FORMAL THAI POSITION ON BURMA UNSC RESOLUTION

UNCLAS BANGKOK 000271 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PHUM UNSC BM TH SUBJECT: FORMAL THAI POSITION ON BURMA UNSC RESOLUTION REF: BANGKOK 233 (ASEAN VIEW) ¶1. (SBU) The Ambassador on January 11 spoke with MFA Permanent Secretary Krit Garnjana-Gooncharn about the UNSC draft Burma resolution, subsequent to the discussion reported in reftel. Krit reported that, in discussions in Cebu, many ASEAN officials voiced the view that ASEAN was a more suitable forum than the UNSC for handling Burma matters. The ASEAN Foreign Ministers assessed the resolution would likely pass, Krit said, and no one had suggested an AESAN statement should come out against the resolution. Citing Prime Minister Surayud's view that the RTG would not indefinitely help to stave off international pressure on Burma, Krit said the Burmese would have to do something to show progress toward democratization. ¶2. (SBU) Krit forwarded a non-paper stating RTG position on the draft UNSC resolution. Krit said the RTG would not announce this position publicly, but would use the points on an "if asked" basis. Thus, we were disappointed to see local press reports quoting Foreign Minister Nitya Pibulsonggram in Cebu as telling the press "a resolution to sanction Burma should not be proposed at the United Nations Security Council as the issue did not pose a threat to international security." ¶3. (U) The text of the non-paper follows. BEGIN TEXT Thailand's Position on the Draft UNSC Resolution on Myanmar Thailand's Position Thailand supports the role of the United Nations in the ongoing endeavor to promote the process of national reconciliation and democratization in Myanmar. Thailand strongly supports the efforts of the UN Secretary-General to implement his "good offices" mission on this issue. Thailand shares with the international community the common goal for the Myanmar Government to produce concrete and credible political progress. Thailand has constructively engaged with the Myanmar Government both at bilateral and multilateral levels in its endeavor to promote the process of national reconciliation and democratization. Multilaterally, Thailand strongly believes in a collective regional effort. We believe that ASEAN, as the leading regional organization, has the capacity to address the issue and situation within its own region in a constructive manner as envisaged by Chapter VIII of the UN Charter. This is in consonance with what President George W. Bush suggested during his meeting with ASEAN-7 leaders at the APEC Summit in Hanoi last November. Thailand's definitive position on the draft resolution will thus be part of a collective ASEAN position. Therefore, Thailand, as an ASEAN member state, has encouraged the Myanmar Government to reinvigorate its close cooperation with ASEAN through the existing mechanism and other initiatives. On the draft UNSC resolution, Thailand has no difficulty in general with the assessment therein contained on the current situation in Myanmar. However, the apparent attempt to establish some kind of a legal basis for the Security Council to assume the principal role and oversight in this matter seems much contrived. Another concern is that taking the issue of Myanmar to the UNSC would increase the inherent propensity to veer towards punitive action. END TEXT BOYCE