US embassy cable - 05BANGKOK6980

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGKOK 006980 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/07/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PTER, ML, TH, Southern Thailand 
SUBJECT: NRC HEAD ANAND ON HIS CONVERSATIONS WITH MALAYSIAN 
LEADERS ABOUT SOUTHERN THAILAND 
 
REF: (A) BANGKOK 6639 (B) KUALA LUMPUR 4027 (C) KUALA 
 
     LUMPUR 3993 
 
Classified By: AMBASSADOR RALPH BOYCE.  REASON: 1.4 (D) 
 
 1.  (C)  Summary:  During his visit to Malaysia last month, 
National Reconciliation Commission Head (NRC) Anand 
Panyarachun met with Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi and 
former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad to discuss the 
Thai-Malaysian relations in context of the ongoing violence 
in Thailand's southern border provinces.  Anand invited 
Mahathir to visit Thailand on November 21-22.  Anand said he 
was told by Badawi and Mahathir, that during their 
administrations there has been no Government of Malaysia 
assistance given to PULO. They told Anand that the brutality 
inflicted on demonstrators at Tak Bai by Thai security units 
fuels support for the Malaysian Muslim opposition "PAS" 
party.  Badawi expressed frustration at Thaksin's suspicious 
attitude towards Malaysia and his public airings of their 
differences.  Amidst the current sour relations between the 
two governments over the situation in Thailand's south, Anand 
appears to be working hard to rekindle dialogue between 
Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.  End comment. 
 
NCR HEAD CALLS ON BADAWI AND MAHATHIR 
 
2.  (C)  National Reconciliation Commission Head (NRC) Anand 
Panyarachun told the Ambassador on November 3 that during his 
trip to Kuala Lumpur last month, he met with Prime Minister 
Abdullah Badawi and former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. 
Anand had told Prime Minister Thaksin beforehand that he 
planned to visit Malaysia.  Thaksin didn't object.  Anand 
went to Kuala Lumpur on October 5-6 as NRC head, not as an 
official Thai government representative, although the RTG MFA 
arranged the trip.  The meetings with Badawi and Mahathir 
were in the wake of an acrimonious exchange of words between 
the two governments following the flight of 131 Thai Muslims 
to Malaysia in September (reftels).  Anand said that he had 
no specific agenda, but wanted a general discussion on an 
issue that was causing mutual suspicion between the two 
governments.  Mahathir requested a private meeting with 
Anand.  Prime Minister Badawi was initially accompanied by 
three aides.  Later, Badawi and Anand spoke alone for an 
hour. 
 
MAHATHIR VISIT INVITATION 
 
3.  (C)  During the meeting with Mahathir, Anand extended an 
invitation to visit Thailand (According to Anand he had come 
up with idea and told Thaksin about it after the fact.  He 
said Thaksin had no problem with the idea.).  Mahathir is 
scheduled to visit Thailand on November 21-22.  Mahathir will 
have an audience with the King on the 22nd.  Anand hoped that 
a visit by Prime Minister Badawi will follow Mahathir's trip 
to Thailand. 
 
NO QUESTION OF SEPARATION 
 
4.  (C)  According to Anand, Mahathir maintained that there 
is no question of the southern provinces separating and 
joining Malaysia.  There is no possibility of a referendum to 
this effect or any possibility of a "decolonization" process. 
 These were "Siamese-Malay" states.  Mahathir noted that in 
the past these state paid tribute to Bangkok in the same 
manner in which the Thai kingdom paid tribute to the Chinese 
emperors.  The British gave the "Siamese-Malay" states to 
Bangkok.  Now the Malaysian Malays are independent but the 
Siamese Malays are still under the Thai.  The border is fixed 
and recognized internationally, so there is no question of 
separation. 
 
5.  (C)  However, Anand noted that Mahathir's urging that 
Bangkok consider a form of autonomy for the deep south 
provinces was an unfortunate (and potentially incendiary) use 
of words.  Anand said that the Malaysians, nor anyone else 
for that matter, should not use the term "autonomy."  There 
is no term for that in Thai and it unfortunately translates 
into the same word as "independent." 
 
OR SUPPORT TO SEPARATISTS 
 
6.  (C)  Anand said he was told by Badawi and Mahathir that 
during their administrations there has been no Government of 
Malaysia assistance given to PULO.  They noted to Anand that 
if Kuala Lumpur supported separatism across its border in 
Thailand, it would give impetus to the separatist-minded 
living in Sabah or Sarawak.  Kuala Lumpur does not want to 
risk arousing any latent separatist feelings, Mahathir and 
Badawi said, according to Anand. 
 
HARSH RTG CRACKDOWNS RESONATE IN MALAYSIA 
 
7.  (C)  The brutality inflicted on the demonstrators at Tak 
Bai last year by Thai security units was the "last straw" for 
many Malaysians.  This fuels support for "PAS", especially in 
the provinces bordering Thailand where a network of kinship 
and other ties exist.  If Thailand has its south issues, 
Kuala Lumpur has its own "north issues," Badawi told Anand. 
 
STRAINS WITH THAKSIN 
 
8.  (C)  According to Anand, Prime Minister Badawi asked why 
Thaksin has to publicly air his differences with the 
Malaysians when quiet diplomacy would be so much more 
productive.  Badawi noted that at the recent meeting of ASEAN 
leaders with Kofi Annan in New York, Thaksin publicly snubbed 
him, despite the fact that Badawi was sitting as both the 
Chairman of the meeting and as head of ASEAN.  Anand said 
that Badawi described to him how Thaksin, followed by Deputy 
Prime Minister Surikiart and Foreign Minister Kantathi swept 
past the Malaysian Prime Minister without acknowledging him 
in front of the assembly.  He also noted for example 
Thaksin's public demand for extradition of a suspected Thai 
separatist from Malaysia to Thailand last year that put 
Malaysian authorities in a tough spot. 
 
9.  (C)  Comment:  Anand viewed his visit as successful.  He 
appears to see Thaksin's attitude, born of a personal 
mistrust of Malaysia, as a major contributor to the current 
tensions between the two governments.  Anand attributes 
Thaksin's unhelpful stance to Bedawi's family lineage to 
Pattani.  Anand clearly sees the Malaysians as an essential 
component of any long-term resolution to Thailand's southern 
travails and is working to rekindle dialogue between Bangkok 
and Kuala Lumpur.  End comment. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BOYCE