COLOMBIA DEMARCHES THAILAND ON VIKTOR BOUT

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 002756 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/26/2019 TAGS: PREL PTER KCRM MARR TH CO SUBJECT: COLOMBIA DEMARCHES THAILAND ON VIKTOR BOUT REF: STATE 88226 Classified By: Ambassador William R. Brownfield Reasons 1.4 (b and d) ¶1. (C) The Ambassador asked Foreign Minister Jaime Bermudez to demarche the Royal Thai Government (RTG) concerning the case of arms trafficker Viktor Bout (reftel) on August 24 and followed up with Vice Foreign Minister Clemencia Forero on August 26. VFM Forero confirmed that the GOC sent a diplomatic note to the RTG on August 14 (prior to reftel) affirming the GOC's position that the FARC is a terrorist organization and not/not a POLITICAL organization as stated in the Thai judge's decision (see para 2). Forero also suggested that judicial authorities from the United States and Colombia confer on whether a case could be brought against Bout in Colombia (Note: Post will check with the Prosecutor General's Office on the last point, but given that the Bout arrest was the result of a DEA undercover operation in which agents posed as FARC members -- and met exclusively outside of Colombian territory -- a case in Colombia may be difficult.) ¶2. (SBU) Translation of diplomatic note transmitted to the Thai Embassy in Lima (which covers Colombia) and the Colombian Embassy in Malaysia (which covers Thailand): BEGIN INFORMAL TRANSLATION OF DIPLOMATIC NOTE: The Ministry of Foreign RELATIONS presents its compliments to the Honorable Embassy of Thailand with the purpose of making reference to the ruling issued by the judicial authorities of Thailand in which the extradition to the United States of the Russian citizen Viktor Bout was denied on the grounds that the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) is not a terrorist organization but rather a POLITICAL organization. The Ministry of Foreign RELATIONS requests that the Honorable Embassy of Thailand clarify the scope of the aforementioned statements and to specify if these represent the position of the Government of Thailand. Additionally, this Ministry politely requests information about the juridical status of Viktor Bout as a consequence of this ruling. The Ministry of Foreign RELATIONS kindly reminds the Honorable Embassy of Thailand of the terrorist nature of the FARC within the international community, which has included this illegal group in its lists of terrorist organizations. At the same time, we recall the commitments assumed by the international community in the fight against terrorism established in Resolution 1373/2001 of the Security Council of the United Nations. The Ministry of Foreign RELATIONS avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the Honorable Embassy of Thailand the assurances of its highest considerations. ¶3. (C) On 27 August, Vice Foreign Minister Forero called Ambassador to report that she had decided the 14 August dipnote was not sufficiently strong, and that another note would soon be transmitted to the RTG. She promised to share the text. Brownfield