RTG IMPLEMENTATION OF UNSCR 1803

C O N F I D E N T I A L BANGKOK 000974 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, ISN, ISN/RA (R.NEPHEW),ISN/ECC (R.OWEN) EAP/MLS NSC FOR E.PHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/27/2018 TAGS: KNNP MNUC PARM NSG IR TH SUBJECT: RTG IMPLEMENTATION OF UNSCR 1803 REF: STATE 29464 Classified By: Pol/C Susan M. Sutton, reasons 1.4(b+d). ¶1. (C) POLOFFs delivered REFTEL points on March 26 to Chamsai Menasveta, First Secretary in the Peace, Security and Disarmament Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. While Chamsai agreed with the importance of enforcing UNSCR 1803, discussion quickly turned to the difficulty of implementation, given the highly technical and sophisticated nature of many items on the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) list. Thumbing through copies of S/2006/814 and S/2006/815 in support of UNSCR 1737 which she had brought with her, Chamsai commented how difficult it is for Customs inspectors and other officials to understand what many of the items are and to recognize them when they see them. ¶2. (C) POLOFFs commented that this challenge had been acknowledged in UNSCR 1540, which committed nations with well-developed export control systems to assist those nations still seeking to strengthen theirs. POLOFFs described the assistance the U.S. was currently providing to Thailand through the Export Control and Related Border Security (EXBS) program, including a Legal-Regulatory Workshop, a Thai translation of the EU Control Lists (which includes the NSG list),and a DOE-conducted Strategic Trade Controls Licensing Seminar, which includes detailed discussions of many types of dual-use items, including nuclear-related. These assistance events are being well-supported by the appropriate RTG agencies, and should help Thailand meet its challenges in combating proliferation. Chamsai agreed that these efforts would help, commenting that she was hoping to attend the next one. JOHN