INDEPENDENT NEWS

Cablegate: Mid-February Bangkok Local G8 Ctag Meeting

Published: Fri 14 Mar 2008 09:09 AM
VZCZCXRO4781
OO RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHBK #0829 0740909
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 140909Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY BANGKOK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2272
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5701
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 8467
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 4378
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0505
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 2233
RUEHCHI/AMCONSUL CHIANG MAI 4946
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
UNCLAS BANGKOK 000829
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EAP/MLS, IO, S/CT
NSC FOR PHU
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER PREL PHUM PINR TH
SUBJECT: MID-FEBRUARY BANGKOK LOCAL G8 CTAG MEETING
1. (SBU) On February 19, DCM attended the Bangkok meeting of
the G8 Counterterrorism Action Group (CTAG), hosted by the
Ambassador of Japan, Hideakik Kobayashi. Representatives
from the embassies of Australia, UK, Canada, France, Germany,
Italy, Russia, Spain, and Switzerland, also attended the
event along with a member of the delegation of the European
Commission and a senior officer from the United Nations
Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The agenda for the meeting
included:
- Discussion of Thailand's accession to the international
counterterrorism conventions and protocols
- Review of activities related to Thailand by CTAG members
- Issues to be addresses at the CTAG local meetings this year
- Discussion of terrorism related situations in and around
Thailand
2. (SBU) Highlights of the meeting included a presentation by
the UNODC on Asian countries accession to the various UN
counterterrorism conventions. Thailand has ratified nine of
the 16 conventions and protocols. There was also discussion
on whether Thailand's new constitution would make
ratification of the remaining conventions and protocols
difficult. Discussion on terrorism related situations in and
around Thailand focused on the insurgency in the South, with
the Russian representative suggesting there are growing links
between the militants and international terrorist
organizations. (Note: While this is an issue of concern, we
did not find his argument persuasive. End note.)
3. (SBU) The Embassy of Japan on March 11 issued a Chairman's
Draft Summary of the meeting highlighting the issues the
meeting agreed would be addressed at the CTAG local meeting
this year. These issues, which will be addressed in a joint
demarche to the Thai government, include: coordination and
information sharing among Thai government departments;
ratification of all counterterrorism conventions and
protocols; effective enforcement of the amended law on
document forgery; countermeasures against organized crime;
and respect for human rights, rule of law, and equal access
to judicial procedures.
JOHN
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