US embassy cable - 02RANGOON1632

C O N F I D E N T I A L RANGOON 001632 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/17/02 
TAGS: PREL, ELTN, TH, IN, BM 
SUBJECT: NOTES ON THAI, BURMESE, AND INDIAN COOPERATION 
 
 
Classified By: DCM RMcMullen.  Reason: 1.5 (d). 
 
1. (C)  Summary: India, Thailand, and Burma will do a survey 
of the proposed road link from India to Thailand through 
Burma.  Work of the Kaladan road/river network from Mizoram 
to Sittwe in Burma's Rakhine State is also moving forward.  A 
Thai/Burmese border committee meeting from December 26 to 28 
will focus on "border security," while January will see a 
series of visits by Thai Army officers to Rangoon, including 
Supreme Commander Surayud.  End Summary. 
 
Road Link 
 
2. (C) The Indian DCM, Rahul Kulshrestha, and the Thai 
Political Counselor, Kallayana Vipattipumiprates, told Poloff 
that the trilateral meeting held in Rangoon December 4 and 5 
resulted in an agreement for "technical field study" on the 
route alignment for the proposed road from Tamu on the 
Burmese/Indian border to Myawaddy on the Thai/Burmese border. 
 According to both, the survey is intended to resolve 
differences between Burma, which argued for new roads in many 
areas, and India and Thailand, which want to use as much of 
the current road structure as possible.  The survey will take 
place in March or April and will set the stage for a 
follow-up, "senior level" meeting, probably in June 2003, 
that will focus on sources of financing.  According to 
Kulshrestha, the road will be a two lane "class III standard" 
road running from Tamu to Pagan and then down through 
Nyaunglebin to Moulmein, Hpa'an, and Myawaddy.  The Indians 
are to take care of the stretch to Pagan, the Burmese the 
section from Pagan to Moulmein, and the Thais the part from 
Moulmein to Myawaddy. 
 
3. (C) The road makes sense for all three nations, according 
to Kulshrestha and Vipattipumiprates.  For India, the road 
will provide an outlet to the sea (through Rangoon) for 
Manipur and other provinces in India's northeast.  For 
Thailand, a good road from Myawaddy to Moulmein will 
facilitate trade with Burma and access to the sea for areas 
in Thailand's northwest.  For Burma, the road will improve 
communications and solidify links with Thailand and India. 
 
Kaladan Road/River Network 
 
4. (C) According to Kulshrestha, work on the proposed Kaladan 
Road/River network is also moving ahead.  That network will 
run from Saiha in Mizoram down through Burma's Chin State to 
the Kaladan River and out to the sea by Sittwe.  For India, 
the road/river network's purpose is basically the same as the 
India/Thailand road link above; it is intended to provide an 
outlet to the sea for Mizoram and other states in India's 
northeast. 
 
Thai/Burmese Border Committee Meeting 
 
5. (C) A Thai/Burmese Border Committee meeting has been 
scheduled for December 26 to 28.  The topic will be "border 
security."  According to Vipattipumiprates, who will attend, 
that means both drugs and the remaining Burmese insurgents in 
Thailand. 
 
Visits 
 
6. (C) In a good sign for bilateral relations, there will be 
a series of visits by Thai Army officers to Rangoon next 
month.  According to Vipattipumiprates, the Thai Army 
Commander in Chief Somdhat is due to visit from January 20 to 
January 22, followed by the new Thai Defense Minister 
Thammarak with the Supreme Commander Surayud and the other 
Chiefs of Service in tow.  One of the Thai princesses is also 
reportedly scheduled to come as a representative of the Thai 
king sometime in March. 
Martinez