FRENCH FM KOUCHNER PROPOSES THAIS, ASEAN PUSH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BANGKOK 005620 SIPDIS SIPDIS NSC FOR PHU DEPT FOR EUR/EX - PLEASE PASS TO EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/31/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV PREF PHUM KDEM KPAO TH BM FR SUBJECT: FRENCH FM KOUCHNER PROPOSES THAIS, ASEAN PUSH BURMA TO DEMOCRATIZE BANGKOK 00005620 001.2 OF 003 Classified By: DCM James F. Entwistle, reason 1.4 (b) and (d). -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) During meetings this week with the Thai Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner encouraged Thailand to work with ASEAN to push Burma towards democratic change. Kouchner made a similar statement to the Singaporeans two days ago and according to French Embassy officials in Bangkok, Kouchner will make the same pitch to the Chinese when he travels to Beijing October 31. A French Embassy official told us that, contrary to how the news reported Kouchner's announcement, the French intention is for ASEAN to take the lead on these ideas, not France. The official went on to say that the Thais agreed in principle with Kouchner's proposal for the formation of a group of countries to support Gambari and the offer of economic incentives to the Burmese junta. However, a working level contact at the Thai MFA informed us France's ideas are in the beginning stages and that Thailand prefers to wait until the proposal is fleshed out more before the RTG fully backs it. Kouchner's ideas seem vague to the extreme. END SUMMARY. -------------- FRANCE TO WOO BURMA WITH FRIENDS AND MONEY -------------- ¶2. (C) On October 31 we spoke with Pascal Le Deunff, the political counselor at the French Embassy in Bangkok, regarding this week's visit of French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner. Le Deunff told us that on October 30 Kouchner discussed Burma separately with Thai Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont and Foreign Minister Nitya Pibulsonggram. Kouchner presented the same message to both Thai officials, stated Le Deunff, tracking also with Kouchner's discussion with Singaporean officials just prior to his travel to Bangkok. ¶3. (C) Kouchner's first proposal was that ASEAN create a group of countries to support UN Special Envoy for Burma Ibrahim Gambari in his mission to negotiate with the Burmese government. The purpose of this group, stated Le Deunff, was to enable Gambari to have more authority in his meetings with the Burmese junta. Kouchner described such a group as including China, Japan, ASEAN, the U.S., and the EU. ¶4. (C) Le Deunff told us that the second idea Kouchner presented to the Thais was the creation of a trust fund that would offer economic incentives to the Burmese government as a way to get the junta to move towards democracy. Le Deunff emphasized that any incentives would be tied to conditions, namely that the Burmese junta would have to demonstrate they have taken concrete measures towards national reconciliation and democracy. While Le Deunff had no details about these concepts yet, he mentioned that Kouchner envisioned the measures would be along the lines of the Burmese junta beginning and maintaining dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi (ASSK). Le Deunff added that this trust fund would complement the EU sanctions, which the French continued to support and which the French believed were necessary in light of the recent crackdown by the junta. However, the French political counselor conceded that it was still not clear who would manage such a trust fund or under what legal basis; the French foresaw the money being given to NGOs for humanitarian relief work. Le Deunff concluded that these incentives could BANGKOK 00005620 002.2 OF 003 be presented to the Burmese government along the lines of, "this economic package will bring much needed relief to your population." ¶5. (C) Le Deunff mentioned that Kouchner first introduced these ideas of a 'group of friends' and economic incentives during his visit to Singapore, just prior to his trip to Thailand. He said that Kouchner reasoned that by introducing these ideas in Bangkok and Singapore, France demonstrated its support of ASEAN's efforts to influence the Burmese junta. Contrary to some local media portrayals of the proposal, Le Deunff emphasized that the French government presented these ideas to Thailand and Singapore to get ASEAN to take action on the matter. France would not take the lead, he clarified. Rather, France believed that ASEAN could discuss this proposal at the summit in Singapore next month, knowing that France supported the idea. ¶6. (C) When we asked about the Thais' reaction to these ideas, Le Deunff responded that the Thais agreed in principle with the first idea (group of countries to support Gambari), though the Thais favored a group comprised primarily of Asian countries (ASEAN, China, India, Japan). Regarding the economic incentives package, he said the Thais believed this to be a very good idea, although they questioned how it could be implemented without Burmese government cooperation. Le Deunff said that Kouchner made it clear to the Thais that he does not want to be seen as a friend of the junta (i.e., giving the Burmese junta money directly). If it were to come to that, Kouchner reportedly stated, France would insist on the inclusion of ASSK in any discussions regarding the distribution of funds. ¶7. (C) We asked how this proposal differed from similar ones made in the past, most notably the World Bank's offer several years ago to which the junta said "we don't take money with conditions." Le Deunff believed that the situation had changed due to increased international attention on Burma and the junta's actions. He noted this new international context presented a window of opportunity that demanded new initiatives, even if similar ideas had been presented before. -------------- THAIS LESS ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT FRENCH PROPOSAL -------------- ¶8. (C) We also called the Thai Foreign Ministry on October 31 and spoke to their French Desk Officer, Pottanee Homjitt. She confirmed that Kouchner proposed the above ideas during his meetings with the Thai Foreign Minister and Prime Minister on October 30. However, she was quick to say that Kouchner's concepts had not been highly developed, and that Kouchner hadn't provided the RTG with any details. Pottanee continued that the Thais supported the ideas in general, but they had not decided how the RTG would proceed; instead the RTG would wait for details from the French and reactions from China and other ASEAN countries. She stated that Thailand had not made any decisions on what types of conditions would have to accompany an incentive package and noted that this was something that all the countries involved would have to decide together. As Pottanee understood, Singapore had not made any decisions either. She could not say whether this issue would be part of the formal agenda during the ASEAN summit next month. -------------- COMMENT -------------- BANGKOK 00005620 003.2 OF 003 ¶9. (C) The French proposal for a Burma trust fund seems hastily conceived and devoid of detail (like where the money would come from). Our French colleagues here had no qualms about characterizing their Foreign Minister's purpose in traveling to Asia as an opportunity to throw around ideas on Burma rather than pursue concrete proposals. We suspect the Thais were in classic polite listening mode. BOYCE