PREAH VIHEAR: THAIS URGE NO UNSC ACTION

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGKOK 002242 SIPDIS PARIS PLEASE PASS TO USMISSION UNESCO E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/23/2018 TAGS: PREL MOPS ASEC CASC UNESCO SCUL PBTS UNSC TH CB SUBJECT: PREAH VIHEAR: THAIS URGE NO UNSC ACTION REF: A. STATE 78884 (GUIDANCE ON BORDER DISPUTE) ¶B. BANGKOK 2233 AND PREVIOUS BANGKOK 00002242 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission James F. Entwistle, reason 1.4 ( b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Thai MFA Permanent Secretary Virasakdi Futrakul called in the Ambassador on July 23 to discuss the disposition of the Preah Vihear temple. Virasakdi explained he was meeting separately with the Chiefs of Mission of all UNSC member states to explain Thailand's opposition to Cambodia's request for an urgent UNSC meeting on ongoing Thai-Cambodian border-related tensions. Virasakdi wanted to convey Thai views ahead of informal consultations in New York on this matter, which he said would take place on July 23. ¶2. (C) Virasakdi explained that, in a July 21 meeting of the General Border Committee (GBC),the Thai and Cambodian sides had agreed on virtually all aspects of a set of proposed recommendations to their respective governments, to guide peaceful resolution of the ongoing dispute. (The text of the draft recommendations is below.) This progress indicated that bilateral discussions were working effectively, and it would be inappropriate at this time to refer the matter to the UNSC, Virasakdi asserted. He also provided the Ambassador with a copy of a July 22 letter from Singaporean Foreign Minister George Yeo to Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong, in which Yeo stated that "... the ASEAN FMs are fully mindful that how this issue is handled will greatly affect ASEAN's credibility. They also emphasized to me that if the parties concerned are too quick to resort to the UN Security Council, this would do harm to ASEAN's standing and may actually make the resolution of the issue more difficult." ¶3. (C) Virasakdi urged that the USG support Thailand's position against a UNSC urgent meeting. He added as an aside that Cambodia was pressing on this issue now because the Cambodians felt they had a temporary advantage for the month of July, while Vietnam holds the presidency of the Security Council. Also, Virasakdi alleged "off the record" that Cambodian Deputy PM Hor Namhong was trying to manipulate this issue so that he might increase his chances of retaining a cabinet position after the upcoming Cambodian elections. ¶4. (C) The Ambassador explained USG views per ref A guidance. Virasakdi welcomed the USG position. ¶5. (SBU) Below is the text of the draft recommendations negotiated during the July 21 General Border Committee meeting. Virasakdi emphasized that all points had been agreed upon by both sides, except for the wording in double parentheses in paragraph 2.5, which was proposed by the Thai side but rejected by the Cambodians. Virasakdi said the Cambodians wanted to avoid acknowledging that Thailand had a boundary claim. (Note: In the text below, CMAA is the acronym for the Cambodian Mine Action Authority. TMAC is the acronym for the Thailand Mine Action Center.) -------------- BEGIN TEXT -------------- Working Draft GBC's recommendations ¶1. Both sides agreed to recommend to their respective governments to enter into a provisional arrangement pending completion of survey and demarcation work in the Temple area by the Thailand-Cambodia Joint Boundary Commission (JBC). Pending such arrangement both sides agreed to exercise the utmost restraint to avoid confrontation in the area ¶2. Both sides agreed to recommend to their respective governments that such provisional arrangement should include the following elements: 2.1 Redeployment of both sides' respective military personnel from the Temple of Preah Vihear and the area surrounding the BANGKOK 00002242 002.2 OF 002 Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda as soon as possible; 2.2 Joint de-mining by CMAA and TMAC in the area to be surveyed and demarcated by the JBC for survey and demarcation work of the JBC; 2.3 Confirmation by the Cambodian side that it will develop a new site for the Cambodian community currently living in the area so as to facilitate the survey and demarcation in the area by JBC; 2.4 Setting up of a Temporary Coordinating Task Force comprising their respective agencies concerned to address any problems related to the area; 2.5 Such provisional arrangement shall be without prejudice to the respective rights of both sides regarding the survey and demarcation within the framework of the JBC ((and their respective rights and obligations concerning their boundary claims)). Sa Kaeo, Thailand 21 July 2008 -------------- END TEXT -------------- JOHN