VZCZCXRO2543
PP RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHCHI #0168/01 3091115
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 041115Z NOV 08 ZFF4
FM AMCONSUL CHIANG MAI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0879
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEHCHI/AMCONSUL CHIANG MAI 0954

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CHIANG MAI 000168 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR PHU 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PROP KDEM TH
SUBJECT: POLITICAL TEMPERATURE IN CHIANG MAI ON THE RISE 
 
REF: A. BANGKOK 3280 (X-PM THAKSIN ADDRESSES) 
     ¶B. CHIANG MAI 147 (PM'S VISIT) 
     ¶C. CHIANG MAI 145 (VIOLENT CLASH) 
     ¶D. BANGKOK 2546 (PAD PROTESTS CHALLENGE) 
 
CHIANG MAI 00000168  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Sensitive but unclassified; please handle accordingly. 
 
------------------------------------ 
Summary and Comment 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Over the past six days, a bombing targeting a key 
People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) leader, and the siege of 
the Chiang Mai Thai Public Broadcasting Service station by 
pro-government supporters have upped the political tension in 
Chiang Mai.  Though the bomb did not injure anyone, and the 
siege ended after nearly 12 hours, contacts tell us they expect 
there will be more unrest in the coming months, and the police 
expressed frustration at their inability to prosecute supporters 
of the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD). 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Comment: These incidents, and those described in Refs 
B and C, underline the tension that exists between opposing 
political groups, not just in Bangkok, but in the government's 
stronghold in northern Thailand.  They also highlight the ends 
to which these groups are willing to go to get their point 
across.  With the upcoming ASEAN Summit due to take place in 
Chiang Mai next month, the reported impunity of the UDD, and the 
social conflicts at the heart of Thailand's political 
instability unlikely to be resolved anytime in the near future, 
we should expect these incidents not to be the last of their 
kind.  End Summary and Comment. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
-------------------------------- 
UDD Seizes TV Station Over Allegations of Bribes to Join Rally 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (U) On the morning of Sunday, November 2, the Thai Public 
Broadcasting Service aired a report alleging that participants 
from Chiang Mai in the November 1 rally in Bangkok addressed by 
former Prime Minister Thaksin (Ref A) had been paid to attend. 
In response, members of the "Love Chiang Mai 51" group of the 
UDD, the same group that clashed with the PAD several weeks ago 
(Ref C), stormed TPBS' Chiang Mai affiliate on November 3 
shortly before noon.  Some of the 100 protestors were armed with 
bamboo poles and steel pipes.  They broke through the outer 
perimeter of the grounds, and surrounded all the inner exits to 
the building, though they did not/not enter it. 
 
¶4.  (U) Twice during the siege, provincial and local police 
authorities unsuccessfully tried to secure the UDD's agreement 
to allow the women and children inside the TPBS station to 
leave.  The UDD refused to let anyone depart the premises until 
they had an audience with the TPBS national director, whom they 
wanted to come to Chiang Mai for the meeting.  Instead, he sent 
the chief political news editor.  After several hours of 
negotiations, the stand-off ended when TPBS agreed to release a 
public statement apologizing to the members of "Love Chiang Mai 
51" who were affected by Sunday's report, and who attended the 
rally voluntarily.  As part of the settlement, the TPBS Director 
also agreed to make a similar statement on-air, which he did at 
11:00 pm on Monday November 3, and again on the morning of 
November 4.  Furthermore, TPBS agreed not to press charges for 
trespassing and other offenses against the UDD. 
 
¶5.  (U) Contacts confirmed to us on Tuesday November 4 that 
TPBS' Chiang Mai affiliate resumed only partial operations today 
out of concern for the safety of staff, some of whom are working 
at the TPBS building, with the rest working out of an 
unspecified location elsewhere in the city.  Meanwhile, the 
pro-Thaksin community radio station in Chiang Mai broadcast 
vocal criticism of what it calls TPBS' "insincere" apology, and 
hinted at unspecified action to follow-up on yesterday's siege, 
which did not end until the TPBS director broadcast his apology 
at 11:00 pm on Monday, Nov. 3.  These contacts also told us that 
although UDD supporters are no longer present at TPBS, the tents 
they erected on November 3 in anticipation of a more prolonged 
stand-off are still up. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) The Vice Governor involved in the negotiations told us 
he was concerned that there would be more unrest to come. 
Separately, police contacts told us they are frustrated by their 
inability to take action against the UDD, particularly when PAD 
supporters who seized a pro-government television station in 
August (Ref D) were arrested and tried.  (Note: The local UDD 
groups reportedly enjoy the backing of high-level regional 
police officials.) 
 
 
CHIANG MAI 00000168  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
-------------------------------- 
Bombing Targets PAD 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Separately, a bomb exploded on the evening of 
Wednesday, October 29, severely damaging a car belonging to the 
owner of the local pro-PAD community radio station -- the same 
station that was involved in the violent clash between PAD and 
UDD supporters several weeks ago (Ref C).  Initial evidence 
collected by the police indicates the bombing may have been 
staged, but it is still too early to tell.  We will continue to 
monitor both this investigation and any follow-up to Monday's 
siege of TPBS. 
 
¶8.  (U) This cable was coordinated with Embassy Bangkok. 
MORROW