THAI-CAMBODIAN SPAT: EXTRADITION REQUEST REJECTED,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BANGKOK 002887 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/12/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV PBTS TH CB SUBJECT: THAI-CAMBODIAN SPAT: EXTRADITION REQUEST REJECTED, THAI GOVT MULLS OPTIONS AS THAKSIN LECTURES IN CAMBODIA REF: A. BANGKOK 2849 ¶B. BANGKOK 1822 ¶C. PHNOM PENH 832 Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission James F. Entwistle, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: Fugitive former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra reportedly criticized the current Abhisit administration for encouraging false patriotism during a November 12 address in Phnom Penh to Cambodian business leaders and government officials in his role economic advisor to Hun Sen. Thaksin's address came one day after the Royal Thai Government (RTG)'s extradition request of Thaksin was rebuffed by Cambodia. In response to Phnom Penh's actions, the RTG began a review of bilateral cooperation that will apparently put in jeopardy soft loans and financial assistance to Cambodia. The Thai media continued its strong support for the government's actions, with some criticism directed at what has been termed selfish behavior on the part of Thaksin. End Summary. ¶2. (C) Comment: It should come as no surprise that Thaksin did more than deliver an economics lecture in Phnom Penh, using the neighborly venue to attack the RTG just as many Thai expected he would; his trip was never primarily about providing economic advise to Cambodia, but was intended to increase pressure on Abhisit's government and set a precedent of open travel to a neighboring country. The Thai government appears committed to trying to utilize diplomatic measures to maintain pressure on Hun Sen and to leverage Thai public backing for its actions so far into more solid support, without escalating the spat further into the economic or security spheres. We are encouraged that the strains between Abhisit and Hun Sen have apparently not resulted in border tensions, as it appears the two militaries are actively finding avenues to promote coordination and understanding. The next act to this drama likely will come on the ground in Thailand in the coming weeks, as Thaksin has promised to ramp up red-shirt protests against the Abhisit government. End comment. THAKSIN GIVES SPEECH AFTER EXTRADITION REQUEST REJECTED -------------- -------------- ¶3. (U) As expected, the Cambodia government November 11 rejected a Thai request for the extradition of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra as soon as it was delivered. According to Thai media reports and a copy of Phnom Penh's response which was printed in Thai-daily The Nation, Cambodia rejected the request because Thaksin had been appointed as an economic advisor to Hun Sen, since Cambodia considered the prosecution of Thaksin to be politically motivated, and because Thaksin had been the victim of the 2006 coup. ¶4. (U) As planned, Thaksin November 12 addressed members of the Cambodian business community and government, according to press reports. Thai media reported that at least one Puea Thai member of parliament attended the speech. AFP reported that Thaksin told the gathering that those in the Thai government who did not share his vision were promoting false patriotism; Thai media reported Thaksin suggesting that the RTG should promote partnership between the two countries, rather than misleading the Thai people to hate Cambodia. RTG REVIEWS ASSISTANCE PROJECTS -------------- ¶5. (U) The Thai government has initiated a review of Thai-Cambodian projects in response to Cambodian rejection of the extradition request. An executive session of the National Security Council led by PM Abhisit met November 12 to review potential actions in regard to Cambodia. Speaking publicly after the meeting, Abhisit said the government sought peaceful measures in solving the conflict and asserted that the conflict would not be brought to ASEAN's attention. Deputy Finance Minister Pruttichai Damrongrat said Abhisit had at the meeting ordered the Finance Ministry to review a soft loan to Cambodia worth approximately $31 million for constructing a road from Surin Province through Cambodia (Note: Thailand recently completed a long road project in BANGKOK 00002887 002 OF 003 Cambodia initiated by the Thaksin government but finished by recent administrations. End note). In addition, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said the Cabinet would not consider a prior proposal to provide Cambodia with $1 million in financial assistance. ¶6. (C) Ambassador Surapong Jayanama, Advisor to the Foreign Minister and an influential actor in the formulation of policy on Cambodia, told us November 12 that the most immediate objective for the RTG would be to mitigate threats brought about by actions of Thaksin and Hun Sen. Surapong characterized the recall of the Thai Ambassador to Phnom Penh and other Thai actions so far as normal diplomatic reactions. Going forward, Thailand would need to take a firm stand towards Cambodia and further Thai measures would depend upon Hun Sen's actions, Surapong said. That said, all options remained at the discretion of the government, Surapong said, but the RTG would implement actions incrementally and proportionately to show the international community that Thailand was not the instigator of the current tensions and that Thailand would pursue foreign policy, especially towards neighboring countries, with prudence and reason. WORKING TO BUILD MORE DURABLE PUBLIC SUPPORT -------------- ¶7. (C) Admitting that the current conflict was an opportunity for the Abhisit administration, Surapong said the task for the government would be to transform positive public opinion over the incident as quickly as possible into more permanent public support for the Abhisit government. Surapong said that Thaksin's planned departure from Cambodia November 13 would not bring about a rapid improvement in relations. Rather, ties would stabilize at their present state pending Cambodian actions. OPPOSITION MPS AND RED SHIRTS TO CAMBODIA -------------- ¶8. (C) While the Thai press reported November 12 that one hundred Puea Thai MPs would travel to Cambodia to meet with Thaksin, Puea Thai MP Pracha Prasopdi, a coordinator of the visit, told us that only ten or so MPs would travel to Cambodia November 13 after the close of the current Senate-House joint session. According to Pracha, the trip was still being planned, and it was unclear when or where the MPs would be able to meet with Thaksin, since he was being provided tight security by the Cambodian government. A Thai official at the Aranyaprathet border crossing told us November 12 that approximately thirty or so red-shirt supporters had crossed into Cambodia this morning. MEDIA CRITICAL OF THAKSIN -------------- ¶9. (U) Continuing the generally solid media support for Abhisit's actions so far, editorials in a range of Thai dailies November 12 strongly criticized Thaksin and Hun Sen. An editorial in the Thai Rath, the most read Thai-language newspaper, called on Thaksin to not collude with foreign countries for his own benefit, but also cautioned Abhisit to not use the conflict to gain popular support at the expense Thai interest. The Daily News, the second most read Thai daily, asserted that Thaksin's moves reflected selfish behavior, as the former Prime Minister appeared to want to raise tensions because the Thai Supreme Court was likely to rule in December on whether to permanently seize 76 billion baht from Thaksin. NEW GROUP STAGES PROTESTS AT CAMBODIAN EMBASSY -------------- - ¶10. (U) Underscoring the fluid nature of Thai domestic politics and the affect the conflict appears to have on Thai public opinion, approximately one hundred members of a previously unknown group by the name of Rak Chart (Love the Nation) conducted a peaceful demonstration November 12 at the Cambodian Embassy in Bangkok. The group called for Cambodia to stop interfering in the internal affairs of Thailand; it peacefully dispersed by mid-morning. BANGKOK 00002887 003 OF 003 THAI-CAMBODIAN SPORTS DAY AT THE BORDER -------------- ¶11. (U) In an attempt to promote coordination and prevent a border conflict, Thai Army Commander General Anupong Paojinda made use of the Thai military's traditional sports day on Thursdays by ordering the Thai 2nd Army to sponsor a Thai-Cambodian sports day for troops on both sides of the border stationed near the Preah Vihear temple, according to the Bangkok Post. Thai and Cambodian troops reportedly would engage in a range of activities including volleyball and tug-of-war in order to ease tensions. JOHN