EXBS: THAILAND/VIETNAM ADVISOR MONTHLY REPORTING

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGKOK 002394 SIPDIS DEPT FOR ISN/ECC YWONG, ACHURCH, RMOODY, EAP/MLS DRICHELSOPH, BBLACKSHAW CBP/INA FOR BMCCRAY DEPT OF ENERGY FOR NNSA TPERRY AMEMBASSY HANOI FOR JBOCKLAGE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETTC KNNP KSTC MNUC PARM PREL TH VN SUBJECT: EXBS: THAILAND/VIETNAM ADVISOR MONTHLY REPORTING CABLE - JULY 2008 SUMMARY ¶1. (U) EXBS held a Technical Introduction to Licensing Workshop in Hanoi, July 9-11, and a National Control List Workshop in Bangkok, July 22-24. EXBS donated six Toyota Landcruisers to the Vietnamese Border Guards on July 10. EXBS coordinated with the Defense Attache Office (DAO) to send a Thai Customs official to a course at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies (APCSS),July 8-30. Advisor completed interviews on July 17-18 for an EXBS Program Management Assistant FSN in Vietnam - expected start date is Sep. 3. Advisor met with EU Biosecurity officials on July 7. EXBS program is providing technical expertise to Thailand's interagency Export Control Working Group (XCWG). Thai officials and EXBS FSN will attend the Export Control Academy, August 11-15, in Athens, GA. Tracker User training will be conducted in Hanoi, August 11-14. EXBS Advisor will be in US for semi-annual consultations and personal leave, Aug 31 - Sep 13. SITE ASSESSMENTS AND MEETINGS ¶2. (U) EXBS Advisor met with biosecurity officials from the European Union on July 7. EU officials were on a fact-finding mission regarding potential cooperation with Thailand on CBRN risk preparedness and mitigation, particularly regarding bio-threats, and were interested in determining what cooperation already exists between Thailand and other countries. Also in attendance was the Biosafety/Biosecurity Officer from the U.S. Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Science (AFRIMS) located in Bangkok. AFRIMS has a number of cooperative programs ongoing, which were of great interest to the EU officials. EXBS Advisor also provided the officials with contact info for ISN/CTR subject matter experts. TRAINING CONDUCTED ¶3. (U) EXBS conducted a Technical Introduction to Licensing Workshop in Hanoi, July 9-11, with instructor support from the Department of Energy. Twenty-eight participants from seven agencies attended, with Customs, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Agency for Radiation and Nuclear Safety and Control (VARANSAC),the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Defense the key organizations. The agenda focused on three main areas: foundations of a strategic trade control system, structure of the EU Control Lists, and risk analysis methodology. Although Vietnam is not currently pursuing adoption of a national control list, it likely will soon as its industries continue to develop and its ASEAN counterparts strengthen their trade control systems. This was the second time this particular format was used, following a very successful workshop in Thailand. A welcome addition to the agenda was munitions controls, though probably less time and detail is needed for future such workshops. ¶4. (U) EXBS sponsored a National Control List Workshop in Bangkok, July 22-24, with instructor support from Commonwealth Trading Partners (CTP). There were 18 participants from seven RTG organizations, including Customs, the Ministries of Commerce, Industry and Defense, the National Security Council, the Board of Trade and the Office of Atoms for Peace. (Note: A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official was scheduled to come, but was prevented from doing so by urgent duties at the time. Although the Board of Trade representatives were very engaged, the expected representative of the Thai Federation of Industries did not attend. Our planned Enterprise Outreach event in October will hopefully improve industry's level of interest and support.) ¶5. (U) EXBS coordinated with the Defense Attache Office (DAO) to send a Thai Customs official to the "Comprehensive Security Response to Terrorism" course at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies (APCSS),July 8-30, in Honolulu, BANGKOK 00002394 002 OF 002 HI. The course provided participants with the operational and strategic-level skills necessary to enhance their nation's ability to combat terrorism and cooperate with other regional nations. This fully supports the EXBS program's emphasis on WMD nonproliferation as a collective security effort. Our Thai Customs official graduated with 68 other military and civilian officials from 35 countries. EQUIPMENT DELIVERED ¶6. (U) Six Toyota Landcruisers were donated to the Vietnamese Border Guards on July 10. The Commander of the Border Guards and Embassy Hanoi's Deputy Chief of Mission were the presiding officials. IMMINENT TRAINING/EQUIPMENT UPDATE ¶7. (U) Thai EXBS FSN will escort Thai officials from Customs, the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Industry to the University of Georgia's Export Control Academy, August 11-15 (the Customs official will stay for the full two weeks, as the second week focuses on enforcement). Tracker user training will be conducted in Hanoi, August 11-14. Licensing officials and system administrators from the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Agency for Radiation and Nuclear Safety and Control (VARANSAC) will attend. SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS ¶8. (U) The Royal Thai Government set up an inter-agency Export Control Working Group (XCWG) in March 2008. The Working Group consists of representatives from 19 agencies and is chaired by the Director General of the Department of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Commerce. Core agencies include the Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Industry, Office of Atoms for Peace, Ministry of Public Health, and Customs. The National Security Council and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are also members whose influence might be important. The Ministry of Commerce and Royal Thai Customs are the EXBS program's most important interlocutors. Officials from these agencies have attended many EXBS events, including our Legal-Regulatory, Strategic Trade Control Licensing and National Control List workshops. After our NCL workshop in July, two participants from the Board of Trade were added to the Working Group. The EXBS program is currently working with members of the XCWG on an Enterprise Outreach event for the fall, and hope to conduct a Trade Control Infrastructure workshop in support of the Group's efforts as well. JOHN