CAMBODIA LIKELY TO SUPPORT JAPAN ON WHALING ISSUE

UNCLAS PHNOM PENH 000655 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/MLS, OES/OA--JOHN FIELD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV EFIS KSCA PREL ETRD CB SUBJECT: CAMBODIA LIKELY TO SUPPORT JAPAN ON WHALING ISSUE REF: STATE 56397 ¶1. (U) On May 10, Poleconoff delivered reftel demarche to Mr. Ing Try, Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries. Ing Try asked a few clarifying questions about the bowhead quota, but gave no immediate indication as to how Cambodia was likely to vote. ¶2. (SBU) Poleconoff met with Mr. Suon Phalla of the CITES Authority at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries to discuss reftel demarche informally on May 3. He indicated that in the run-up to last year's International Whaling Commission, the Cambodian government was subject to conflicting pressure on whaling proposals and that ultimately the decision about Cambodia's vote went all the way to the Prime Minister's office. Because Japan is Cambodia's largest aid donor, Cambodia cannot risk offending Japan on an issue it sees as critical, and will vote with the pro-Japanese block again this year, he said. ¶3. (U) The Australian Embassy has indicated that they will also be meeting with Ing Try to urge him to leave the pro-Japan block, but the embassy is not optimistic about the prospects for success. An Australian diplomat was uncertain whether they would specifically raise the issue of bowhead quotas. MUSSOMELI