CONFIDENTIAL
FM BANGKOK
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 538
OF 01040OZ AUGUST 91
CONFIDENTIAL
Нив стор
W
ZI
143475
MDLIAN 9975
Mai APER MA
(pare
1
INFO PRIORITY KUALA LUMPUR, SINGAPORE, TOKYO, MANILA INFO PRIORITY BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, RANGOON, HANOI, PEKING INFO PRIORITY PARIS, WASHINGTON, UKMIS NEW YORK
SUMMARY
1.
MFA PERMANENT SECRETARY RUNS THROUGH THAI FOREIGN
PRIORITIES WITH ANDREW BURNS CONCENTRATING ON BURMA
POLICY
AND CAMBODIA.
DETAIL
BURMA
2. VITTHYA, PERMANENT SECRETARY IN THE THAI MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, OPENED THE DISCUSSION WITH ANDREW BURNS AND ME ON 31 JULY BY DESCRIBING THAI POLICY TOWARDS BURMA. HE SAID THAT TME THAI QUOTE OSTRICH-LIKE UNQUOTE ATTITUDE TO BURMA HAD BEEN JOLTED BY THE DISCUSSION IN THE EC/ASEAN MEETING IN LUXEMBOURG, WHICH HAPPENED TO COINCIDE WITH THE SECOND ANNIVERSARY OF AUNG SAN SUU KYI'S HOUSE DETENTION. AT THE ASEAN MINISTERIAL MEETING IN KUALA LUMPUR, THE ASEAN COUNTRIES HAD TAKEN A STEP FORWARD BY MANDATING MINISTER MANGLAPLUS TO VISIT BURMA ON THEIR BEHALF. THE SLORC HAD NOT TAKEN THIS KINDLY AND HAD TOLD ASEAN THAT THEY COULD NOT RECEIVE MANGLAPLUS WEARING HIS ASEAN HAT. THERE WAS A BETTER CHANCE OF HIM GOING THERE AS FILIPINO FOREIGN MINISTER AND
ON A LATER TIMING.
3.
VITTHYA SAID THAT HE DID NOT THINK THAT THERE WAS ANY DIFFERENCE ABOUT THE OBJECTIVE OF BRITISH AND THAI POLICIES TOWARDS BURMA, ONLY THE MEANS. THE THAIS THOUGHT THAT CONSTRUCTIVE ENCOURAGEMENT WOULD BE MORE FRUITFUL THAN THREATS. IT WAS BETTER TO IDENTIFY AREAS WHERE WE COULD COOPERATE WITH THE BURMESE, FOR EXAMPLE IN THE FIELD OF SUPPRESSION OF NARCOTICS RATHER THAN PUNISH THEM. BURNS SAID THAT THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE PUBLIC PRESSURE ON POLICY- MAKERS OVER BURMA IN THE WEST. WE HAD ALWAYS HOPED THAT THE COUNTRIES IN THE REGION COULD WORK OUT AN EFFECTIVE METHOD
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CONFIDENTIAL