This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGKOK 003231 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP, EAP/MLS 
PACOM FOR FPA (HUSO) 
NSC FOR MORROW 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/22/2026 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER TH NRC
SUBJECT: ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL'S MEETING WITH FORMER PM 
ANAND: SOUTH, POLITICS 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Ralph L. Boyce. Reason 1.4 (b, d) 
 
¶1.  (C)  Summary:  On May 22, EAP Assistant Secretary 
Christopher Hill, EAP DAS Eric John and the Ambassador met 
with former PM Anand Panyarachun to discuss his work on 
southern Thailand and the current political situation.  Anand 
said the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) would 
release its final report by June 9.  He requested a U.S. 
statement in support of the report.  However, he strongly 
urged the U.S. to continue to distance itself from this Thai 
domestic issue in order to avoid "internationalizing" the 
problem.  Anand was highly critical of acting Prime Minister 
Thaksin, characterizing him as someone who would do anything 
to save himself politically.  Anand praised the King's 
limited role in the current crisis. End Summary 
 
¶2.  (C)  Over dinner on May 22, Anand Panyarachun -- the 
highly respected former Prime Minister and current head of 
the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) -- discussed the 
violence in southern Thailand and the current political 
situation with EAP Assistant Secretary Christopher Hill, EAP 
DAS Eric John and the Ambassador.  Anand's NRC is working to 
address root causes of the southern violence and has recently 
completed its final report which is being translated into 
English, Arabic, and the local southern "Yawi" Malay dialect. 
 
NRC TO RELEASE REPORT IN EARLY JUNE 
 
¶3.  (C)  Anand said he would release the NRC report by June 
¶9.  The commission's report wouldn't mention specific 
separatist groups because there was no discernible unified 
separatist movement.  He cautioned against looking at the 
situation in the South as strictly a "Muslim" or "separatist" 
issue.  Separatism and religion are sometimes used as 
pretexts for violence.  However, local Malays have 
long-standing, deeply felt, grievances which are driving much 
of the violence.  "The problem is more about being ethnically 
Malay in Thailand than it is about being Muslim," he said. 
Anand also said we should be careful to differentiate between 
the Muslim population of the far South and Muslims in central 
and northern Thailand as they have little in common. 
 
¶4.  (C)  The NRC report will seek to address stovepiping 
among Thai government agencies, Anand said.  Legislation will 
be proposed to create a new unified command which will 
replicate the joint commands dismantled by Prime Minister 
Thaksin in 2002.  The head of this agency would be royally 
appointed in order to avoid political conflicts of interest. 
Anand complained that Thaksin had shown absolutely no 
interest in the NRC's work over the past year and had little 
interest in the South in general because the region was 
politically unimportant to him. (Note: The South is the 
traditional stronghold of the opposition Democrat Party. End 
Note)  As long as Thaksin remains in power the situation in 
the South would not improve, he added.  Thaksin has 
completely lost the trust of Southern Malays and his image is 
"irreparable." 
 
WHAT SHOULD THE U.S. DO?...SUPPORT THE NRC, BUT STAY AWAY 
 
¶5.  (C)  Anand requested that the U.S. issue a statement in 
support of the NRC's work soon after the report is released. 
He noted that the European Union and Australia have already 
privately pledged to issue such a statement.  However, he 
cautioned that the U.S. must word its statement carefully, 
offering general support for the NRC, while emphasizing that 
this was a "Thai domestic issue."  An impression of U.S. 
involvement or direct interest in the South would be "the 
kiss of death" for the commission's work.  "The most 
important thing is that the U.S. cannot be perceived to be 
involved in the South," he said.  The perception of -- or 
actual -- U.S. intervention would attract international 
terrorists, he said. 
 
A DESPERATE POLITICAL FIGHT FOR THAKSIN 
 
¶6.  (C)  Turning to the domestic political scene, Anand was 
highly critical of acting Prime Minister Thaksin, calling him 
"amoral" and someone "without a shred of integrity."  Thaksin 
is more interested in self promotion and financial gain than 
serving the Thai people, Anand believes.  He opined that 
Thaksin has been fighting so hard politically because he 
believes the opposition is trying to destroy him not only 
politically, but also personally and financially.  Anand said 
it was highly unlikely that Thaksin would be able to return 
to power after the October election and that there was a 
strong possibility that Thaksin, and his Thai Rak Thai party, 
could be banned from Thai politics. 
 
¶7.  (C)  Anand acknowledged that Thaksin remains a formidable 
political force who understands the psychology of rural 
voters.  Some of Thaksin's populist programs -- like the 30 
baht health care scheme -- were good ideas, Anand admitted. 
However, they were not properly funded and are now 
collapsing.  When the political protests started last year, 
most people in Bangkok had been reluctant to join because the 
opposition was run by "disreputable" characters.  However, 
the sale of Shin Corporation to Singapore's Temasek 
galvanized the Bangkok middle class against the Prime 
Minister. 
 
THE KING REMAINS OBJECTIVE, BUT WATCH THE COURTS 
 
¶8.  (C)  Anand -- who had been appointed Prime Minister by 
the King during the 1991-92 political crisis -- heaped praise 
on the monarch's restraint during the current political 
crisis.  "The King knows Thai politics better than anyone and 
is also the best constitutional lawyer in the country," he 
said.  Anand said the King is a committed democrat who 
remains objective and impartial and would never allow himself 
to be politically manipulated.  Anand dismissed reported 
complaints by Thaksin -- that he had supposedly made 
privately to British PM Tony Blair and others -- that he had 
been ousted by "a palace coup."  Anand said the Privy Council 
does not have as much power as is commonly believed and that 
the courts were not acting as proxies for the King. 
BOYCE