Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08BANGKOK1790
2008-06-12 01:33:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Bangkok
Cable title:
THAI FEEDBACK ON PROPOSED ARF STATEMENT ON
how-toVZCZCXYZ0000 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHBK #1790 1640133 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 120133Z JUN 08 FM AMEMBASSY BANGKOK TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3336 INFO RUEHBD/AMEMBASSY BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN IMMEDIATE 3327 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING IMMEDIATE 6043 RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA IMMEDIATE 8782 RUEHHI/AMEMBASSY HANOI IMMEDIATE 6946 RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA IMMEDIATE 6945 RUEHML/AMEMBASSY MANILA IMMEDIATE 0204 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI IMMEDIATE 5166 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA IMMEDIATE 7577 RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL IMMEDIATE 4684 RUEHGP/AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE IMMEDIATE 4785 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO IMMEDIATE 0820 RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON IMMEDIATE 2307 RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS IMMEDIATE RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L BANGKOK 001790
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/11/2018
TAGS: PREL ARF EAID ASEAN TH
SUBJECT: THAI FEEDBACK ON PROPOSED ARF STATEMENT ON
REGIONAL DISASTER PREPAREDNESS
REF: STATE 61440
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i., James F. Entwistle, reason 1.4
(b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L BANGKOK 001790
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/11/2018
TAGS: PREL ARF EAID ASEAN TH
SUBJECT: THAI FEEDBACK ON PROPOSED ARF STATEMENT ON
REGIONAL DISASTER PREPAREDNESS
REF: STATE 61440
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i., James F. Entwistle, reason 1.4
(b) and (d).
1. (C) Post delivered reftel points regarding the proposed
ARF Ministerial Statement on Regional Disaster Preparedness
to MFA Counselor Suriya Chindawongse on June 10. In
response, Suriya stated that Thailand was generally
supportive of USG initiatives and appreciated the spirit
behind the proposal. However, he felt that further
clarification was needed on the process for producing such a
statement, and that the proposal was too late for
consideration at the July ARF meeting.
2. (C) Suriya expressed concern that senior ARF officials
would not be able to review a statement and move it forward
in time for the July meeting. He said that no procedures
were in place to consider items not proposed during ARF
meetings. He was also unsure how to combine an ARF and ASEAN
Standby Arrangement System (SAS). He pointed out that ASEAN
countries needed to work on individual SASs and that trying
to combine the two would overwhelm a program that was at
present incomplete. He expressed interest in learning more
about the proposed mechanisms of an ARF SOFA template since
he observed that most SOFAs were bilateral agreements, not
multilateral. Responding to our suggestion that an ASEAN
country draft the text, Suriya observed that, since this was
a USG proposal, he would think it natural for the USG to
provide a draft.
3. (C) Suriya felt that our proposed ARF Workplan for
Regional Disaster Preparedness would detract from ARF action
and add to an overflow of ARF documents, including ARF's
draft "strategic guidelines," which Suriya predicted would
not be ready by the July meeting, despite a year-long review.
Nevertheless, Suriya added that he would be meeting with
ASEAN members next week and would be willing to mention the
proposed statement at that time. He suggested that an
alternative option would be to consider the statement next
year, when Thailand chairs ARF.
ENTWISTLE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/11/2018
TAGS: PREL ARF EAID ASEAN TH
SUBJECT: THAI FEEDBACK ON PROPOSED ARF STATEMENT ON
REGIONAL DISASTER PREPAREDNESS
REF: STATE 61440
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i., James F. Entwistle, reason 1.4
(b) and (d).
1. (C) Post delivered reftel points regarding the proposed
ARF Ministerial Statement on Regional Disaster Preparedness
to MFA Counselor Suriya Chindawongse on June 10. In
response, Suriya stated that Thailand was generally
supportive of USG initiatives and appreciated the spirit
behind the proposal. However, he felt that further
clarification was needed on the process for producing such a
statement, and that the proposal was too late for
consideration at the July ARF meeting.
2. (C) Suriya expressed concern that senior ARF officials
would not be able to review a statement and move it forward
in time for the July meeting. He said that no procedures
were in place to consider items not proposed during ARF
meetings. He was also unsure how to combine an ARF and ASEAN
Standby Arrangement System (SAS). He pointed out that ASEAN
countries needed to work on individual SASs and that trying
to combine the two would overwhelm a program that was at
present incomplete. He expressed interest in learning more
about the proposed mechanisms of an ARF SOFA template since
he observed that most SOFAs were bilateral agreements, not
multilateral. Responding to our suggestion that an ASEAN
country draft the text, Suriya observed that, since this was
a USG proposal, he would think it natural for the USG to
provide a draft.
3. (C) Suriya felt that our proposed ARF Workplan for
Regional Disaster Preparedness would detract from ARF action
and add to an overflow of ARF documents, including ARF's
draft "strategic guidelines," which Suriya predicted would
not be ready by the July meeting, despite a year-long review.
Nevertheless, Suriya added that he would be meeting with
ASEAN members next week and would be willing to mention the
proposed statement at that time. He suggested that an
alternative option would be to consider the statement next
year, when Thailand chairs ARF.
ENTWISTLE