Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BANGKOK1146
2009-05-11 02:31:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Bangkok
Cable title:
DEMARCHE DELIVERED: GLOBAL INITIATIVE TO COMBAT
how-toVZCZCXRO0705 PP RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM DE RUEHBK #1146 1310231 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 110231Z MAY 09 FM AMEMBASSY BANGKOK TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6971 INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS PRIORITY RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 7013 RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 9650 RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 1612 RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL PRIORITY 5470 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 1590 RUEHCHI/AMCONSUL CHIANG MAI PRIORITY 6535 RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
UNCLAS BANGKOK 001146
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EAP/MLS, NSC FOR PHU
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KNNP PARM PGOV PINR PREL ASR TH
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED: GLOBAL INITIATIVE TO COMBAT
NUCLEAR TERRORISM
REF: SECSTATE 21815
UNCLAS BANGKOK 001146
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EAP/MLS, NSC FOR PHU
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KNNP PARM PGOV PINR PREL ASR TH
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED: GLOBAL INITIATIVE TO COMBAT
NUCLEAR TERRORISM
REF: SECSTATE 21815
1. (U) Please see requests for further information in paras 2
and 3.
GLOBAL INITIATIVE TO COMBAT NUCLEAR TERRORISM
--------------
2. (SBU) In a joint demarche on May 5 with the embassies of
Australia, Japan, and Russia, we delivered reftel talking
points on the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism
(GICNT) to Cherdkiat Attakor, Director of the Peace, Security
and Disarmament Division of the MFA,s Department of
International Organizations. Cherdkiat said Thailand
supports endorsing the GICNT in principle and affirmed that
Thailand had been approached in 2006 regarding joining the
initiative. He said the MFA has hosted several interagency
meetings to consider the GICNT, and all the relevant agencies
believe Thailand has the capacity to join and to contribute.
Cherdkiat said he foresees endorsing the initiative in the
future, but the RTG is having a problem deciding on the
appropriate focal point in the government for the GICNT. The
GICNT cuts across several functional areas in the Thai
bureaucracy and they need to decide which agency will be the
lead. He asked if we could share the POC,s for all the
current GI participating nations so they could see how other
countries had decided to handle the issue.
3. (SBU) Cherdkiat also requested clarification on the role
of the Implementation and Assessments Group, and reporting
requirements. Referring to the Terms of Reference for
Implementation and Assessment, the last two bullets, he said,
seem to imply there may be some reporting requirement. He
asked for clarification of these bullets and whether it would
mean the RTG would be required to report progress on
implementation to some executive body, such as the
Implementation and Assessments Group. Within this context,
he wanted more information on the role of the Implementation
and Assessments Group.
4. (SBU) Cherdkiat said he had just returned from a
Non-Aligned Movement meeting in Cuba where he discussed the
GICNT with his Vietnamese counterpart. He said they
discussed the GICNT in the context of ASEAN and whether it
would be possible for all the ASEAN nations to endorse the
initiative. He said Vietnam was supportive of this idea. He
clarified to us that other ASEAN nations joining was not a
condition for Thailand to join, but rather an idea to pursue.
He said a decision by Thailand to endorse the GICNT would be
independent of whether he chose to pursue the ASEAN idea. He
reiterated that Thailand supported GICNT in principle, but
needed to work out internal bureaucratic issues. (Comment:
Our exchange on the GICNT was positive, and we believe our
Thai interlocutors would like to endorse the statement of
principles, but bureaucratic obstacles could prove
significant. End Comment.)
TREATY ON THE SOUTHEAST ASIA NUCLEAR-WEAPON-FREE ZONE
-------------- --------------
5. (SBU) In closing, Cherdkiat brought-up the Bangkok Treaty
on the Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (the Bangkok
Treaty). He said China has expressed interest in the treaty,
and asked if China,s interest affected our view of it. We
responded, along with the Australians and Japanese, that we
were not prepared to discuss the Bangkok Treaty, but we would
relay his question to our respective capitals. The Russians
responded that they supported the idea of a nuclear
weapons-free SEA, but would only join the Bangkok Treaty if
all the nuclear weapons states joined at the same time.
JOHN
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EAP/MLS, NSC FOR PHU
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KNNP PARM PGOV PINR PREL ASR TH
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED: GLOBAL INITIATIVE TO COMBAT
NUCLEAR TERRORISM
REF: SECSTATE 21815
1. (U) Please see requests for further information in paras 2
and 3.
GLOBAL INITIATIVE TO COMBAT NUCLEAR TERRORISM
--------------
2. (SBU) In a joint demarche on May 5 with the embassies of
Australia, Japan, and Russia, we delivered reftel talking
points on the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism
(GICNT) to Cherdkiat Attakor, Director of the Peace, Security
and Disarmament Division of the MFA,s Department of
International Organizations. Cherdkiat said Thailand
supports endorsing the GICNT in principle and affirmed that
Thailand had been approached in 2006 regarding joining the
initiative. He said the MFA has hosted several interagency
meetings to consider the GICNT, and all the relevant agencies
believe Thailand has the capacity to join and to contribute.
Cherdkiat said he foresees endorsing the initiative in the
future, but the RTG is having a problem deciding on the
appropriate focal point in the government for the GICNT. The
GICNT cuts across several functional areas in the Thai
bureaucracy and they need to decide which agency will be the
lead. He asked if we could share the POC,s for all the
current GI participating nations so they could see how other
countries had decided to handle the issue.
3. (SBU) Cherdkiat also requested clarification on the role
of the Implementation and Assessments Group, and reporting
requirements. Referring to the Terms of Reference for
Implementation and Assessment, the last two bullets, he said,
seem to imply there may be some reporting requirement. He
asked for clarification of these bullets and whether it would
mean the RTG would be required to report progress on
implementation to some executive body, such as the
Implementation and Assessments Group. Within this context,
he wanted more information on the role of the Implementation
and Assessments Group.
4. (SBU) Cherdkiat said he had just returned from a
Non-Aligned Movement meeting in Cuba where he discussed the
GICNT with his Vietnamese counterpart. He said they
discussed the GICNT in the context of ASEAN and whether it
would be possible for all the ASEAN nations to endorse the
initiative. He said Vietnam was supportive of this idea. He
clarified to us that other ASEAN nations joining was not a
condition for Thailand to join, but rather an idea to pursue.
He said a decision by Thailand to endorse the GICNT would be
independent of whether he chose to pursue the ASEAN idea. He
reiterated that Thailand supported GICNT in principle, but
needed to work out internal bureaucratic issues. (Comment:
Our exchange on the GICNT was positive, and we believe our
Thai interlocutors would like to endorse the statement of
principles, but bureaucratic obstacles could prove
significant. End Comment.)
TREATY ON THE SOUTHEAST ASIA NUCLEAR-WEAPON-FREE ZONE
-------------- --------------
5. (SBU) In closing, Cherdkiat brought-up the Bangkok Treaty
on the Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (the Bangkok
Treaty). He said China has expressed interest in the treaty,
and asked if China,s interest affected our view of it. We
responded, along with the Australians and Japanese, that we
were not prepared to discuss the Bangkok Treaty, but we would
relay his question to our respective capitals. The Russians
responded that they supported the idea of a nuclear
weapons-free SEA, but would only join the Bangkok Treaty if
all the nuclear weapons states joined at the same time.
JOHN