UN CT BODY ASSESSES STRONG INTEREST BUT WEAKER

UNCLAS E F T O PHNOM PENH 000416 SENSITIVE SIPDIS EAP/MLS, S/CT, S/CRS, IO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER PREL CB SUBJECT: UN CT BODY ASSESSES STRONG INTEREST BUT WEAKER CAPACITY IN CAMBODIA ¶1. (SBU) Summary: The UN Counter Terrorism Committee's Counter Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED) visited May 5-9 to assess Cambodia's compliance with UNSCR 1373. The CTC/CTED delegation was composed of representatives of ADB, INTERPOL, IOM, UNODC, as well as the UN Secretariat, and was led by CTED Executive Director Mike Smith (a former Australian Ambassador). The local Counter-Terrorism Action Group (CTAG) met with the CTED delegation May 9. The meeting was chaired by the Deputy Head of the Japanese Embassy, representing the G8 presidency, and included representatives of Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In remarks in the margins of the meeting, Smith told the DCM that he had rarely seen a PM as well-versed in C/T issues as Hun Sen and commented that the delegation had had excellent access and assistance. At the same time, Cambodia's limited capacity was obvious, Smith concluded. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) At the outset of the May 9 lunch with representatives of the local CTAG (which has not met since an informal lunch last fall, during the German presidency),CTED explained that the purpose of their mission was to identify "shortfalls" where Cambodia requires technical assistance, as well as the areas of interest in which CTAG members are actively involved. For this purpose, CTED encouraged the participants to share information on programs undertaken, underway or under consideration. CTED presented its view that overall counter-terrorism effort by the Cambodian Government is relatively good, while at the operational level further assistance is required. CTED commended the fact that the National Counter-terrorism Committee (NCTC) and the Law on Counter Terrorism are in place, and that Cambodia is working to sign and comply with its international CT obligations. ¶3. (SBU) CTAG members shared the view that the situation in Cambodia has been relatively calm and the potential threat of terrorism is low. All agreed, however, that counter-terrorism assistance should be continued, as prevention is important. The Australian, German, and U.S. reps referred to worrying trends towards fundamentalism in the Cham Muslim population. The CTED members stated that not only assistance in hardware but also in capacity building is essential. The meeting agreed on the importance and necessity of providing training and following up the situation after the completion of the project in order to make a real impact of the project. ¶4. (SBU) CTAG members made the following remarks, amongst others. - Australia stated that it had been actively involved in various areas of counter terrorism (CT) assistance, particularly in the areas of legislative drafting, law enforcement, immigration and border control training, aviation security, and maritime security. Australia had also seconded a senior CT advisor to the NCTC for 12 months to advise and assist Cambodia to develop a strategic CT coordination capability. The Australian DCM said it also was important to note that a wide range of developmental activities, including those that strengthened good governance, greater transparency and English language training, could contribute to better CT outcomes in the long term. - Canada stressed the importance of a holistic approach and good coordination of existing projects in the Mekong region or in the ASEAN countries. - France will continue to support Cambodia's anti-terrorism effort by focusing on the legal aspects, including providing assistance on the drafting and implementation of the Penal Code and Penal Procedure Code, as well as capacity building at the Royal Academy for Judicial Professions. In this regard, CTED encouraged France to ensure consistency of the definition of money laundering between the Penal Code and the Law on Counter-terrorism. It further stated that it is essential to promote not only the understanding of the laws but also the implementation on the ground through workshops, etc. - Germany has been closely monitoring recent development of Muslim communities in Cambodia, with special attention to the influence "repatriates" who are radicalized abroad may have on the Cambodian society. - Japan has provided security facilities and equipment at Sihanoukville Port and has dispatched a resident expert, in order to help enhance maritime and port security in Cambodia. Japan's main focus is on counter-terrorism dialogues and a wide range of training programs. The CTED reps commented that the port equipment provided by Japan was not being used to its maximum effect, as the operators seemed more focused on customs issues than detecting illicit goods. - Russia is currently not an active donor of counter-terrorism assistance, which the Russian DCM attributed to the absence of a bilateral treaty. Neglecting the fact that requests from the Cambodian side (pulled together by the Australian rep in the NCTC) have been distributed previously, the Russian DCM stated that Russia would welcome any input CTED could provide regarding what the Cambodian side saw as key needs. - The U.K. said given the UK CT assessment of the threat posed by Cambodia, currently cooperation with Cambodia on CT issues was small. However, they had previously funded a large, three-year project on strengthening border security implemented by IOM. The IOM rep within CTED confirmed that although the program ended in June 2007, it was still delivering some results. The UK is currently assisting the Secretariat of the NCTC through provision of a small number of places on CT issues at JCLEC training courses in Indonesia during 2008. The UK commented on the difficulties of information sharing within the Cambodian government structure, adding that even though NCTC itself appears to be a relatively well-organized overarching institution, it has not yet established the necessary linkages across government needed to promote/ensure a joined-up approach to CT issues, which results in a silo mentality. The UK DCM also detailed the difficulties encountered in identifying suitable candidates for training given the Cambodian attitude to training opportunities, and highlighted the need for donors to both share information and closely follow-up on projects/activities in order to ensure both the Cambodian system and donors obtain the maximum benefits including through the domino effect of training - The DCM noted that the US has been supporting a number of government institutions including NCTC. She provided a three-page table listing U.S. assistance including technical support and training - provided both in Cambodia and abroad. She noted the U.S. work with Cambodia on PISCES. She commented that rather than introducing a concept in one training session, the U.S. approach has been incremental - reinforcing training previously provided and working consistently with Cambodian counterparts to keep more technically complex programs, like PISCES, operational. She noted information derived from an educational survey which shows some worrying trends about Cham Muslims "falling between the cracks" of Khmer society due to cultural and linguistic differences. ¶5. (U) Smith concluded the meeting by thanking the local CTAG reps for their frankness about the strengths and weaknesses of Cambodia's CT structures. Smith's delegation will prepare a report on Cambodia's compliance with UNSCR 1373 to be shared with Security Council members. Post would appreciate any information which USUN can supply (including a copy of the report when it is released to SC members.) CAMPBELL