US embassy cable - 05BANGKOK6850

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BANGKOK 006850 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP, EAP/MLS, DRL, INR 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/25/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PTER, TH, Southern Thailand 
SUBJECT: SOUTHERN VIOLENCE: THE SLOW PROGRESS OF THE NRC 
 
REF: A. BANGKOK 4108 
     B. BANGKOK 6595 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor Susan M. Sutton. Reason. 1.4 (d) 
 
1.  (C)  SUMMARY: The RTG has moved slowly to implement 
fourteen interim recommendations, issued by the National 
Reconciliation Commission (NRC), to address violence in the 
South. While some of the interim recommendations may be of 
limited utility or impact, the thrust of the report is 
helpful, underscoring the need for community involvement, 
improved security for every one, and respect for civil 
rights.   Separately, on October 25, an NRC member leaked an 
unofficial draft of the NRC's final report.  The report will 
go through several months of revision before its final 
release in March, 2006.  Prime Minister Thaksin ignored calls 
from some southern Buddhists and northern Senators for the 
dissolution of the NRC for failing to protect Buddhists in 
the South.  We will continue to encourage the government to 
work with the NRC to improve government policies in the 
South.   END SUMMARY. 
 
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LIMITED PROGRESS ON NRC'S INTERIM RECOMMENDATIONS 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
2.  (C)  The NRC issued fourteen interim recommendations on 
July 26 as a first effort to address the ongoing violence 
affecting Southern Thailand.  Most local observers agree that 
the RTG has made a limited attempt to implement some of the 
proposals, however there is some confusion over which 
recommendations the government has been working on.  Two NRC 
members -- Dr. Worawit Baru from Prince of Songkhla 
University in Pattani, and Buddhist civil activist Phiphop 
Thongchai -- told emboffs that most Commission members agree 
that three of the fourteen recommendations have been 
"implemented." (NOTE: Numbers 2, 4, 7.  The complete list of 
interim recommendations is copied below. END NOTE)  However, 
they had differing opinions on which other recommendation the 
government had realized.  Baru and Phiphop agree that the 
government is working on the proposals, but suggested 
policy-level officials were dragging their feet on 
implementation.  They noted that some of the proposals would 
require amendments to existing laws -- work that has yet to 
be done by the government. 
 
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EARLY DRAFT OF NRC'S FINAL REPORT LEAKED 
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3.  (C)  Separately, on October 25 an anonymous NRC member 
leaked to the media a draft copy of the NRC's final report. 
The 77-page paper compiles the work of the NRC's five 
separate subcommittees.  The full NRC is scheduled to meet in 
Pattani from November 11-13 to begin the process -- which 
will continue over the next several months -- of completing 
the final report; scheduled to be presented to the cabinet in 
March, 2006.  NRC member Mark Tamthai cautioned emboffs that 
the leaked draft report does not represent the consensus 
views of the NRC.  Tamthai complained that NRC member Chaiwat 
Satha-Anand had personally compiled and leaked the draft 
report to the media without consulting other NRC members.  We 
will provide further analysis on the leaked document after 
further discussions with the NRC and other interested parties. 
 
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BUDDHIST BACKLASH TO NRC'S WORK 
------------------------------- 
 
4.  (SBU)  Meanwhile, Prime Minister Thaksin has brushed 
aside brushed aside recent calls from some Buddhist groups 
and northern politicians to dissolve the NRC.  On October 24, 
the Pattani Sangha Council -- which oversees provincial 
Buddhist affairs -- issued a 15-point statement calling for, 
among other things, the dissolution of the NRC.  This 
statement follows the murders or a monk and two novices at a 
Pattani Buddhist temple on October 16.  On October 25 Several 
Senators from north-eastern Thailand also called for the 
dissolution of the Commission, blaming the NRC for being 
"prejudiced" against Buddhists.  A Pattani based journalist, 
Paret Lohansen, told emboffs that the Sangha's statement 
reflects growing local Buddhist resentment against the NRC. 
Paret said that many southern Buddhists feel that Muslim NRC 
members are sympathetic to the separatists and are 
accommodating the demands of local Muslims, while ignoring 
the security concerns of Buddhists. 
 
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PROPOSALS USEFUL -- ON BALANCE 
------------------------------ 
 
5.  (C)  COMMENT:  The NRC interim recommendations below are 
a mixed bag, including sensible, concrete proposals 
(permitting defendants timely access to their lawyers), and 
more philosophical ones (following King Rama VI's policy on 
tolerance).  Several of the recommendations are rather 
ambiguous and some are, frankly, of debatable utility or 
impact. (For example, any move by the authorities to 
confiscate all the privately-owned guns in the area would 
probably result in havoc.)  The general thrust of the 
recommendations, however, are helpful, underscoring the need 
for community involvement, improved security for every one, 
and respect for civil rights.  The NRC is the single most 
respected voice in Thailand calling for long-term solutions 
to the problems in Thailand's troubled far South.  We will 
continue to encourage the government to work with the NRC 
sincerely to consider its recommendations and cooperate with 
it on practical steps to lower tensions and rebuild trust. 
We expect that the final report will attract much greater 
attention than the interim recommendations, and there will be 
much greater pressure on the government to take action on NRC 
final proposals once they are released. END COMMENT 
 
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NRC INTERIM PROPOSALS 
--------------------- 
 
6. (NOTE: The NRC members we spoke with consider proposals 
2,4, and 7 to have been implemented by the government.  There 
is some disagreement over whether proposals 1 and 9 have been 
implemented.  The proposals were presented on July 26, 2005. 
END NOTE) 
 
BEGIN EMBASSY TRANSLATION OF NRC'S INTERIM PROPOSALS: 
 
 
1. The Government should follow King Rama the VI's policy for 
the South (dated July 6, 1923), which emphasizes a tolerant 
government policy towards the South. 
 
2. The government should set up a national judicial committee 
in order to monitor legal actions in the three southern 
border provinces.  (NOTE: Minister of Education Chaturon has 
established this committee. The committee's responsibilities 
have not been clearly defined. END NOTE) 
 
3. Persons arrested or detained under Section 11 (1) of the 
Emergency Decree should be allowed to meet their lawyers and 
obtain lawyer's assistance within 48 hours. 
 
4. The governments should make better use of forensic science 
to investigate attacks in the South. (NOTE: The Department of 
Justice's Central Forensic Institute, under the guidance of 
the famous Dr. Pornthip Rojanasunant, has begun work 
assisting in forensic cases in the South. END NOTE) 
 
5. Local leaders and from both the Islamic and Buddhist 
communities should be allowed to work with local authorities 
to formulate local policies and represent the views of the 
local populace. 
 
6. All guns are regarded as illegal in the 3 southern borders 
provinces, except those possessed by soldiers and police and 
those who have duty to maintain public safety under the law. 
 
7. The government should install the CCTV in public places in 
the three southern border provinces. (NOTE: The government 
has reportedly focused on setting the cameras up in Yala City 
and is working on other urban areas in the South. END NOTE) 
 
8. Stricter zoning should be enforced.  Entertainment venues 
should be moved away from community areas, religious 
institution, educational institutions, and youth recreation 
centers. 
 
9. The government should hold community meetings in villages 
following an attack in order to clarify facts and dispel 
rumors. (NOTE: This may be happening at in some local areas 
but does not appear widespread. END NOTE) 
 
10. Village defense volunteer units, consisting of Ministry 
of Interior officials, soldiers, police, and the territory 
defense volunteers should be established. 
 
11. Local communities should set up community peace 
committees, consisting community leaders, local religious 
leaders, teachers, local administrators, as well as soldiers 
and police. 
 
12. Students should be allowed to peacefully express their 
views.  Authorities should avoid investigating and arresting 
students in their education institutions without the presence 
of their teachers. 
 
13. All schools, both religious school and public school, 
should have an alarm system, and modern communication 
equipment, which is able to communicate directly with 
security forces. 
 
14. The decision to open or close a school or remove the 
students must be made in consultation with security 
officials, Ministry of Interior officials, and the school 
administrators.  Authorities should consult teachers on 
establishing safety standards for schools. 
 
END EMBASSY TRANSLATION OF NRC'S INTERIM PROPOSALS 
BOYCE