US embassy cable - 05BANGKOK3314

C O N F I D E N T I A L BANGKOK 003314 
 
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