THAILAND: TRILATERAL STRATEGIC DIALOGUE CT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGKOK 002618

SIPDIS

NSC FOR PHU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/03/2018
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR PREL PTER TH
SUBJECT: THAILAND: TRILATERAL STRATEGIC DIALOGUE CT
CONSULTAION WITH AUSTRALIA AND JAPAN

REF: SECSTATE 84610

BANGKOK 00002618 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION JAMES F. ENTWISTLE, REASON 1.4 (
B) AND (D)


Summary and Comment
--------------


1. (SBU) On August 20 we met with representatives from the
embassies of Australia and Japan to discuss counterterrorism
efforts under the Trilateral Strategic Dialogue (TSD),and
whether southern Thailand should be part of the discussion
under the TSD. We agreed that the extensive bilateral
cooperation efforts we each have with the RTG made the TSD
difficult; it is important to continue with the TSD
coordination in Thailand, but it should be used to augment
existing initiatives and fill gaps in RTG CT capacity, and
not be seen as a platform for new initiatives. We decided
that the best way to proceed under the auspices of the TSD
was to hold a yearly coordination meeting to discuss our
bilateral training and capacity building efforts with the RTG
in respect to counterterrorism. Should these meetings reveal
gaps that are not being addressed through any of our
bilateral efforts, the relevant agencies/sections of our
embassies would meet to discuss how best to fill the gap.
The Australian embassy offered to host the next coordination
meeting.

(C) Comment: We have robust cooperation and consultation
with our Australian counterparts on many different levels.
The same, however, cannot be said of our Japanese colleagues.
Although Japan participates in the Foreign Anti-Narcotics and
Crime Community, and through Cobra Gold participated in
humanitarian and civil assistance projects with medical
personnel, it is seldom forthcoming on bilateral training and
cooperation efforts with the RTG. We have met with our
Japanese counterparts to discuss the TSD, developments in
southern Thailand, and our Trafficking in Persons program;
they are willing meeting participants but are reluctant to
discuss their efforts or any new initiatives. We will
continue to cajole our Japanese colleagues forward on sharing
information on their bilateral CT capacity building efforts.
Through regular informal participation in meetings with our
Australian colleagues, we hope for better engagement in the
future. End Comment.

Approaching Trilateral Cooperation in Thailand
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3. (SBU) On August 20 we met with representatives from the
Australian and Japanese embassies to discuss our
counterterrorism efforts within the context of the Trilateral
Strategic Dialogue (TSD). The agenda for the meeting was to
review the status of the TSD in Thailand, determine how we
would like it to proceed, and decide the best venue to
discuss in fine granularity our CT capacity building efforts.
We also discussed the insurgency in southern Thailand, and
whether it should be a topic for discussion under the TSD.


4. (SBU) During the meeting, there was consensus that TSD
program cooperation is difficult in Thailand because the US,
Australia, and Japan each have extensive bilateral training
and cooperation efforts with Thailand on a range of CT
issues. We decided that the most effective thing we can do
under the auspices of the TSD is to have a yearly
coordination meeting where substantive experts from the
relevant embassy sections describe the bilateral training
programs and initiatives each country was sponsoring so as to
identify gaps in training and short falls in RTG CT capacity.
Should a meeting of this nature uncover gaps in our CT
assistance that trilateral cooperation could address, smaller
working groups from the relevant sections could decide on the
next steps.


5. (SBU) Areas where there may be room for greater
cooperation include:


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Police and prosecutorial reform
Humanitarian and Human Rights training for Royal Thai
Police
More coordination and consultation regarding counter
radicalization initiatives
Transportation Security
Border Security
CBRN response training

Southern Thailand and the TSD
--------------


6. (SBU) We also had extensive discussions on the terrorism
environment in Thailand and if/how the insurgency in southern
Thailand fit into the TSD. Both Australia and Japan consider
the South the same way we do - an internal insurgency and not
a CT issue. There was broad agreement on the root causes and
nature of the violence in the South, with concern all around
that we may miss some important development that would signal
a change in the nature of the violence, i.e. international
interests and non-Thais becoming targets, or
regional/international terrorist groups taking up residence
in the South. Because of this concern, we agreed the South
should not be left out of the TSD in Thailand even though it
does not fit under our current definition of terrorism.
JOHN