BURMESE ALLEGE US SUPPORT FOR VIOLENT ATTACKS

C O N F I D E N T I A L BANGKOK 005568

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NSC FOR PHU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/25/2017
TAGS: PHUM PREL TH BM
SUBJECT: BURMESE ALLEGE US SUPPORT FOR VIOLENT ATTACKS


Classified By: Ambassador Ralph L. Boyce, reason 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: The Burmese MFA strongly criticized the
Thai position on Burma, and alleged US support for armed
violence against Burma by the Karen National Union. The
accusations were made in a recent meeting between the Burmese
deputy foreign minister U Maung Myint and the Thai
ambassador, according to the Thai MFA permanent secretary.
END SUMMARY.


2. (C) Thai MFA permanent secretary Virasakdi Futrukul
(protect) told Ambassador on October 26 about criticisms and
accusations made by the Burmese MFA. He said that the
Burmese DFM had called in the Thai ambassador following the
recent visit of UN envoy Gambari in Bangkok At the end of
that visit, Prime Minister Surayud had publicly commented on
the possibility of creating a mechanism along the lines of
the six-party talks used for North Korea. The Burmese side
criticized these comments sharply, saying they hoped that
Surayud had been misquoted, and labeling the comments as
interference in Burma's internal affairs. The DFM threatened
unspecified repercussions.


3. (C) According to Virasakdi, the DFM then read from a
Burmese "intelligence report," claiming that US military
officials had met with Karen National Union (KNU) leaders in
Mae Sot (Thailand) on October 6. They further claimed that,
on October 10, "Col. George Smith of the US Marines" and an
Embassy officer had met the KNU again. DFM U Maung Myint
further claimed that the US was providing grenades, night
vision goggles, and patrol boats to the KNU, and would help
KNU forces to attack a cement factory inside Burma. Finally,
he claimed that the US was using the diplomatic pouch to
bring weapons for the ethnic opposition groups into Thailand,
and he asked Thailand to stop this from continuing.


4. (C) The Ambassador told Virasakdi that the charges were,
of course, untrue. Virasakdi appeared to accept this, but
noted that he had seen a transcript of a Congressional
hearing in which a member of Congress had asked an
administration official why the USG was not arming the ethnic
resistance groups.


5. (C) COMMENT: We are double checking, and cannot find any
indication of a military officer or US official of any kind
having meetings on the dates specified. We do meet with
representatives of ethnic groups, including the KNU, in Mae
Sot and other places, and will continue to do so. For
example, Congen Chiang Mai poloff met with KNU officials in
Mae Sot on October 4. The efforts to link the US to armed
insurgent activity are troubling, and may be difficult to
tamp down. We cannot, of course, rule out or control private
American support to armed groups in Burma.

BOYCE