BURMESE DISSIDENTS EXPRESS INCREASED FEAR OF ARREST

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BANGKOK 005557 SIPDIS SIPDIS NSC FOR PHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/25/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV PREF PHUM KDEM KPAO TH BM SUBJECT: BURMESE DISSIDENTS EXPRESS INCREASED FEAR OF ARREST BANGKOK 00005557 001.2 OF 003 Classified By: Political Counselor Susan M. Sutton, reason 1.4 (b) and (d). -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) Burmese dissidents, including media organizations, reported to us that they received information Thai police and military escalated scrutiny of the activists' operations in Thailand. One prominent activist warned of impending arrests by the Thai authorities. Embassy RTG contacts told us they were unaware of any specific plan to crack down on Burmese activists in Thailand, but some indicated the RTG is concerned about the activities of Burmese dissidents, and RTG officials are gathering intelligence on their activities. Post has contacted a range of RTG officials to express concern. As of the early evening of October 25, neither the police nor the military had arrested any Burmese activists, as far as we could determine. End Summary. -------------- THREAT OF ARRESTS ESCALATES -------------- ¶2. (C) Late on October 25 Embassy contacts in the Burmese exile community told us that the Chief of the Thai Police, General Seripisut, issued arrest warrants for Burmese dissidents in 72 locations throughout Thailand. (More background in para nine.) We immediately called officials in the MFA, NSC, Royal Thai Police (RTP),and the Thai military to ascertain the validity of the report. Some of our contacts indicated the RTG was responding to derogatory information it received about Burmese activists in Thailand. However, their descriptions did not point to a wide scale roll-up of Burmese dissidents living in Thailand. ¶3. (C) In a follow-up to a previous conversation about this matter, the Ambassador spoke with Thai MFA Permanent Secretary Virasakdi Futrakul on October 25 to inquire about SIPDIS the reported arrest warrants. Virasakdi, who is currently traveling in Singapore, replied that he passed the Ambassador's message to his deputy as a matter to be raised with the Foreign Minister. Speaking personally, he continued, it has been Thai policy for decades not to permit anyone to attack neighbors from Thai soil. If the Thai police or military received information that any organization planned such attacks, he emphasized that the RTG would have to take action to prevent them. Virasakdi explained that under normal circumstances, any action would have to be coordinated with the NSC, but he could imagine that if the Thai military or police felt there was a serious threat, they might bypass interagency procedures. He said that he would return to Thailand late on October 25 and would follow up on this matter first thing on October 26. The Ambassador pointed out to Virasakdi that it would be extremely unwise at this juncture for the RTG to be seen as colluding with the Burmese junta. Virasakdi replied that he whole-heartedly agreed. ¶4. (C) Our working level contact, Director of the MFA Department of East Asian Affairs Kallayana Vipattipumiprates, told us that he was in close touch with the Thai Police Special Branch and had not heard anything specific about plans to arrest Burmese exiles, but that he would look into the matter and report back to us. Kallayana agreed with us that this was not the time for the Thais to begin turning over democracy activists to the Burmese and assured us that this was not the intention of the RTG. Kallayana mentioned that he received inquiries from Burmese security agencies concerned about protests in front of Burma's Embassy in BANGKOK 00005557 002.2 OF 003 Bangkok. He told us that his response to the Burmese was that as long as the protest remained peaceful, the RTG would not intervene. ¶5. (C) The RSO contacted the Royal Thai Police (RTP) late in the afternoon on October 25 to ask about the rumored arrest warrants. An RSO contact in the RTP acknowledged that the Special Branch and Metropolitan Police had been ordered to watch certain Burmese activists. The RSO contact stated that the RTP officials were not ordered to arrest the activists, only to gather intelligence, particularly relating to the possible planning of subversive acts against the Burmese Embassy in Bangkok. ¶6. (C) We were unable to reach any of our contacts at the NSC but will follow up on October 26. ¶7. (C) Consulate General Chiang Mai contacted Royal Thai Army officers responsible for northern border security and interaction with the RTP in northern Thailand. Both officers stated they received no instructions from their commanding officers regarding Burmese activists and claimed that they were not aware of any such instructions to the RTP or others. ¶8. (C) We also reached out to many Burmese activists in Bangkok and Chiang Mai and learned that the police made no arrests thus far. However, Burmese exiles told us they activated their network to inform their colleagues of the increased threat of arrests, and some dissidents decided to avoid their own offices and to contact us using third parties as a result. Irrawaddy editor Aung Zaw told us he was aware of the rumors but could point to no subsequent actions. He said that his staff had checked the story with their senior military contacts in northern Thailand, who reported no information of arrests or other action against Burmese dissidents in their districts. -------------- BACKGROUND -------------- ¶9. (C) Embassy has been in touch with Burmese activists since October 19 when we received the first reports of possible arrest warrants. Exile activist Maung Maung said that a contact of his at the National Security Council made an urgent call to warn him that the police chief had passed to all of his commanders a list with the names and the current locations in Thailand of 72 Burmese exiles. This NSC contact indicated to Maung Maung that the list originated from the Burmese MFA in Naypyidaw. Maung Maung received no specifics as to who was on this list or any indication whether or when those named would be arrested. He did learn that the majority of people were located in Mae Sot, with several others in Chiang Mai and Bangkok. As recently as the morning of October 25, Maung Maung indicated that he was not excessively concerned about these reports, although he appreciated the efforts by foreign embassies to raise concerns with the RTG, as we have. Late in the day on October 25, however, Maung Maung called to report he had heard arrest warrants had been issued, and that he feared arrests could be imminent. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶10. (C) If the exiles' claims are correct, this is not the first time that the Burmese requested that the RTG rein in exiles based in Thailand who continue to irritate the Burmese regime. However, we have yet to confirm these reports, despite numerous inquiries with Thai officials late in the BANGKOK 00005557 003.2 OF 003 day. We will continue to monitor the situation closely with both Burmese exiles and Thai official sources, and we will intercede with the RTG on behalf of pro-democracy activists if it appears the Thais are poised to crack down on them. It may be useful to call in the Thai Ambassador in Washington to underscore the Department's concerns on this issue. BOYCE