AMBASSADOR ENGAGES THAI FM SOMPONG ON CAMBODIA,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGKOK 003227

SIPDIS

NSC FOR PHU, STATE FOR EAP/MLS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/28/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV PREF BMGT CB TH
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR ENGAGES THAI FM SOMPONG ON CAMBODIA,
BURMA, ASEAN, APEC, VIKTOR BOUT, HMONG, AND THE PAD

Classified By: Ambassador Eric G. John, reason 1.4 (b, d)


1. (C) Summary: Ambassador, accompanied by DCM and
PolCounselor, met with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign
Minister Sompong Amornvivat late October 27. Fresh from the
ASEM meetings in Beijing October 23-25, FM Sompong described
the positive atmosphere of Thai-Cambodian meetings and
highlighted hopes that the Thai parliament would approve the
interim arrangement October 28, allowing the Joint Border
Committee (JBC) to proceed with negotiations. PM Somchai and
Sompong will attend APEC meetings in Peru in late November;
with Thailand currently serving as ASEAN Chair, Sompong
welcomed the opportunity for another ASEAN 7 meeting with the
President.


2. (C) Ambassador raised U.S. concerns on Burma, Viktor
Bout's extradition, and Lao Hmong. On Burma, Sompong said he
would look for indirect ways of promoting democratic
development, such as offering Thai assistance/training on
local administration elections, since pressing anything
labeled "democracy" on the Burmese would be rejected. On
Bout, Sompong acknowledged our interest but noted the Thai
justice system would need to finish its review. On Hmong,
Sompong stressed the importance of proceeding with returns to
Laos on a voluntary basis, and noted that third country
resettlement would require Lao agreement. Sompong confirmed
the Thai are scouting logistics to hold the ASEAN Summit
meetings in Chiang Mai rather than Bangkok in December, and
joked that accommodating the People's Alliance for Democracy
(PAD) anti-government protests had become a normal part of
daily life. End Summary

Cambodia - back to talking
--------------

3. (C) FM Sompong launched into an animated account of what
he characterized as calm and fruitful meetings with Cambodian
PM Hun Sen and FM Hor Namhong in Beijing October 24, on the
margins of the ASEM summit. The Thai and Cambodians agreed
to proceed on the basis of bilateral mechanisms; while the
Thai had braced for more contentious meetings, Hun Sen had
framed the issues in a way that matched the Thai approach,
according to Sompong. Both sides agreed to try to avoid
another confrontation similar to the armed clash on October

15.

4, (C) Ambassador noted media accounts of Cambodian
allegations that the Preah Vihear temple had suffered damage
in the Oct. 15 clash. Sompong claimed that Cambodian troops
on the grounds of the temple had fired on Thai troops,
acknowledged Thai soldiers returning fire with small arms may
have caused some limited damage, but stressed the Thai had
not employed RPGs (Note: Separately on October 27, MFA
PermSec Virasak Futrakul claimed to the media that Cambodia
may have violated the terms of the UNESCO World Heritage
listing of Preah Vihear by stationing soldiers/heavy weapons
on site at the temple).


5. (C) Sompong noted Cambodian irritation at the delays on
the Thai side in moving forward with the interim agreement.
He hoped the problem would be rectified October 28, when the
Thai parliament was scheduled to review the interim agreement
(note: negotiated in September by then-FM Tej Bunnag). As
soon as the parliament acted, Sompong would call his
counterpart to relaunch JBC negotiations; a Ministerial would
follow. Hor Namhong had told him in Beijing that, of the
73-odd border posts along the Thai-Cambodian border, 50 were
set; negotiations would focus on the remaining 20-25.
Sompong said he was working closely with Royal Thai Army
Commander Anupong Paojinda to coordinate Thai positions.

APEC - ASEAN 7 in Lima, ASEAN in Chiang Mai
--------------

6. (SBU) Sompong confirmed that PM Somchai and he planned to
attend the APEC summit in Lima, Peru in late November. There
would be follow-on meetings between ASEAN and MERCOSUR in
Brasilia, he added. Since Thailand currently served as ASEAN
Chair, Thailand would be very interested in another ASEAN 7
meeting with the President; Sompong noted that MFA PermSec
Virsakdi Futrakul had previously raised Thai interest in such
a meeting with EAP DAS Marciel.

BANGKOK 00003227 002 OF 002




7. (SBU) Sompong also confirmed that the Thai were now
planning to host the series of ASEAN-related summit meetings
in December in Chiang Mai rather than Bangkok and had sent
logistics teams to Chiang Mai to scout out appropriate
venues. Sompong joked that Chiang Mai's lovely cool season
weather, not Bangkok's hot politics or his own Chiang Mai
roots, was the driving factor.


8. (SBU) Rounding out discussion of regional meetings,
Sompong said that Finance Ministers and Central Bank
Governors of Asian countries would meet in the Philippines
November 12 to discuss coordinated policy responses to the
financial crisis, building on meetings in Beijing. Sompong
foresaw that a slowdown in Thai exports due to economic
difficulties elsewhere could drive up unemployment.

Burma - taking an indirect approach
--------------

9. (C) Ambassador noted that October 24 marked a total of 13
years of house arrest for Aung San Suu Kyi and pressed FM
Sompong to use every opportunity to advocate for the release
of all Burmese political prisoners and to foster a more open
political atmosphere. Sompong pledged to try to raise the
"concerns of friends" when he met with Burmese officials.
Sompong suggested that the reaction of the international
community after Cyclone Nargis had changed Burma a little
bit.


10. (C) In the Beijing meeting with FM Nyan Win, Win had
asked Sompong for Thai support; Sompong said he replied that
such actions needed to be reciprocal. He had told Win that
Thailand was ready to help, suggesting that Thailand could
share valuable experience with local administration
development/elections. This indirect approach avoided the
word "democracy," since the Burmese stiffened at the mere
mention of it. Win had thanked Sompong, and replied that if
Burma needed assistance, they would ask. Sompong said that
he would travel to Burma soon; he solicited ideas/indirect
phrases that might help nudge Burmese thinking in the right
direction.

Viktor Bout - under judicial review
--------------

11. (C) Ambassador raised U.S. interest in the eventual
successful extradition of notorious Russians arms trafficker
Viktor Bout once the Thai judicial review was complete, an
issue he and Sompong had discussed when Sompong was Justice
Minister. Sompong acknowledged U.S. interest but stressed
that Thai ministers could do little as long as the matter
remained under judicial review.

Lao Hmong - only voluntary returns
--------------

12. (C) Ambassador noted recent progress made with engaging
the Thai military on Lao Hmong in Thailand but stressed the
importance of adequate third-party monitoring and
transparency; there was heightened interest on the part of
U.S. relatives and Congress in this matter. Sompong related
his recent trip to Laos, claimed that the Thai would not send
back any Hmong against their will, only on a voluntary basis,
and stated that Thailand would take care of them in the
meanwhile. Third-country resettlement would need to be
arranged with the Lao, he added. Sompong noted that a number
of NGOs had raised Hmong-related issues when meeting with him.

Domestic politics: living with PAD
--------------

13. (C) Sompong chortled when Ambassador raised the road
forward domestically given the ongoing People's Alliance for
Democracy's (PAD) occupation of Government House: "we feel
much easier now; the PAD has become part of our daily lives."
Sompong suggested the Thai government should not take any
drastic steps, while needing to maintain law and order. "One
day they will move out (of Government House),though who
knows when." Sompong said he had assured all of his
bilateral interlocutors in Beijing that the PAD action did
not prevent the Thai government from working and would have
no affect on ASEAN summit plans for December.
JOHN