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