EXBS: THAILAND/VIETNAM/CAMBODIA ADVISOR MONTHLY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGKOK 001651 SIPDIS DEPT FOR ISN/ECC YWONG, ACHURCH, ROWEN, LSPRINGER, EAP/MLS DRICHELSOPH, BBLACKSHAW, AWEST CBP/INA FOR BMCCRAY DEPT OF ENERGY FOR NNSA TPERRY AMEMBASSY HANOI FOR JBOCKLAGE AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR FOR PZARESK AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH FOR MSWEENEY AMEMBASSY JAKARTA FOR PVALDEZ E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETTC KNNP KSTC MNUC PARM PREL TH VN CB ID SUBJECT: EXBS: THAILAND/VIETNAM/CAMBODIA ADVISOR MONTHLY REPORTING CABLE - JUNE 2009 REF: BANGKOK 1569 BANGKOK 00001651 001.2 OF 002 SUMMARY ¶1. (U) Advisor attended the annual EXBS Advisor Conference in Tbilisi, Georgia, June 1-4. Advisor and Program Assistant visited Thai border crossings with Cambodia, June 17-19. Advisor briefed Cambodian officials on proposed EXBS program, June 23. Officials from Thailand and Vietnam attended the Tenth International Export Control Conference in Istanbul, June 25-27. Advisor conducted coordination visit with Interdict/RADACAD staff in Richland, WA, on June 26. Wisconsin Project staff will conduct training in Bangkok, July 12-14. Advisor will conduct event coordination meetings in Jakarta, July 16-17. Advisor will escort a delegation of Vietnamese officials to Interdict/RADACAD training, July 27-31. SITE ASSESSMENTS AND MEETINGS ¶2. (U) Advisor, Program Assistant and embassy Political Officer visited Thai border crossings with Cambodia, June 17-19 (see REFTEL). Meetings were held with officials at Aranyaprathet, Baan Laem and Klong Yai crossing points. Representatives from Customs, Immigration, the military and police attended. Aranyaprathet had been the site of International Border Interdiction Training (IBIT) in September, 2007. Officials briefed on their skill sustainment training program and use of their donated equipment. Party also met with the Commandant of the Royal Thai Marine Corps at Sattahip Naval Base. The Marine Corps has overall responsibility for border security in Trat and Chantaburi provinces. The main concerns currently are illegal drugs and smuggling, but these border stations will become more important as sub-regional trade increases through Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) infrastructure projects and Thai and Vietnamese nuclear power programs develop. ¶3. (U) Advisor briefed members of the Cambodian National Counterterrorism Commission on the proposed EXBS program on June 23. Officials agreed with the suggested activities. In discussions with post, it appears that early October will be the best time to conduct the first event, a 1540 Implementation Workshop. Maritime-related training will supplement post,s current efforts in assisting the Cambodian government to establish a national Maritime Security Working Group. Advisor also joined a meeting between post and Japanese embassy officials to discuss collaborative efforts for maritime security training under the aegis of the US-Australia-Japan trilateral partnership. ¶4. (U) Advisor conducted a coordination visit on June 26 with Interdict/RADACAD staff of the Hazardous Materials Management and Emergency Response (HAMMER) Training Center, part of DOE,s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) complex in Richland, WA. Advisor observed a class of Jordanian officials, and discussed training arrangements for a group of senior and working-level Vietnamese officials who will attend July 27-31. TRAINING CONDUCTED ¶5. (U) Officials from Thailand and Vietnam attended the Tenth International Export Control Conference in Istanbul, June 25-27. Delegates from Vietnam included representatives of the Office of Government (Prime Minister,s Office),the Agency for Radiation and Nuclear Safety (VARANS) and the National Chemical Agency. Delegates from Thailand included officials from Customs and the Ministries of Commerce and Foreign Affairs. EQUIPMENT DELIVERED BANGKOK 00001651 002.2 OF 002 ¶6. (U) Silver Sea, Rapiscan,s Vietnamese subcontractor, installed the electrical generator in the mobile x-ray van in Hue. Training for the operators was also conducted. ¶7. (U) Advisor and ECC are working to facilitate the transfer of surplus chemical analysis equipment (gas chromatography - mass spectrometry) from DEA to the Vietnam Ministry of Public Security,s Forensic Science Department. In addition to giving the Vietnamese police the capability to identify illegal drugs, the equipment can also be used to analyze suspected WMD chemical compounds. Introductory training will occur in conjunction with the RADACAD course in July; Advisor and PNNL will work with ISN/ECC to develop follow-on technical training in-country. IMMINENT TRAINING/EQUIPMENT UPDATE ¶8. (U) Wisconsin Project staff will conduct training in Bangkok, July 12-14. Advisor will conduct training and equipment coordination meetings in Jakarta, July 16-17. Advisor will escort a delegation of Vietnamese officials to Interdict/RADACAD training in Washington State, July 27-31. SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS ¶9. (U) None. ¶10. (U) Points of contact for the EXBS Program are: William Comley, Regional Advisor, comleywa@state.gov, (66-2) 205-4621; Kamolrat Chotesungnoen (Dao),Thai Program Assistant, Kamolrat@state.gov, (66-2) 205-4403; Nguyen Thi Huong Giang, Vietnam Program Assistant, NguyenGH@state.gov, (84-4) 3850-6241. JOHN