Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07CHIANGMAI200
2007-12-18 04:05:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Consulate Chiang Mai
Cable title:  

LOCAL MOI OFFICIAL ADMITS RAIDS IN CHIANG RAI TARGET PPP AND

Tags:  PGOV MOPS PINS TH LA CH 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO4063
PP RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHGH RUEHHM RUEHVC
DE RUEHCHI #0200 3520405
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P R 180405Z DEC 07
FM AMCONSUL CHIANG MAI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0627
INFO RHMFISS/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RUEHCHI/AMCONSUL CHIANG MAI 0681
C O N F I D E N T I A L CHIANG MAI 000200 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/18/2017
TAGS: PGOV MOPS PINS TH LA CH
SUBJECT: LOCAL MOI OFFICIAL ADMITS RAIDS IN CHIANG RAI TARGET PPP AND
VOTE BUYING

REF: A. A. CHIANG MAI 192 (OPPONENTS TAKE AIM AT PRO-THAKSIN FRONT-RUNNER)

B. B. CHIANG MAI 185 (NORTHERN VILLAGERS EXPECT RTG TO TRY TO LIMIT PPP SUCCESS)

C. C. BANGKOK 6007 (THAI ELECTION BODY GRAPPLES WITH FRAUD, ARMY INTERFERENCE)

CLASSIFIED BY: Alex Barrasso, Chief, Pol/Econ , CG Chiang Mai.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)



C O N F I D E N T I A L CHIANG MAI 000200

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/18/2017
TAGS: PGOV MOPS PINS TH LA CH
SUBJECT: LOCAL MOI OFFICIAL ADMITS RAIDS IN CHIANG RAI TARGET PPP AND
VOTE BUYING

REF: A. A. CHIANG MAI 192 (OPPONENTS TAKE AIM AT PRO-THAKSIN FRONT-RUNNER)

B. B. CHIANG MAI 185 (NORTHERN VILLAGERS EXPECT RTG TO TRY TO LIMIT PPP SUCCESS)

C. C. BANGKOK 6007 (THAI ELECTION BODY GRAPPLES WITH FRAUD, ARMY INTERFERENCE)

CLASSIFIED BY: Alex Barrasso, Chief, Pol/Econ , CG Chiang Mai.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)




1. (C) Raids in Chiang Rai Province in October and November by
military and police officials targeted "old power" and vote
buying, Association of Kamnan (local government leaders) and
Village Heads of Northern Thailand President Inwan Bangnguen
told Consulate staff on a Dec. 5 trip to Chiang Rai. Although
the People's Power Party (PPP - the successor to the Thai Rak
Thai Party of former Prime Minister Thaksin) was the main
target, Bangnguen, who was appointed to his position by the
Ministry of the Interior, said officials of other parties were
also singled out to make the raids seem "unbiased." Both
Bangnguen and PPP candidate Samart Kaewmeechai told us search
warrants were obtained before the raids, on the grounds that the
targeted officials either had illegal weapons, were harboring
illegal aliens, or were involved in illegal businesses. In one
particular case, the home of Kaewmeechai's assistant was
searched, yielding a list of participants in an illegal lottery,
and leading to her being fined 4,000 Baht (Approx. USD 120).


2. (C) Personnel from approximately 100 different units
conducted the raids, according to Bangnguen, targeting a total
of 30-40 houses. Kaewmeechai's assistant told us that after the
raids were carried out, local military officials often
apologized to the owners of raided residences, saying they had
no advanced knowledge of the impending searches. She said some
of the soldiers conducting the raids were from regular military
units based outside Chiang Rai, while others were Army Rangers.
Kaewmeechai and Bangnguen told us that the police cooperatively
produced search warrants whenever asked by the residents of a
targeted house. In some cases, Bangnguen alleged the raids
turned up illegal aliens, though he admitted that no illegal
weapons were found, no arrests were made, and no charges had
been filed against anyone as a result of the raids.


3. (C) In a separate telcon, Bangkok Post reporter Subin
Khuenkaew, who is well-connected with the Thai military, told us
the main objective of the raids was to keep cash from outside
Thailand from being smuggled into the country to support the
PPP. He asserted that PPP Deputy Party Leader Yongyuth
Tiyapairath and former Prime Minister Thaksin were planning to
bring money into the country from China and Laos, that would be
used to finance vote-buying. According to Khuenkaew, Thai
military intelligence got wind of the plot and the raids were
conducted in an attempt to forestall it.

--------------
COMMENT
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4. (C) Regardless of the legal justification for the raids, it
appears they were intended to suppress vote-buying by the PPP.
Bangnguen's admission that only a small number of other parties'
canvassers were targeted, and only to make the raids appear
even-handed, is further evidence that the military is more
concerned about the PPP's vote-buying than it is about similar
activity by other parties. In this case, they may have been
following a legitimate lead on illegal activity, but overall,
the extra attention paid to the PPP may backfire, pushing
vote-buying underground, and gaining voter sympathy for the
party, which may be perceived as being unfairly singled out by
the military-appointed government.

MORROW