THAI AND CAMBODIAN TROOPS CLASH NEAR DISPUTED

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BANGKOK 003094 SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/MLS NSC FOR PHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/15/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV CASC ASEC TH CB SUBJECT: THAI AND CAMBODIAN TROOPS CLASH NEAR DISPUTED PREAH VIHEAR AREA REF: A. BANGKOK 3082 ¶B. BANGKOK 3069 ¶C. BANGKOK 3021 ¶D. PHNOM PENH 814 ¶E. BANGKOK 2854 ¶F. BANGKOK 2487 ¶G. BANGKOK 2464 ¶H. STATE 86724 ¶I. BANGKOK 2428 ¶J. PHNOM PENH 679 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i. James F. Entwistle, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). SUMMARY AND COMMENT -------------- ¶1. (C) Despite initial indications that tensions surrounding the Preah Vihear border dispute had eased (ref A),Thai and Cambodia troops exchanged fire mid-afternoon October 15 in the area near the temple. Initial media reports indicated that at least four Thai soldiers had been injured in the clash; the Thai army (RTA) claimed to us that one Cambodian had been killed. The clash came as the Thai military was rotating troops located in the disputed zone. The Thai government continued to pursue evidence that Cambodia had placed mines in the disputed area in contravention of the Ottawa Convention and appeared ready to soon go public with the claim. ¶2. (C) Comment: While we continue to use every opportunity to strongly urge the Thai government to continue to pursue bilateral negotiations to resolve the issue peacefully and diplomatically, the rhetoric and actions of the past few days are alarming. From our conversations with Thai interlocutors, and given the domestic political crisis, we do not foresee a RTG desire to escalate the border dispute. However, the October 15 clash is evidence that rhetoric from the two governments and the military buildup could lead to a wider clash between the two sides. We are advising extreme caution in border areas. End Summary and Comment. SHOTS EXCHANGED NEAR PREAH VIHEAR TEMPLE -------------- ¶3. (C) Thai and Cambodian troops exchanged fire mid-afternoon October 15 in the area near the disputed territory around the Preah Vihear temple. MFA Permanent Secretary Virasakdi Futrakul told the Charge that the fighting had started at approximately 2:20 pm and lasted until 3:00 pm. Royal Thai Armed Forces (RTARF) Headquarters Director for Border Affairs Lieutenant General Nipat Thonglek told us that Cambodia had initiated the clash by firing a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) at Thai troops. Nipat said the two sides were still firing as of 4:00 pm with RPGs, machine guns, and other small arms. Colonel Werachon Sukondhapatipak, Director of the Foreign Liaison Division at the Royal Thai Army (RTA) Headquarters, told us that the clash had primarily involved machine gun and mortar fire. ¶4. (C) Virasakdi indicated that the Thai military had been in the middle of a regular troop rotation that the Cambodians may have misinterpreted as an increase in Thai troops in the disputed area. Colonel Werachon confirmed earlier reports in the day that the Thai military had sent 500 troops to Thai territory adjacent to the disputed grounds surrounding Preah Vihear temple. The troops were reinforcements for the security forces that were located in the disputed territory (Ref A). Werachon said the RTA had one battalion of troops in the vicinity of the disputed region and one company from that battalion in the disputed area reinforcing Thai paramilitary rangers. BANGKOK 00003094 002 OF 003 ¶5. (C) While Virasakdi confirm four Thai injuries to the Charge. Werachon said the RTA had four injured Thai paramilitary rangers and had confirmed one Cambodian killed. Media reports also indicated that the Thai military was sending reinforcements to the area via tanks, other armored vehicles, and buses. ¶6. (C) The clash occurred despite apparent indications earlier in the day that tensions were easing. MFA Permanent Secretary Virasakdi Futrakul told the Charge early October 15 that he believed the situation on the border had improved. Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong had called Thai Foreign Minister Sompong Amornvivat to express appreciation for the "restrained tone" of the October 14 Thai MFA statement (Ref A). The two Foreign Ministers agreed to meet "as soon as possible", however, no details had been worked out yet. RTG STRONGLY PURSUING LANDMINE ISSUE - TO GO PUBLIC? -------------- -------------- ¶7. (C) Virasakdi said FM Sompong believed that Cambodia changed its tone (as relected in the call from the Cambodian FM) because Phnom Penh knew that the Thai government now held the upper hand on the landmine issue. Virasakdi had met Bangkok-based ASEAN Ambassadors late October 14 to share information about the dispute and to share pictures taken in the area. (Note: The Cambodian and Philippine Ambassadors did not attend.) Virasakdi said the MFA had planned to show the ASEAN Ambassadors two Russian mines that the Thai military had removed from the disputed area, but the mines had not arrived in Bangkok in time for the meeting. (Note: The Bangkok Post October 15 reported that the Thai military had found Russian PMN 2 mines.) ¶8. (C) The Thai military had located and marked two additional mines in the disputed area but, according to Virasakdi, the Cambodians had removed the mines before the Thai were able to act. This confirmed, in Virasakdi's view, that the Cambodians knew they had been caught red-handed. The Cambodian government was worried, Viraskadi speculated, about the issue being raised in relation to the Ottawa Treaty, of which Thailand and Cambodia are signatories, as the treaty bans the use of landmines. ¶9. (C) Virasakdi told the Charge late October 15 that the RTG had decided to go public with the evidence that Cambodia had recently planted the mines in the disputed area. The MFA would hold a press conference October 16 to provide more details and produce evidence of landmines retrieved from the disputed border areas. The mines had been located on routes in the disputed territory that the Cambodians knew the Thais routinely patrolled and were clearly "modern," Virasakdi asserted. We understand the diplomatic corps will be called in the afternoon of October 16, presumably for a briefing on both the landmine issue and the border situation. ¶10. (C) MFA Deputy Director-General of International Organizations Department Chakarin Chayabongse told us that RTG had firm evidence to substantiate that Cambodia had recently placed the mines in the disputed area. The RTG, however, had not yet decided whether to raise this issue with the United Nation's Secretary General as provided by the Ottawa Treaty. Chakarin said the RTG still held to the principle that bilateral negotiations were the preferred solution to the dispute. MFA Deputy Director-General of East Asian Affairs Department Pisanu Suvanajata, however, told us the RTG would likely raise the issue with the UN Secretary General as it had substantial evidence in pictures and shrapnel from October 6 incident that resulted in two Thai paramilitary rangers losing their legs. We suspect the Thais may plan to raise it at the meeting of Ottawa Treaty signatory states in Geneva November 24-28. BANGKOK 00003094 003 OF 003 THAILAND PREPARES FOR NEO CONTINGENCY -------------- ¶11. (C) The Bangkok Post reported October 15 that the Thai Navy (RTN) had dispatched ships to patrol the waters off of Thailand's Trat province while the Thai Air Force (RTAF) had put jet fighters and C-130 aircraft on stand-by. We learned before the clash October 15 that the RTN and the RTAF were on alert but were essentially in normal force employment patterns. Both services had begun planning for a response in the event of non-combatant evacuation (NEO) operations of Thai citizens from Cambodia that would likely involve the RTN's aircraft carrier and RTAF C-130s. DAO will report separately a more comprehensive look at Thai air and sea assets that could come into play in the event of a wider conflict. Thai C-130s successfully conducted a NEO in January 2003 after Cambodian rioters burned down the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh. PURSUING THAI-CLAIMED VIETNAMESE INVOLVEMENT -------------- ¶12. (C) According to Virasakdi, Foreign Minister Sompong had planned a "four eyes" with the Vietnamese Ambassador to Bangkok on October 14 to discuss the allegations that Vietnam was providing aircraft and troop support to Cambodia, but the Vietnamese Ambassador had canceled the meeting. The MFA would try to again to schedule a meeting October 15. EMBASSY REPRESENTATIVES TO ASSESS THAI MILITARY MOVEMENTS -------------- -------------- ¶13. (C) In order to try to obtain more information on Thai military movements, members of the Embassy Bangkok Defense Attache Office plan to travel to Si Sa Ket province October 16 to look for military movements along transportation routes that lead to the disputed area. DAO representatives will keep a safe distance from the areas of potential conflict. ¶14. (U) We are putting out a short warden message advising Amcits in Thailand to stay away from the Preah Vihear area and to exercise caution anywhere along the Thai-Cambodian border. ENTWISTLE