MGBM01: THAI PRIME MINISTER ABORTS TRIP TO BURMA

C O N F I D E N T I A L BANGKOK 001429 SIPDIS NSC FOR PHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/09/2018 TAGS: PREL EAID MOPS TH BM SUBJECT: MGBM01: THAI PRIME MINISTER ABORTS TRIP TO BURMA Classified By: Ambassador Eric G. John, reason: 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) In the morning of May 9, UK Ambassador Quayle, on instructions from London, met with Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej and urged Samak to use his good offices to persuade the Burmese junta to allow foreign aid workers to enter Burma and assist with cyclone relief efforts. Samak told Ambassador Quayle he would fly to Burma on the morning of Sunday, May 11, to meet with members of the junta and lobby for this objective. Samak then announced his intention to the media. ¶2. (C) Subsequently, General Nipat, Director of the Royal Thai Armed Forces Border Relations Directorate, told us that Samak's planned trip to Burma was canceled. According to Nipat, Samak was provided with news of a public GOB statement to the effect that foreign aid workers would not be allowed to participate in the relief effort. Nipat claimed that this news caused Samak to decide he should not undertake a trip unlikely to succeed. (Later, the Thai press reported that the Burmese government had conveyed that it was preoccupied with relief efforts, and its officials would not be available to meet with Samak.) Nipat told us he (Nipat) would fly to Nay Pyi Taw on Saturday, May 10, and meet with an as-yet undetermined senior GOB official to deliver a letter from Samak. Our contacts in the Prime Minister's office confirmed to us at mid-day May 9 that Samak's planned trip had been canceled, and Samak instead intended to send an envoy. ¶3. (C) In our discussions with General Nipat, we have recommended certain key points for the PM's letter, including an expression of the international community's readiness to assist the people of Burma, a request for Burmese visas for the U.S. Disaster Assistance Response Team, and a request for clearance for U.S. military cargo aircraft to deliver relief supplies and equipment. As of the afternoon of May 9, we did not know the contents of Samak's letter, or even if it has been finalized. We do not expect to be provided with a copy of Samak's letter. JOHN