US embassy cable - 05BANGKOK3271

C O N F I D E N T I A L BANGKOK 003271 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/BCLTV, EAP/RSP, S/CT. HQ USPACOM FOR FPA 
(HUSO) 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/17/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PTER, BM, TH, ASEAN, BURMA 
SUBJECT: THAILAND:  PM THAKSIN'S PUBLIC REMARKS ON RANGOON 
BOMBINGS;  MFA COMMENTS ON BURMA AND ASEAN CHAIRMANSHIP 
 
REF: A. RANGOON 590 
 
     B. BANGKOK 3208 
     C. BANGKOK 3128 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor Robert Clarke.  Reason:  1.4 (d) 
 
1. (C) Summary:  It has not been lost on Thai observers that 
SPDC propaganda about who is responsible for the May 7 
bombings in Rangoon (Ref A) vaguely suggests Thai involvement 
as well as that of a "superpower nation."  Prime Minister 
Thaksin Shinawatra tackled this issue on May 16 by rejecting 
any suspicions of Royal Thai Government (RTG) involvement. 
However, his formulation seemed designed to keep open his 
lines to the SPDC.  His spin was that it had not been 
Rangoon's intention to suggest official Thai involvement, 
only that someone might be involved in secret activities 
along the border.  Thaksin said Rangoon would have to request 
through diplomatic channels any follow-up by the RTG.  He 
reiterated that Thailand will not support anyone intending to 
harm neighboring countries and would not harbor terrorists. 
On a separate Burma issue, the ASEAN Chairmanship, a Foreign 
Ministry (MFA) official dispelled speculation that Foreign 
Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon is pursuing a "secret plan" 
to resolve that matter.  He confirmed that Kantathi was 
trying to convince other ASEAN members to allow Burma, if it 
gave up its turn in the rotation for the ASEAN Chair this 
time, immediately to assume the Chair when it achieved 
credible reforms, rather than waiting for 10 years at another 
chance.  End Summary. 
 
2. (U) Prime Minister Thaksin's May 16 rejection of any 
suspicions of Thai Government involvement in the May 7 triple 
bombings in Rangoon has been covered in the Bangkok press, 
most notably the English-language Bangkok Post.  Responding 
to journalists who raised vague statements by the SPDC which 
insinuated Thai involvement as well as that of "a world 
famous organization of a big nation," Thaksin reportedly said 
that the Burmese statements had not indicated suspicion of 
the RTG, but were claiming that "maybe someone is doing 
something secretly along the border."  He said that, if that 
is what the Burmese Government suspects, it must indicate so 
through diplomatic channels and ask for a joint investigation 
and pursuit of culprits to prevent further attacks.  Thaksin 
said that the Thai Government does not support anyone 
intending to do harm to neighboring countries and will never 
allow terrorists to use Thailand as a shelter.  Reportedly, 
Thaksin added that Thailand always acts with sincerity in its 
political relations with neighboring countries and is always 
ready to talk openly or behind closed doors on any problem. 
He noted that the Burmese Government had not made any 
official approach to the RTG. 
 
3. (C) Comment:  Privately, Thaksin recently indicated to the 
Ambassador that he believes people linked to former SPDC PM 
Khin Nyunt are responsible for the bombings.  This is a 
theory that other Thai officials share, with some even 
stating so publicly.  While there is some Thai sentiment for 
protesting the Burmese insinuations about Thai involvement, 
Thaksin was careful in his public statements not to burn his 
bridges with the SPDC.  End Comment. 
 
4. (C) On a separate matter relating to Burma, PolCouns 
clarified with Damrong Kraikruan, head of MFA's Burma office, 
recent press reports on statements by FM Kantathi in Thailand 
and the U.S. that he has been consulting on the matter of 
Rangoon's controversial prospective assumption of the 
chairmanship of ASEAN and suggesting that he has been working 
on a "secret plan" to resolve the issue.  Asked whether 
Kantathi's diplomacy on Burma had progressed beyond what he 
had outlined to PACOM Commander ADM Fallon on May 4 (Ref C) 
-- and to Deputy Secretary Zoellick (septel) -- Damrong said 
that press reports were erroneously painting Kantathi as 
taking credit for a unilateral SPDC initiative to announce 
"for the sake of ASEAN unity" that it will forgo the ASEAN 
chairmanship "when the timing is right."  Damrong said that 
Kantathi was, however, trying to convince other ASEAN 
governments that, if Burma were to give up its turn in the 
rotation, it should not have to wait another 10 years, 
through the whole cycle, before becoming the ASEAN Chair. 
Kantathi, he said, hoped to use the ASEAN chair as an 
incentive for Burma to make real reforms, at which time it 
could be confident of gaining the Chair without further 
delay. 
ARVIZU