U.S. - JAPAN - AUSTRALIA CT DIALOGUE: MILITARY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGKOK 002534

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

PACOM FOR FPA HUSO

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/02/2017
TAGS: MARR PGOV MASS PTER TH
SUBJECT: U.S. - JAPAN - AUSTRALIA CT DIALOGUE: MILITARY
DISCUSSIONS

REF: BANGKOK 1349

BANGKOK 00002534 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: Political Counselor Susan M. Sutton. Reason 1.4 (a and
d)


1. (C) Summary. As part of our local trilateral CT
dialogue (reftel),representatives from the U.S., Japanese
and Australian Missions in Bangkok agreed to explore holding
a joint training event at either the Bangkok airport or
seaport to enhance Thai capabilities. Japan appears willing
to expand its participation in civil affairs training under
the aegis of the Cobra Gold military exercise but will need
to be able to tell the Diet that the projects are designed
for Japanese peacekeeper engineers and medics to train Thai
peacekeepers. Japanese and Australian officials are willing
to share the names of Thai security forces they train with
the EMBASSY to avoid duplication of effort. End Summary.

TRILATERAL COOPERATION


2. (C) On May 2, JUSMAGTHAI hosted a meeting among working
level military and political officers from the Japanese,
Australian and U.S. Embassies to explore possible
opportunities for collaboration in enhancing Thai
counterterrorism capabilities. The meeting was held as part
of the local trilateral CT dialogue with those countries.
Defense Attache Squadron Leader Ritchie Cunningham outlined
Australia's military training and educational events aimed at
the Thai military and made special mention of Australian
collaboration with Thai immigration authorities at Bangkok's
new international airport. First Secretary Hiromoto Oyama
and Defense Attache COL Yukihiro Kusama explained legal
restrictions in Japan that limit the types of cooperation the
GOJ can offer the Thai. As moderator, the U.S. reviewed
possible areas for collaboration.


3. (C) In order to reduce the risk of duplication of
effort, representatives from all three missions agreed to
share with each other the names of Thai officials they train.
JUSMAGTHAI extended offers to assist both the Australian and
Japanese military plan force protection measures to protect
visiting Australian or Japanese warships or military units.
Japanese officials explained that their regulations permit
them to construct facilities to enhance host country CT
capabilities so long as the managing agency of those
facilities is civilian. Thus, it appears unlikely that Japan
could help to fund U.S. initiatives to build a National
Training Facility (NTF) to be used by Thai police and
military units but administered by the Royal Thai Army.

PEACE SUPPORT OPERATIONS AND CIVIL AFFAIRS PROGRAMS


4. (C) Australia expressed an interest in becoming more
involved in our Peace Support Operations training with the
Thai military once the U.S. lifts coup sanctions. The
Japanese participate in the Peace Keeping computer simulation
Command Post Exercise (CPX) which is part of our annual Cobra
Gold military exercise in Thailand. This year, for the first
time, Japanese Ground Self Defense Force personnel will join
U.S., Thai and Singaporean medics in conducting Medical Civil
Affairs Projects (MEDCAPS) in Thailand as part of Cobra Gold.
The Japanese explained that they would be willing to explore
expanding their participation in civil affairs training as
part of Cobra Gold or as part of other exercises but noted
that in order to win Japanese Diet approval of that
participation, the MEDCAPS or Engineering Civil Affairs
Projects (ENCAPS) would have to be justified as Japanese
experts helping to improve Royal Thai Army MEDCAP and ENCAP
capabilities -- not simply as an opportunity to enhance their
own skills or build facilities for the Thai. JUSMAGTHAI
intends to share this information with Marine Forces Pacific
(MARFORPAC),the executive agent for Cobra Gold 2008, in the
hopes we can expand Japanese participation in Cobra Gold.

MASS CASUALTY EXERCISES AT THAI AIRPORTS OR SEAPORTS


5. (C) Japanese representatives expressed a willingness to
work with the U.S., Australia and Thailand to develop a
mass-casualty exercise at either Bangkok's new international
airport or seaport to enhance Thai capabilities to respond to
a WMD incident. The Japanese explained that their experts

BANGKOK 00002534 002.2 OF 002


would have to work with civilian agencies in the Thai
government -- not the Thai military -- to implement the
exercise. The Japanese suggested that Japanese civilian
experts could partner with U.S. and Australian military
counterparts to carry out the exercise. JUSMAGTHAI will
continue to work with Thai authorities to develop crisis
response drills at Thai ports and offered to work with Japan
and Australia to determine whether a multi-lateral exercise
could be designed -- perhaps with the assistance of the
Washington State National Guard.
BOYCE