VZCZCXRO8995
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHPF #1098 2360935
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 240935Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8878
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHCHI/AMCONSUL CHIANG MAI PRIORITY 0054
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 1627

C O N F I D E N T I A L PHNOM PENH 001098 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MLS, PRM AND DRL. GENEVA FOR RMA. 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/23/2017 
TAGS: PHUM PREF CB
SUBJECT: ICRC'S ROLE IN BURMA, SOUTHERN THAILAND, CAMBODIA 
 
 
Classified By: Political Officer Janet Deutsch for reasons 1.4 (b) and 
(d). 
 
¶1.  (U) On August 23, incoming and outgoing heads of the 
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Regional 
Delegation Bangkok paid a courtesy call on the Charge.  The 
Delegation's new Head, Christian Brunner, said that he has 
already met with Embassy Bangkok officers, and that the ICRC 
Head of Operations for Southeast Asia and Pacific Edith 
Baeriswyl recently visited the region. 
 
¶2.  (C) Outgoing Head of Regional Delegation Fred Grimm said 
that during Baeriswyl's visit, Baeriswyl went to Burma 
seeking a resolution to discussions over ICRC's presence in 
the country but left without tangible results.  Stating that 
ICRC headquarters in Geneva will make the ultimate decision, 
Brunner believes the organization will probably reduce its 
representation in Burma to one Head of Mission staff in 
Rangoon to maintain contacts there and to continue an 
orthopedic project.  They agreed with the observation that 
the decrease in staff and activities is a blow to Burma. 
 
¶3.  (C) ICRC coverage of Burma issues will likely shift to a 
new sub-regional office to open in Mae Sot, Thailand, with an 
ICRC plan to increase its presence along the Thai side of the 
Burma-Thailand border.  Brunner said the Chiang Mai office 
will then become a sub-office to Mae Sot.  The Mae Sot office 
will be expected to keep contact with Karen and Shan coming 
into Thailand, partly through a war wounded program for those 
who come for treatment in Thai hospitals, to continue ICRC's 
work on IHL promotion. 
 
¶4.  (C) Grimm said he laid the groundwork for ICRC's current 
activities in southern Thailand in a meeting with General 
Winai Phattiyakul, then Secretary General of the Thailand 
National Security Council, who recognized ICRC's role "in 
situations like this."  The ICRC representatives said they 
have a sub-delegation in all but name in southern Thailand 
where three expatriate and two Thai staff are posted.  They 
said the staff have had no direct contact with opposition 
groups but believe ICRC interlocutors may be passing messages 
along and that all forces have an understanding of ICRC's 
neutral and humanitarian role. 
 
¶5.  (U) ICRC gave a generally positive report on its 
orthopedic program in Cambodia and on its ability to access 
prisons in the country.  Grimm stated that ICRC met with 
former Police Chief Heng Pov once since his detention by 
Cambodian authorities.  ICRC has also had access to former 
Khmer Rouge prison director Kaing Guek Eav, also known as 
Duch, who is now held at the Extraordinary Chambers in the 
Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) detention center in Phnom Penh. 
The ECCC detention center meets minimal international 
standards, Grimm said.  The ICRC visitors talked about the 
generally bad conditions in Cambodia's prisons, mentioning 
the lack of clean water and sanitation. 
 
¶6.  (U) Incoming Head Brunner previously served in Thailand 
as ICRC Deputy Head of Delegation from 1997 to 2001.  He most 
recently served as Head of Delegation Serbia (2005-2007) and 
Sierra Leone (2002-2003).  Brunner started with the ICRC in 
1984 as a Delegate in Iran and this is his thirteenth ICRC 
appointment overseas.  He arrived in Thailand as Head of 
Regional Delegation Bangkok on August 20. 
CAMPBELL