US embassy cable - 05BANGKOK3074

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGKOK 003074 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/BCLTV, S/CT; HQ USPACOM FOR FPA HUSO 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/09/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PTER, PHUM, TH, BM, BURMA, Terrorism 
SUBJECT: BURMESE DISSIDENT GROUPS IN THAILAND DENY 
INVOLVEMENT IN RANGOON BOMBING 
 
REF: RANGOON 542 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor Robert J. Clarke, Reason: 1.5 (d) 
 
 
1. (SBU) Summary: Burmese exile groups based in Thailand have 
denied any connection to the bombings in Rangoon on May 7, 
2005.  Most speculated, without any providing any hard 
evidence, that former associates of ousted Prime Minister 
Khin Nyunt and the military intelligence services might be 
responsible.  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) stated 
that 128 Thai citizens attending a Thai trade fair in Rangoon 
had returned safely to Bangkok on May 8.  End Summary. 
 
ACCUSED GROUPS ALL DENY INVOLVEMENT 
 
2. (SBU) Following the May 7 bombings in Rangoon, which 
killed at least 11 people (Reftel), the Karen National Union 
(KNU), the National Coalition Government, Union of Burma 
(NCGUB) and the Shan State Army (SSA) all publicly denied 
involvement in the attacks.  All of the groups were named by 
the SPDC military regime as being responsible for the 
bombings.  The KNU statement, issued on May 8, stated, "This 
is an outrageous atrocity of inhuman (sic) act and we, the 
KNU, strongly oppose and condemn it." Nang Kher Seng, 
spokesperson of the SSA was quoted in several media report on 
May 7 denying SSA involvement and stating her opinion that it 
was an internal struggle within the ruling SPDC.  Poloff 
spoke in Bangkok with Sann Aung, from the Prime Minister's 
office of the US-based NCGUB.  Sann Aung, who stated he had 
just returned from the Thai-Burma border town of Mae Sot, 
provided a written statement denying NCGUB involvement.  He 
declined to speculate who carried out the bombings, but said 
the exile community at the border was rife with rumors about 
disgruntled former military intelligence (MI) operatives of 
ousted SPDC Prime Minister Khin Nyunt being responsible. 
(Post will send complete statements from the KNU and NCGUB 
via e-mail to Rangoon and EAP.) 
 
FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS THAIS NOT THE TARGET 
 
3. (U) Foreign Minister Kanthati Suphamongkhon was quoted in 
the Bangkok Post as saying that "Thais were not the target of 
the bomb."  Commenting on the prospects of a planned second 
Thai trade fair in Rangoon in November, the Deputy Trade 
Minister only commented that the RTG "might review" whether 
it will go on as planned. 
 
4. (C) Damrong Kraikruan, Director of the MFA East Asian 
Affairs Division responsible for Burma, confirmed that a 
Royal Thai Airforce C-130 dispatched to Rangoon after the 
bombings had returned to Bangkok on May 8 with 128 Thai 
civilian evacuees.  No Thai diplomats returned and the Thai 
embassy in Rangoon is functioning normally, according to 
Damrong.  The civilian Thais in Rangoon were participating in 
a Thai trade exhibition, which was where one of the bombs 
went off.  Damrong stated that two of the four Thais were 
injured by the blast in the exhibition hall, while the other 
two were hurt while trying to flee.  At this stage, Damrong 
stated that it's extremely difficult to know who is 
responsible for the attacks and that he did not put much 
credit into the early claims by the SPDC of who was 
responsible since they were still investigating and gathering 
evidence from the blast scenes.  He did note that the May 
bombings appear to be part of a worrisome trend, referring to 
two attacks earlier this year, one at a Rangoon restaurant 
and another at a Mandalay market.  Damrong admitted, however, 
that there's no clear evidence linking the attacks to each 
other or to any single group. He opined that the KNU would be 
the least likely group to have the capacity to carry out the 
attack or the motivation to do so since they were still 
trying to negotiate a cease-fire with the SPDC. He offered no 
comment about further RTG reaction or about any possible 
impact that the bombings would have on the status of various 
Burmese pro-democracy groups that operate in Thailand. 
 
4. (C) Comment.  The early conclusion by FM Kanthati about 
the intent of as yet unknown bombers appears aimed more at 
trying to assuage fears of a Burmese-Thai rift following a 
serious and embarrassing lapse of security.  Damrong's "no 
comment" on how the bombings will affect Burmese exiles 
indicates that the RTG is waiting to get more information 
about who is responsible for this spate of bombings before 
making any decisions about whether any RTG action to restrict 
pro-democracy groups would be justified.  While it is too 
early to predict what effect this incident will have on 
official Thai-Burma relations, violence in the Burmese 
capital adds more apprehension to the atmosphere for Thai 
business and government officials already struggling with how 
to deal with the SPDC. End Comment. 
 
5. (U) Embassy Rangoon and Consulate General Chiang Mai both 
cleared on this message. 
BOYCE