US embassy cable - 05BANGKOK1163

UNCLAS BANGKOK 001163 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV, L/EAP, L/PM, PM/ISO, INR AND DRL 
PACOM FOR FPA HUSO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: MASS, MARR, MOPS, PREL, PHUM, TH, HUMAN RIGHTS VETTING 
SUBJECT: EMBASSY/STATE DEPARTMENT HUMAN RIGHTS VETTING FOR: 
 EXERCISE BALANCE TORCH (BT) 05-2 
 
REF: JUSMAG THAI MEMO DATED 3 FEBRUARY 2005. 
 
1.  This is an action request. 
 
2.  JUSMAGTHAI has requested that the Embassy/State 
Department complete human rights vetting for units that have 
been selected to participate in Exercise Balance Torch (BT) 
05-2 from 11 April - 3 June 2005.  To meet internal DOD 
advance deployment deadlines, they have requested that the 
review of human rights reports and files be completed no 
later than eight weeks prior to the exercise, if possible. 
 
3.  The Embassy possesses no credible evidence that any of 
the units listed below in paragraph four have committed gross 
violations of human rights.  The Embassy has important 
information, contained in paragraph 5, about one of the 
units. Please advise whether the Department has any relevant 
information on the units listed in paragraph four below. 
 
4.  Participants in the Exercise are as follows: 
 
ROYAL THAI ARMY UNITS 
 
Special Warfare Command, 1st Special Forces Division, 1st 
Special Forces Regiment 
-   (approx. 20 personnel) 
 
1st Army Area, 1st Infantry Division, 1st Infantry Regiment 
(approx. 440 personnel) 
 
2nd Army Area, 3rd Infantry Division, 3rd Infantry Regiment 
(approx. 220 personnel) 
 
4th Army Area, 5th Infantry Division, 25th Infantry Regiment 
(approx. 220 personnel) 
 
ROYAL THAI NAVY 
 
HQ, Special Warfare Group (approx. 50 personnel) 
 
5.  Thai media reports indicated that members of the 25th 
Infantry Regiment were involved in the April 28, 2004 assault 
upon militants holding the Krue Sae Mosque in Pattani 
Province.  32 militants who had occupied the mosque and who 
were part of a series of regional attacks against Thai 
Government institutions and murders of Thai officials were 
killed by Thai special forces who stormed and retook the 
mosque.  An independent commission was set up by the Royal 
Thai Government to investigate the incident and concluded 
that excessive force was used in retaking the mosque.  The 
investigation did not/not name the 25th Infantry Division as 
having committed human rights violations.  MG Surapun 
Wongthai, G-3 for the Royal Thai Army, has assured JUSMAGTHAI 
that no members of the 25th Infantry Division have been 
implicated, or are expected to be implicated, with excesses 
associated with retaking the mosque.  Post notes that an 
added feature of the training these units will receive in 
this exercise is an expanded human rights training course. 
Embassy Bangkok Political Counselor Robert J. Clarke is the 
verifying officer for the Embassy/Department of State. 
BOYCE