AMBASSADOR AND FOREIGN MINISTER DISCUSS BILATERAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BANGKOK 000622

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NSC FOR PHU
STATE PASS TO USTR FOR BISBEE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/27/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PREF KDEM ECON ETRD KPKO MOPS
TH, BM, LA, SU
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR AND FOREIGN MINISTER DISCUSS BILATERAL
TIES, BURMA, HMONG, DARFUR, IPR

REF: CHIANG MAI 29 (KNU ASSASSINATION)

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

SUMMARY
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1. (C) In a February 26 meeting with the Ambassador, Foreign
Minister Noppadon Pattama made and then announced to the
press an impromptu decision to visit Washington for the March
20 anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Amity and
Commerce and meet with Secretary Rice. Responding to the
Ambassador's expression of concern over the status of Hmong
refugees, Noppadon said the Lao government seemed willing to
consider the resettlement to a third country of Hmong in
Thailand, and willing to allow international monitoring of
Hmong returnees to Laos. Referring to an ongoing
investigation, Noppadon deflected the Ambassador's expression
of concern over the assassination in Thailand of a leader of
the Karen National Union; Noppadon explained he would travel
to Burma in early March and pursue a policy of "neighborly
engagement." Noppadon said the RTG remains ready to deploy a
battalion of troops for peacekeeping in Darfur. He requested
assistance in Thailand's removal from the Special 301
Priority Watch List. Septel reports the portion of the
discussion on Kosovo. End Summary.

175TH ANNIVERSARY AND HIGH LEVEL VISITS
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2. (C) The Ambassador paid his first official call on Foreign
Minister Noppadon Pattama on February 26. Noppadon thanked
the Ambassador for the USG lifting restrictions on assistance
to Thailand, following the inauguration of the democratically
elected government headed by Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej.
Samak hoped to combine his participation in the September UN
General Assembly with a visit to Washington. The Ambassador
said that a meeting between Samak and President Bush could
prove difficult around the time of the UNGA, but that it
would be good for the two leaders to meet sometime this year.


3. (C) The Ambassador noted the 175th anniversary of the
signing of the Treaty of Amity and Commerce provided a good
opportunity to publicize the value of the U.S.-Thai
relationship. If Noppadon were to travel to Washington for
the March 20 anniversary, Secretary Rice was prepared to
welcome him to the State Department headquarters. Noppadon
initially replied in a non-committal fashion, saying he had
regional travel to undertake during the same timeframe.
However, after the Ambassador emphasized the value of a
Washington visit on the occasion of the anniversary, Noppadon
-- to the visible surprise of some staff members in the
meeting -- agreed to the trip, even announcing this plan to
journalists when he and the Ambassador had a joint press
availability after the meeting.

HMONG REFUGEES
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4. (C) The Ambassador said the USG wanted to encourage the
RTG to establish a credible screening process to ensure that
no one with a claim to refugee status would be forcibly
repatriated to Laos. Citing Noppadon's recent visit to Laos,
the Ambassador expressed hope that improving Thai-Lao
relations would make this issue easier to resolve. Noppadon
believed the GOL was becoming more receptive to the idea of
third country resettlement of Hmong refugees in Thailand; the
Lao were discussing this proposal within the GOL. Noppadon
recognized the GOL considered this a sensitive,
security-related issue, and the RTG wanted to work

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cooperatively with the Lao toward a solution. The Ambassador
said the USG was also working bilaterally to reassure the GOL
of USG respect for Lao sovereignty. The resettlement of
Hmong refugees should be seen simply as a genuine
humanitarian matter.


5. (C) Citing his plan to return to Laos in the coming days
with Prime Minister Samak, Noppadon promised to convey the
USG perspective to the GOL. The Ambassador added that it
would also help if the GOL allowed international access to
Hmong who returned to Laos. Noppadon expressed confidence
that the Lao Foreign Minister would be receptive to
international access to Hmong returnees.

BURMA AND KNU ASSASSINATION
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6. (C) The Ambassador raised the February 14 assassination in
northern Thailand of Karen National Union Secretary General
Mahn Sha (reftel),noting that press reports indicated
Burmese junta involvement in the killing. The Ambassador
acknowledged Thailand's strategic concerns about the
Thai-Burmese relationship but said the RTG could
appropriately call its neighbor's attention to the
assassination. After briefly consulting with MFA officials
accompanying him in the meeting, Noppadon said he understood
that the assassin was an ethnic Karen, and the Thai police
were currently looking into the matter.


7. (C) The Ambassador emphasized President Bush and the First
Lady were personally concerned about conditions in Burma, and
the RTG would enhance its international standing by speaking
out publicly about the importance of democracy there.
Noppadon said the RTG would work closely with ASEAN to
sustain momentum for democratization with Burma, and he would
make a visit to Burma in the near future, tentatively
scheduled for March 7-8. Echoing earlier public remarks,
Noppadon said he believed that the RTG should adopt a policy
of "neighborly engagement" with Burma, although he did not
specify what this term entailed.

DARFUR
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8. (C) Noppadon told the Ambassador the RTG remained ready to
send an infantry battalion to support the United Nations -
African Union Mission in Darfur. He said he had raised this
matter with UN Deputy Secretary General Asha-Rose Migiro,
asking her to convey the RTG's interest to the relevant UN
offices as well as to the Sudanese (who are as yet unwilling
to accept the Thai contingent). The Ambassador welcomed the
RTG's contribution as a valued component of an effort to save
tens of thousands of lives, and he hoped that the disposition
of the Thai contribution would be resolved by the time of
Noppadon's prospective March trip to Washington.

PRIORITY WATCH LIST
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9. (C) The RTG was determined to make progress on enforcement
of intellectual property rights (IPR),Noppadon said, and he
requested the Ambassador's help in removing Thailand from the
Special 301 Priority Watch List. Acknowledging ongoing
debate within the RTG over compulsory licenses for
pharmaceutical products, the Ambassador explained that USG
concerns over IPR covered a broad range of areas beyond
compulsory licenses. He volunteered that Embassy officials
would be available to address any questions that RTG
officials might have, especially as the RTG would be
preparing a submission to USTR explaining its protection of

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IPR. The Ambassador emphasized the importance of the
economic component of the U.S.-Thai relationship.

COMMENT
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10. (C) We welcome Noppadon's decision to travel to
Washington for the March 20 anniversary; we will work with
MFA to iron out the details. Given Noppadon's plans to
travel to Burma as the RTG is working to define a policy of
"neighborly engagement," we will look for ways to influence
the message Noppadon will bring to the Burmese.
JOHN