US embassy cable - 03COLOMBO239

C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 000239 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, IO/T, NEA/IAI 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL:  2-11-13 
TAGS: PREL, AORC, EAID, SNAR, CE, TH, IR 
SUBJECT:  Colombo Plan:  Consensus emerging on 
Thai candidate for secretary general slot 
 
Ref:  (A) Colombo-SA/INS 2/10/03 class e-mail 
 
-     (B) New Delhi 797 
-     (C) Colombo-SA/INS 1/24/03 fax 
-     (D) Bangkok 382 
-     (E) USMission New York 101  (All Notal) 
 
(U) Classified by W. Lewis Amselem, Deputy Chief of 
Mission.  Reasons 1.5 (b, d) 
 
1.  (U) This is an Action Request -- Please see Para 4. 
 
2.  (C) Poloff attended a February 11 Colombo Plan 
meeting focused on selecting a new secretary general of 
the organization.  (Note:  The new secretary general, 
who will serve a four-year term, will take over in June 
from the current incumbent, an Indian.)  During the 
course of the meeting, members decided that Kittipan 
Kanjanapipatkul, the candidate proposed by the Thai 
government, should be interviewed for the spot.  (Note: 
Per Ref D, the Thai government has requested our support 
for its candidate.  Kanjanapipatkul is a Thai government 
official, who has done significant work with the Colombo 
Plan in the past.  His c.v. is included in Ref C.) 
Poloff did not join in this decision, pending Washington 
instructions.  Members (again, other than the U.S.) 
agreed that the Iranian candidate, Nasrollah Kazemi 
Kamyab, should also be invited in for an interview. 
(Note:  Mission just received Kamyab's c.v., which it is 
faxing to Washington.  He has ambassador-ranking and 
represents Iran at ECOSOC at the UN.)  Other than the 
Thai and the Iranian, none of the other candidates (from 
Bhutan, India, Mongolia, two from Pakistan, and Sri 
Lanka) was invited for interviews.  (Note:  Although 
Burma clearly indicated support for the Thai candidate, 
it also recommended reviewing the Bhutanese candidate -- 
also see Ref B.  No one else spoke on behalf of Bhutan's 
candidate.) 
 
3.  (C) The Thai candidate seems to have by far the most 
support.  Indeed, a consensus seems to be developing 
around his candidacy.  It was not clear why the Iranian 
candidate was thrown in the mix, with only Malaysia and 
Australia recommending him (and both these members 
actually seem to support the Thai candidate).  The next 
selection meeting is scheduled for March 6, with the 
Thai and Iranian nominees scheduled to attend and be 
interviewed by members.  Based on what we understand, 
the Korean chair of the Colombo Plan may propose as 
early as that day that members vote for a candidate. 
 
4.  (C) ACTION REQUEST:  Mission requests guidance on 
whether we should join the emerging consensus and 
support Thailand's nominee, Kittipan Kanjanapipatkul, as 
Secretary General of the Colombo Plan.  Mission requests 
 
SIPDIS 
Washington's guidance before the Colombo Plan meeting on 
March 6, where members may well be asked to vote. 
Mission also requests whether it should participate in 
the planned interview of the Iranian candidate that day 
or sit it out.  END ACTION REQUEST. 
 
5.  (U) Minimize considered. 
 
WILLS