VZCZCXRO1114
OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHPF #0831/01 3101057
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 061057Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1346
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI PRIORITY 0007
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 2579
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 2409
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL PRIORITY 0724
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 3312
RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI PRIORITY 0001
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HI PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PHNOM PENH 000831 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS, IO, DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/06/2019 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KTIA MOPS ELAB CB
SUBJECT: CAMBODIA RECALLS AMBASSADOR TO THAILAND BUT 
EMPHASIZES OPEN DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS, GOOD SECURITY, CALM 
BORDER 
 
REF: A. PHNOM PENH 815 
     ¶B. PHNOM PENH 811 
     ¶C. BANGKOK 2746 
 
PHNOM PENH 00000831  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Classified By: DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION THEODORE ALLEGRA, FOR REASONS 1. 
4 (B, D) 
 
¶1.  (C) SUMMARY:  The Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) 
recalled its Ambassador to Thailand You Ay on November 5, 
emphasizing reciprocity in response to Thailand's earlier 
removal of the Thai Ambassador to Cambodia -- noting 
specifically that Cambodia was willing to restore full 
relations as soon as the Thai Ambassador returned to Phnom 
Penh.  The RGC defended the appointment of former Thai Prime 
Minister Thaksin Shinawatra as an economic advisor to Prime 
Minister Hun Sen (Ref A) and reiterated international legal 
arguments refuting Thai claims regarding Thaksin's 
extradition.  Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the 
Council of Ministers Sok An said in a televised news 
conference that the mutual recalls would have no effect on 
Cambodia's overall relations with Thailand, especially the 
good bilateral economic ties.  Mindful of Phnom Penh's 
violent anti-Thai riots in 2003, RGC officials highlighted 
normalcy and said they would keep people safe and sound.  As 
the Independence Holiday weekend approached on November 6, 
Border checkpoints remained open, Thai Embassy staff felt 
safe, and the situation near Preah Vihear was calm.  Thaksin 
is reportedly in Dubai and, if he does decide to visit 
Cambodia, indications are it will be for a short stay only. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
An Ordinary Appointment and a "Strange" Protest 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶2. (SBU) DPM Sok An's press conference, carried live by many 
national television stations November 5, cited as "strange" 
the protest by Thai leaders to the appointment of Thaksin as 
PM Hun Sen's economic advisor (Ref A).  Recounting that Thai 
Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban had said that it was 
an ordinary matter for the Cambodian PM to choose his 
personal advisors, Sok An noted that Hun Sen many years ago 
had appointed current Korean President Lee Myung-bak to a 
similar role.  On the other hand, the recall of ambassadors 
would not affect people-to-people relations between 
Cambodians and their Thai neighbors, said Sok An.  He 
emphasized that relations along the border would remain good 
and that the diplomatic tiff would not affect strong 
bilateral economic relations.  No mention of Thaksin's status 
as a fugitive from Thai justice came up in the news 
conference.  A day earlier, on November 4, the RGC had issued 
a statement on Thaksin's appointment and the international 
legal norms that could justify the denial of an extradition 
request based on its underlying "political" nature.  Sok An's 
aide noted that the DPM's aim in the press conference was to 
cool down the situation and ensure public safety. 
 
Mixed Reactions; Concern for Residents' Security 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Ou Virak of the Cambodian Human Rights Center told 
Radio Free Asia that the appointment of Thaksin appeared to 
be related to Cambodia's dispute with Thailand over the Preah 
Vihear border issue.  He speculated that relations would 
return to normal in time.  Political Scientist and Royal 
University of Phnom Penh Professor Ros Chantrabot agreed, and 
told us that Hun Sen's bold move was calculated to press the 
Abhisit government for a solution to the Preah Vihear issue, 
after which the "problem of Thaksin" would go away.  Much 
Cambodian reaction to the diplomatic spat centered on the 
fate of over 60,000 legal Cambodian laborers believed to be 
in Thailand (9,371 legalized and 52,635 with work passes) in 
addition to tens of thousands more on the parallel economy. 
Sam Rainsy set the figure at 200,000 and told the local press 
he was concerned for their protection if tensions continued 
to escalate.  The labor ministry office handling overseas 
workers was taking a wait-and-see attitude before issuing 
more work documents to those going to Thailand. 
 
Business as Usual at Thai Embassy 
--------------------------------- 
 
PHNOM PENH 00000831  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶4. (SBU) Contacts at the Royal Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh 
said that the Embassy remained open for business as usual, 
with all staff present under the direction of the current 
Charg.  He said that general communication with the RGC 
remains normal, noting for example that he and the Cambodian 
MFA,s Thai Desk Officer have been in regular contact since 
the recall.  He said that the embassy had not been given 
guidance on how long Ambassador-designate Prasas 
Prasavinitchai would remain in Bangkok, repeating the Thai 
MFA,s statement that the RGC would have to choose between 
dealing with Thaksin or the Thai government. 
 
¶5. (C) Thai Embassy officials and our own U.S. Embassy mobile 
patrol confirmed an upgraded Cambodian police presence 
November 5 in front of the Thai Embassy until approximately 
10:00 PM.  The Thai Embassy officials also emphasized they 
had not requested any special security support from the RGC, 
and that the embassy had no major security concerns, although 
it had increased some of its internal security procedures as 
a precaution.  (NOTE: We understand evacuation procedures via 
Thai military have been reviewed. END NOTE.)  Poloff 
confirmed that the Cambodia police had since withdrawn from 
the Thai embassy, and that the situation on the street is 
calm.  The Ambassador polled other mission chiefs the evening 
of November 5, who indicated their perception that the RGC 
was serious about upholding its Vienna convention obligations 
to protect the Thai diplomatic personnel and premises. 
 
Border Calm 
----------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Council of Ministers Spokesman Phay Siphan said 
late on November 6 that the situation in the vicinity of the 
Preah Vihear border dispute remained calm and that all 
cross-border checkpoints remained open.  Embassy Commercial 
Assistant independently confirmed with border traders that 
checkpoints were open.  Separately, LTG Chea Dara, Royal 
Cambodian Armed Forces Deputy Commander-in-Chief told the 
Khmer-language press that he was in telephone contact with 
his Thai counterpart in charge of Thailand's Military Region 
2 and that they had agreed that soldiers were not the means 
to solve the border dispute, which should be settled by 
diplomatic means.  However, Chea Dara repeated the commonly 
heard phrase that Cambodian military would not allow the Thai 
to cross even one millimeter onto Cambodian territory.  Srey 
Deuk, commander of Preah Vihear forces also noted the 
situation remained quiet, although his troops were on alert. 
RODLEY