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TREASURY PASS TO FRB SAN FRANCISCO/TERESA CURRAN
EO 12958 DECL: 09/19/2016
TAGS PGOV, PHUM, TH
SUBJECT: THAILAND: MY MEETING WITH GENERAL SONTHI
Classified By: Ambassador Ralph L. Boyce, reason 1.4 (b)(d)
1. (C) I met with General Sonthi privately directly after he addressed the diplomatic corps this afternoon. He thought
the session had gone well (see septel for details; I doubt most of the Western diplomats, at least, will share his
assessment).
2. (C) I began by asking Sonthi about the audience with the King last night. Who had attended? He said Privy Council
President Prem Tinsulanonda had brought him, Supreme Commander Ruangroj and Navy Commander Sathiraphan in to meet the
King. Sonthi stressed that they had been summoned to the palace; he had not sought the audience. He said the King was
relaxed and happy, smiling throughout. He provided no further details.
3. (C) Turning to the US reaction, I reminded him of our conversation, August 31, when I told him any military action
would result in immediate suspension of assistance programs such as IMET, FMF and numerous others. I told him he could
expect us to announce such a measure shortly. He understood. I added that the restoration of such assistance could only
come after a democratically elected government took office. In the meantime, I stressed that the coup group needed to
make every effort to demonstrate a sincere intention to return to civilian rule as soon as possible. His announcement
today that an interim constitution and civilian government would be installed within two weeks was a good example. I
reiterated these points several times.
4. (C) Sonthi responded by saying the military had truly acted in order to improve Thai democracy, not destroy it. The
prevailing situation had become untenable. Had Thaksin only been willing to announce publicly that he would not return
as Prime Minister, this action could have been avoided. But his unwillingness to do publicly what he had repeatedly told
many privately had led people to fear that his true intention was to seek a renewed mandate and return to power. Thus
the military had acted. But they did not seek sustained political power and would return to barracks as soon as
possible. The sooner the better, I repeated. I told him to expect fairly broad international criticism, as military
coups were generally seen as a thing of the past.
5. (C) Was he going to seize Thaksin,s assets? No, he stated flatly. Would Thaksin and his family and colleagues be
allowed to return to Thailand? Yes, unconditionally. What is the officially approved English rendition of the coup
group,s title? for Democratic Reform Under Constitutional Monarchy,8 or CDRM.
6. (C) Why had the military chosen to act at this particular point in time? Smiling slightly, he leaned forward. was at his weakest and we were at our strongest.8
7. (C) Comment ) Sonthi was relaxed and calm. Clearly the royal audience was the turning point last night. (Septel
reports Thaksin,s defiant attitude dissolving completely when he learned of the audience.) For now at least, the CDRM
appears to be taking the high road as far as how they will treat Thaksin. We have ready access to this group and will
press them to implement their announced intention to return to civilian rule as soon as possible. Meanwhile, a coup is a
coup is a coup and we believe a strong U.S. statement announcing the suspension of assistance and a call for an early
return to civilian rule and eventually elections is entirely warranted and will submit suggested text via septel.
BOYCE BOYCE