US embassy cable - 05BANGKOK2048

UNCLAS BANGKOK 002048 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
State for EAP/BCLTV and EB/TRA/OTP: DHaywood and CDiamond 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC, ECON, ETRD, EWWT, KSTC, TH 
SUBJECT: Thailand: Coordination and Outreach on Maritime 
Security 
 
REF: SECSTATE 38877 
 
-- (U) THE FOLLOWING IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED, PLEASE 
PROTECT ACCORDINGLY, NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION -- 
 
1.  (U) In response to reftel, various agencies at Post have 
portfolio responsibility and/or interest in maritime 
security.  The Economic section has portfolio responsibility 
for maritime security from an economic policy standpoint. The 
Political section has responsibility for engaging and 
coordinating with the Royal Thai Government (RTG) on a broad 
range of non-proliferation policy initiatives related to 
Maritime Security.  These issues include the Proliferation 
Security Initiative (PSI) which has a large maritime 
component focused on ship boarding to stop WMD proliferation; 
the Regional Maritime Security Initiative  (RMSI) which 
focuses on maritime security in south-east Asia, particularly 
in the Straights of Malacca; and the Export and Border 
Security Program (EXBS) which includes programs to develop 
export control standards, technology and the legal framework 
to stop exports of WMD related materials.  Immigration and 
Customs Enforcement (ICE) also has responsibility, 
coordinating with TSA, and liaising with Team Thailand, an 
RTG coordination mechanism comprising 12 stakeholders, 
including the Maritime Department Port Authority, Thai 
Customs, Thai National Security Council, Royal Thai Navy, 
Thai Police, local government, and the private sector.  DAO 
has an interest in Thailand's port security for ship visits, 
and the Joint US Military Advisory Group Thailand 
(JUSMAGTHAI) is charged by DOD with oversight of force 
protection issues for DOD personnel in or transiting 
Thailand, in coordination with the Force Protection 
Detachment, a DOD entity located within RSO.  Other agencies 
which have interest are FCS, from a commercial facilitation 
and trade advocacy standpoint, USTDA, which has funded 
projects related to maritime security and US technology, and 
FAS, as port security relates to FDA matters and its 
responsibilities under the 2002 Bioterrorism Act.  While the 
broad issue of having Thailand support Regional Maritime 
Security Initiative (RMSI) goals is referenced in the MPP, 
maritime security coordination is not specifically addressed. 
 
2.  (SBU) Although there is no dedicated maritime security 
coordination mechanism at Post, with agencies holding 
coordination meetings on an ad hoc basis, agencies agree that 
coordination within the Embassy, and with the RTG and private 
sector, has been excellent.  However, these agencies also 
agree that coordination with USG agencies based in Washington 
is sometimes problematic.  Washington agencies have been 
known to send port assessment teams one after another, 
sometimes with little coordination with post, to do identical 
assessments.  After multiple USG assessments within a short 
period, RTG contacts have complained about the added burden 
these assessments present, contending this would be easily 
remedied by better USG coordination and sharing of 
information.  Post agencies believe this has caused undue 
strain on their relations with RTG contacts in the past, and 
can be easily avoided by Washington agencies' better 
coordination amongst themselves, and with agencies at Post. 
 
BOYCE