THAILAND: "LET THE MAGIC AMULET BREAK YOUR NECK" -

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/09/2020
TAGS: PGOV PREL PREF PHUM SMIG TH
SUBJECT: THAILAND: "LET THE MAGIC AMULET BREAK YOUR NECK" -
THAILAND ABUZZ OVER HUN SEN'S LATEST HARSH RHETORIC

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Classified By: Political Counselor George Kent, reason 1.4 (b,d)


1. (C) Summary. Thai refusal to allow Cambodia's Prime
Minister Hun Sen to bring armed soldiers to visit Ta Muen
Thom, border temple ruins long under Thai control, February 8
apparently led to Hun Sen's most recent scathing denunciation
of Thai PM Abhisit, with the colorful insults dominating Thai
media headlines February 9. Thai officials sought to avoid
escalating the rhetoric publicly. However, with Thai
attention increasingly on the potential for street unrest in
the lead-up to an expected February 26 Supreme Court decision
on fugitive former PM Thaksin's frozen assets, some contacts
told us that they suspected Hun Sen may have picked the
timing of the visit as a favor to Thaksin, whom he has
appointed as adviser to his government, to put additional
pressure on Abhisit. End summary.

Thai scramble in advance of Hun Sen's border traverse
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2. (SBU) Thai officials went into crisis planning mode
starting February 4, in advance of Cambodian Prime Minister
Hun Sen's planned toured of hot spots along the Thai-Cambodia
border on February 6-8. PM Abhisit convened a rare night
executive session of the Thai National Security Council to
consider two issues: domestic security arrangements in
advance of expected red-shirt protests, and how to handle Hun
Sen's border traverse, in particular his request to visit
contested temple ruins at Ta Muen Thom, long under Thai
control accompanied by up to 20 armed military escorts.
Abhisit and the NSC directed an interagency team of military
commanders, local governors, and MFA officials to meet Hun
Sen February 6 and 7 near Preah Vihear temple and in the
so-called "Emerald Triangle" between Thailand, Laos, and
Cambodia. Royal Thai Armed Forces Border Division Commander
LTG Nipat Thonglek told us February 5 that Thailand would
reinforce the expected border visits locations with
additional troops to prevent any potential mischief-making.


3. (C) In the aftermath of the Preah Vihear visit, Si Sa Ket
Governor Rapi Phongbuphakit told us February 8 that he had
talked with Hun Sen for five minutes as a member of the Thai
delegation led by Second Area army Commander LTG Veerawit
Jornsumrit. Rapi said that Hun Sen had expressed his desire
to see the border situation return to normal and that he had
showed no interest in visiting the 4.6 square kilometers of
disputed territory adjacent to the temple. (Note: The
International Court of Justice ruled that Preah Vihear is
located in Cambodian territory in 1962; the decision did not
address the contested area adjacent to the temple, which is
claimed by both countries. End Note.)

Final leg canceled, Hun Sen blasts Abhisit, Thai media
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4. (SBU) Thai officials announced publicly that Hun Sen would
be welcome to visit the Ta Muen Thom ruins February 8, but
only as a tourist; he would not be allowed to bring 20 armed
military escorts. Colonel Thanet Wongcha-um, Chief of Staff
for the Suranaree Task Force that oversees the Thai side of
the disputed border, told us February 9 that Thai officials
had also advised Hun Sen not to visit the ruins due to the
presence of approximately 150 protesters from the People's
Alliance for Democracy, who were opposing Hun Sen's visit.
Hun Sen chose not to visit on those terms, Thai FM Kasit's
Secretary Chavanond Intarakomalyasut told the Thai media,
which reported that Hun Sen instead went to a village four
kilometers away to rename it after Ta Muen Thom. (note: Ta
Muen Thom temple is claimed by both nations but, unlike Preah
Vihear, the Thai military has maintained control over the
area around the temple for decades.)


5. (SBU) Thai headlines February 9 focused on Hun Sen's
subsequent harsh denunciation of the Abhisit government, with
DPM Suthep, also a target of Hun Sen's rhetoric, suggesting
to the Thai media that the outburst came as a result of Hun
Sen's aborted attempt to visit the runs. The speech as
reported in the media included a variety of insults and
curses directed towards Abhisit, with Hun Sen calling on

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Abhisit to tell the truth about Thai troops in the area
around Preah Vihear or risk letting "magic amulets break your
neck; may you be shot, be hit by a car, may you be shocked by
electricity, or shot by misfired guns."


6. (SBU) According to reports, Hun Sen also referred to
Abhisit as a "power thief," "crazy," and without "family
honor" for denying the Cambodian accusation that Thai troops
had invaded Cambodian territory in July 2008. Hun Sen also
lashed out at Thailand's two English language newspapers
distributed throughout mainland Southeast Asia, the Bangkok
Post and the Nation, for presenting what he claimed was false
information about his visit to the border areas and for
describing his visit as inappropriate.

Thai reaction cautious, with some private suspicions
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7. (SBU) RTG officials were quick to respond to Hun Sen's
reported statements, though they sought to calm the waters
February 9. FM Secretary Chavanond initially condemned Hun
Sen's comments, suggesting they would make it difficult for
Thailand to restore normal diplomatic relations with
Cambodia. However, Chavanond insisted that Thailand would
make every effort to avoid a conflict between the two
nations. Government Acting Spokesman Panitan told the media
February 9 that Thailand would not respond in kind to Hun
Sen's rhetoric, and that the international community could
draw its own conclusions. For his part, DPM Suthep said
Thailand would decline to respond to Hun Sen's allegation of
a Thai "invasion" of Cambodian territory, and told the media
he would not speculate about links between Hun Sen and
red-shirts calling for the downfall of the Abhisit government.


8. (C) Private commentary to us also downplayed the
possibility for an escalation of border tensions, though some
suspicions remained about potential links between Hun Sen,
Thaksin, and the upcoming red-shirt protests. Dr. Chanawit
Kasetsiri, a retired professor at Thammasat University, told
us that he believed that Thailand would not allow the dispute
to lead to a military conflict. Both Dr. Chanawit and
Senator Prasong shared their suspicion with us, however, that
former PM Thaksin had pushed Hun Sen to make this border
traverse with the hopes of further instigating the
Thai-Cambodian conflict, open another front in Thaksin's
effort to bring down the Abhisit government, and thus open
the door for Thaksin's return. DPM Suthep publicly tried to
put a more positive spin on the matter, voicing hope to the
media that Thai-Cambodian relations would improve once
problems related to Thaksin were resolved.
JOHN