THAILAND RESPONSE TO TRIPARTITE CORE GROUP MANDATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L BANGKOK 000770 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MLS - LAURA SCHEIBE NSC FOR ELIZABETH PHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/27/2019 TAGS: PREL ETRD PHUM PGOV BM TH SUBJECT: THAILAND RESPONSE TO TRIPARTITE CORE GROUP MANDATE CONCERNS, MFA DELTA VISIT REF: SECSTATE 27325 Classified By: Political Counselor George P. Kent, reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d). TCG Mandate Concerns -------------- ¶1. (C) We engaged both the MFA ASEAN Department and Burma desk on reftel's concerns about the Burmese junta possibly curtailing the Tripartite Core Group (TCG) mandate in Burma separately March 24 and 27. The Thai MFA interlocutors said they were unaware of any possible weaking of the TCG but promised to work through their Embassy in Rangoon to seek clarifications, since they agreed on the value the TCG played as a positive mechanism for cooperation and window for the Burmese junta to engage the international community. ¶2. (C) ASEAN Affairs Deputy Director General Manasvi Srisodapol added that the MFA's strategic thinking on Burma was formed by PermSec Virasak Futrakul. He noted that the ASEAN Humanitarian Task Force, under the leadership of ASEAN SecGen Surin, also played a useful role. Burma desk officer Jirusaya Birananda, who accompanied FM Kasit as notetaker on his March 22-23 visit to Burma, told us separately that the RTG continued to advocate expanding the mandate of the TCG beyond its agreed-upon areas. Thai Visit, Assistance to the Delta -------------- ¶3. (C) In reviewing the progress of post-Nargis assistance in the Irrawaddy Delta region, Jirusaya noted that Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya's wife and daughter, along with MFA and Thai Embassy staffers, visited the Delta area during the Kasit's March 22-23 to vsit a Buddhist temple and pagoda that had been reconstructed with two million Baht (approximately $57,000) in Thai contributions. Thai Red Cross and Royal Thai Army assistance projects were also progressing well, without problems. ¶4. (C) Burmese PM Thein Sein had told FM Kasit in their March 23 meeting that the GOB was building 12 shelters and appreciated Thai assistance in the construction of one of those shelters, Jirusaya said. Thein Sein also told Kasit tha the GOB planned to build five roads into the Delta region helping to alleviate the need for air deliveries of humanitarian support and asked for Thai help in constructing one of the roads. Jirusaya commented that, given current economic problems and budgetary constraints, such a project was likely beyond the Thai capacity at this point. JOHN