VZCZCXRO6751
OO RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHBK #0225 0281031
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 281031Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY BANGKOK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5850
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS PRIORITY
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 6725
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 9389
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL PRIORITY 5238
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 1349
RUEHCHI/AMCONSUL CHIANG MAI PRIORITY 6111
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY

UNCLAS BANGKOK 000225 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV TH
SUBJECT: THAI PARLIAMENT OFFERS ASSENT FOR UPCOMING ASEAN 
AGREEMENTS 
 
REF: BANGKOK 209 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: After several months of delays, the Thai 
parliament on January 27 approved 41 ASEAN-related draft 
agreements, as required by the 2007 Thai Constitution, but 
sent two agreements to a specially-established scrutiny 
committee before final approval.  The votes allow the RTG to 
sign agreements with its counterparts during the upcoming 
ASEAN Summit and avoid the embarassment of hosting an event 
but being legally unable to endorse summit agreements. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Comment: These agreements were first introduced for 
parliamentary approval by the previous PM-Somchai-led 
government several months ago, but did not reach a vote for 
approval until now due to the political turbulence in 
Thailand and a change in governments.  The opposition -- 
which had initially introduced the agreements under Somchai 
-- engaged in some parliamentary maneuvers intended more to 
embarrass the government rather than to block these 
agreements.  In the end, only a handful of legislators voted 
against the proposals.  As septel will report, allies of 
former Prime Minister Thaksin are likely to continue to focus 
attention on FM Kasit's ties to the People's Alliance for 
Democracy (PAD) and have announced their intention to stage 
protests during the ASEAN Summit, scheduled for February 
27-March 1.  End Summary and Comment. 
 
Parliament approves ASEAN documents, finally 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Article 190 of the 2007 Thai Constitution requires 
the RTG to obtain parliamentary approval before signing 
certain types of agreements with foreign governments; the 
intent of the Constitution's drafters was to allow for more 
parliamentary oversight of executive actions.  The 
Constitutional Court has indicated in at least one ruling 
that the RTG ought to interpret this provision broadly and 
err on the side of seeking parliamentary approval.  Among the 
important ASEAN-related documents under review were the draft 
Bangkok Declaration on the Roadmap for an ASEAN Community and 
a draft framework for the new ASEAN human rights body 
mandated by the ASEAN Charter.  Parliament also approved free 
trade agreements between ASEAN and partner countries India, 
China, Australia, and New Zealand.  Suriya Chindawongse, 
Counselor from the MFA Department of ASEAN Affairs, told us 
on January 28 that the legislative session had proceeded 
well, and that neither side in the parliament wanted to use 
the ASEAN agreements as a political issue.  He said that the 
bulk of the discussions were focused on the economic 
agreements. 
 
¶4. (SBU) The first day of debate did not go as smoothly as 
the MFA might have hoped, however.  Opposition MPs focused 
the debate on the credentials and qualifications of Foreign 
Minister Kasit Piromya.  They complained that Kasit was 
ill-suited to represent Thailand during the ASEAN Summit 
because he had played a supporting role in the PAD protests, 
which resulted in the week-long occupation of Bangkok's 
international airports late last year.  The opposition also 
cited his harsh rhetoric against Cambodian Prime Minister Hun 
Sen when border tensions erupted over the Preah Vihear Temple 
in 2008.  After returning from his January 27 visit to 
Cambodia (reftel), Kasit defended himself against the 
opposition MPs by saying that his remarks about Hun Sen were 
justified at the time, given the border tension.  Kasit also 
highlighted that the international community had welcomed his 
appointment as Foreign Minister. 
 
¶5. (U) Note: The legislative session resolved to set up a 
scrutiny committee to study two draft agreements in a 15-day 
timeframe.  One sub-committee will examine the role and 
responsibility of the ASEAN human rights commission, and the 
other sub-committee will oversee the legal issues under the 
ASEAN Charter.  This scrutiny committee will be comprised of 
36 members representing the Senate, coalition parties, and 
opposition parties.  After the completion of the committee,s 
scrutiny, the two agreements will be returned to the joint 
House-Senate session for final voting. 
JOHN