issue, including the group in detention in Nong Khai, was deadlocked. The issue was complicated by a number of factors, and the RTG needed additional time to talk with the Lao government. The Thai expressed appreciation for U.S. resettlement of camp Burmese and said they would consider U.S. plans to extend resettlement processing to an additional two new camps later this year. They noted that they had to balance humanitarian concerns for the Burmese with the possibility that resettlement could draw more Burmese into Thailand. DAS Ryan discussed the possibility of using Wat Tham Krabok to process non-Burmese refugees. The Thai responded that this was different from the original idea for Tham Krabok and would require agreement from local authorities. The two sides agreed to remain in contact on this issue. Burma border NGOs said they had recently heard more positive RTG statements on Burmese refugee issues. End summary. ¶2. (C) PRM DAS Kelly Ryan visited Thailand from March 23-26 on refugee issues. Her discussions focused on North Korean, Hmong, and Burmese refugee issues. The North Korean issue is reported septel. Ryan met with RTG , UNHCR, ROK, IOM, and NGO officials, She also visited the Overseas Processing Entity, or regional refugee processing unit, and the Thai immigration detention facility and YWCA where North Korean refugees are housed. -------------- Meeting with MFA -------------- ¶3. (C) In her meeting with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) International Organization Department Deputy Director General Peerasak Chantavarin, DAS Ryan expressed appreciation for the RTG's decision to refrain from deporting to Laos the group of over 150 Lao Hmong refugees currently in detention in Thailand's border city of Nong Khai. She stated the USG's willingness to conduct U.S. resettlement interviews of those in the group referred to the U.S. by UNHCR. Ryan encouraged Peerasak to move the group, for humanitarian reasons, to a better facility. She also urged him to move quickly to resolve the Nong Khai Hmong issue. She recalled the excellent U.S.-Thai cooperation on the large Wat Tham Krabok resettlement project and said the USG wanted to work again with the RTG on the issue of the larger Hmong group in Petchaboon. There were some in this group with strong, genuine refugee claims and the key issue was how to distinguish them from others. The U.S. was opposed to forced repatriation of any who had legitimate refugee claims. A solution that combined resettlement with repatriaion for those without refugee claims was best. ¶4. (C) Peerasak responded that the Lao Hmong issue was deadlocked. The Wat Tham Krabok project has raised the hopes of others for U.S. resettlement. MFA was aware that some of the Lao Hmong should not be returned to Laos. When thinking about the Nong Khai Hmong, the RTG also had to consider the larger Petchaboon issue and Thai relations with Laos. The Petchaboon issue was further complicated by the involvement of traffickers and Hmong-American encouragement to Lao Hmong to go to Thailand for possible U.S. resettlement. There also seemed to be differences within the Lao government on the issue, with the military taking a harder line. Peerasak argued that there was little fighting occurring now in Laos between the Hmong and the Lao government. The prevailing feeling in the RTG was that good Lao cooperation was essential to any resolution of the Hmong issue. The Lao government had told the RTG that it should not allow third party involvement in the Petchaboon issue. Peerasak said that developed countries should try to work more with the Lao government to open up the country. Peerasak emphasized that the RTG needed time to talk more with the Lao. ¶5. (C) DAS Ryan noted that the USG hoped to resettle 15,000 camp Burmese to the U.S. during the current fiscal year and wanted also to start processing in two additional camps, Nu Po and Umpiem Mai, this summer. She noted that the RTG had shown leadership in addressing the protracted Burmese refugee situation by permitting resettlement and opening the door to enhanced training and work opportunities for those refugees who did not resettle. Peerasak expressed appreciation for U.S. help in sharing the burden of the Burmese refugees. The RTG was trying to deal with the issue in a humanitarian manner. It did remain concerned, however, with the pull factor and the number of Burmese coming forward to the Thai refugee screening boards. MFA nevertheless expected the BANGKOK 00001891 002.2 OF 003 numbers situation to stabilize. Peerasak said there was no change in RTG policy on new refugee arrivals from Burma. -------------- Meeting with NSC -------------- ¶6. (C) DAS Ryan reiterated the points about the Lao Hmong and Burmese resettlement in her meeting with NSC Secretary General Prakit. Prakit responded that the RTG did not think there was much fighting occurring in Laos. Recently, for the first time, the Lao had admitted that the Lao Hmong in Petchaboon and other locations in Thailand were from Laos and that they could return to Laos. The Lao government wanted the Nong Khai Hmong to return to Laos and it was the right of the Lao government to ask for this. The RTG wanted to have good relations with its neighbor. Nevertheless, the RTG had decided that it could not send the Nong Khai group back to Laos. It was not prepared, however, at this point to permit third country resettlement. It did not want to hurt Lao government feelings. Many of the Lao Hmong in Petchaboon, according to Prakit, had entered Thailand because they wanted U.S. resettlement. They were encouraged in this by Hmong-Americans, despite USG statements that there would not be another Wat Tham Krabok resettlement program. Prakit said that, in principle, the Petchaboon group had to return to Laos, but it should be voluntary. Some resettlement was possible. Prakit added that the RTG had advised the Lao government that it should permit international organizations to monitor any returnees from Petchaboon to Laos in order to forestall charges that returnees were being abused. Prakit noted that Prime Minister Surayud had directed that the Petchaboon group be moved to a new location. The RTG was preparing a new camp but it was still uncertain when the transfer would occur. ¶7. (C) On resettlement from the Burma border camps, Prakit said the RTG appreciated USG efforts. It was disappointed that more refugees from Tham Hin had not chosen to seek resettlement. The RTG hoped that more would take this option in the future, because it hoped to reduce the numbers in the camps. There was still a concern about the pull factor and Prakit noted that 5,000 new persons had recently arrived in Mae La Camp. He said that he thought it would acceptable for refugees from Nu Po and Umpiem Mai to be resettled, though noted the proximity of the two camps to the Burma border. The RTG subcommittee, which Prakit said he chaired, would have to meet to discuss the issue. Prakit added that the RTG remained interested in the idea of using Wat Tham Krabok as a resettlement processing center. -------------- Meeting with MOI -------------- ¶8. (C) In her meeting with MOI Deputy Permanent Secretary Surraud, DAS Ryan raised in detail the Wat Tham Krabok processing center proposal. Noting that RTG representatives had pressed her on the issue recently in Geneva, she said that it might be possible for the U.S. to support the idea. The original plan, however, had been somewhat expensive and was not big enough. She suggested an alternative of using the site for the processing of smaller groups of non-Burmese, such as North Koreans, Lao Hmong, urban Burmese screened in by the Thai refugee admissions boards, and refugees from non-Asian countries who would otherwise face difficult living conditions in Thailand or be vulnerable to trafficking or abuse. DAS Ryan said that we should think about revising the original plan in ways that make sense for the needs of the RTG, the refugees, and resettlement countries. It would also be important to seek other governments' views. The USG and the Thai government should remain in touch on the issue. ¶9. (C) Surraud responded that the RTG's original idea was that the site be used only for processing of Burmese camp refugees. If the U.S. thought the site might also be used for North Koreans, this would be a policy issue that would need to be raised with the Thai NSC and MFA. Surraud also noted that expanding the project to include other refugee groups would require additional discussions with local officials and the abbot who controlled the temple grounds where Wat Tham Krabok was located. There had previously only been agreement with local officials and the abbot on Burmese refugees. ¶10. (C) Surraud added that if the U.S. thought that the original plan was not big enough to handle Burmese camp resettlement, the U.S. should provide a new number so a revised plan could be developed. BANGKOK 00001891 003.2 OF 003 -------------- NGO Views on Current Burma Border Situation -------------- ¶11. (U) Burma border assistance NGOs told DAS Ryan that they were more optimistic about general RTG policy towards the Burmese border refugee camps. Recent public statements were more positive than the harsher rhetoric of late last year. The Thai had indicated that it was acceptable in principle for refugees to attend Thai universities, though they had also noted that the issue had to be carefully handled because many Thai were not able to attend university. There was also renewed receptiveness to refugee employment, including most probably in agriculture. At the same time, practical problems, such as access to land, had to be addressed. ARVIZU