Cablegate: National Reconciliation Commission Announced
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGKOK 002255
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM TH NRC
SUBJECT: NATIONAL RECONCILIATION COMMISSION ANNOUNCED
REF: BANGKOK 1528
1. (U) Summary: On March 28, Prime Minister Thaksin
officially appointed a broad-based 48-member National
Reconciliation Commission (NRC) to explore solutions to the
ongoing separatist turmoil in Thailand's predominantly Muslim
southern provinces. NRC Chairperson and former Prime
Minister Anand Panyarachun, who is not a political ally of
Thaksin, expressed satisfaction at the Prime Minister's
immediate acceptance of the list of recommended members he
submitted. Anand told the press that he had tried to
assemble a diverse group and noted that some members were
critics of Thaksin's policies. Local observers have praised
the composition of the NRC for its balance of government,
academic, NGO, military and political opposition
representatives. About one third of the NRC's members are
Muslims. Anand counseled patience to the public, saying that
the NRC will likely need a full nine months to finish its
work and present policy recommendations. The first meeting
of the Commission is slated for April 8. The NRC membership
follows in para 2.
2. (U) National Reconciliation Commission Members are:
Chairman: Anand Panyarachun - Former Prime Minister
Deputy: Prawese Wasi - Noted social critic and Ramon
Magsaysay winner for Government Service (1981)
Civilian Representatives (from the South):
Gen. (retd.) Narong Dejudom - Former 4th Army Commander
Netr Chantharasami - Businessman and department store
owner in Hat Yai
Bancha Pongpanich - Former Rector of Walailak
University, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province
Prasit Meksuwan - Secretary-General of the Teachers
Confederation in five southern provinces
Piya Kitthavorn - Faculty of Humanities and Social
Science, Prince of Songkhla University, Pattani
Petdao Tohmena - Medical Doctor and daughter of Senator
Den Tohmena
Maryam Samoh - Director of the Orphanage Center in
Pattani Province
Muhamad Adam - Director of the Narul Islam Bhumi School
in Pattani Province
Ratiya Salae - Lecturer, Thaksin University, Songkhla
Province
Woravit Baru - Vice-Rector, Prince of Songkhla
University, Pattani
Aedueramae Mamingli - Chairman of the Pattani Islamic
Committee
Ananchai Thaiprathan - Advisor to the Young Muslim
Association
Ismail Lutfi Japakiya - Rector of Yala Islamic College
Abduirohmae Jehsae - Chairman of the Yala Islamic
Committee
Abduraman Abdulsamad - Chairman of the Narathiwat
Islamic Committee
Asmadsomboon Bualuang - Lecturer, Prince of Songkhla
University
Civilian Representatives (from other regions of Thailand):
Chaiwat Satha-anand - Lecturer and Director of the Peace
Information Center, Foundation for Democracy and
Development Studies
Dejudom Krairit - President of the Law Society of Thailand
Naree Charoenpolpirlya - Instructor at the Peace Information
Center
Pichai Rattanpol - Chairman of the National Security
Council's Non-Violent Strategy Committee
Piphob Thongchai - Advisor to the Campaign for Popular
Democracy
Paisal Promyong - Deputy Secretary-General of the
Central Islamic Committee of Thailand
Phra Paisal Visaro - Abbot of Wat Pasukato, Chayaphum
Province
Mark Tamthai - Director of the Religious and Cultural
Studies Center, Pyap University
Srisak Wallipodom - Historian and Archaeologist
Saowanee Chitmuad - Lecturer Rajabhat University
Ammar Siamwala - Honorary Advisor to the Thailand
Development and Research Institute (TDRI)
Political Representatives:
Kanchana Silpa-archa - Chart Thai Party MP from
Suphanburi Province
Chaturon Chaisaeng - Deputy Prime Minister
Pol.Gen. Chitchai Wannasathit - Deputy Prime Minister
and Interior Minister
Prasert Pongsuwansiri - Democrat Party MP from Yala
Province
Pongthep Thepkanchana - Thai Rak Thai Party-List MP and
Government Head Whip
Surin Pitsuwan - Democrat Party Deputy Leader and
former Foreign Minister
Sophon Supapong - Bangkok Senator
Government:
Kittipong Kityarak - Director-General of the Probation
Department, Ministry of Justice
Jiraporn Bunnag - Deputy Secretary-General of the
National Security Council, The Prime Minister's Office
Pornnipa Limpapayom - Secretary-General of the Office
of the Basic Education Commission, Ministry of Education
Vichai Thienthawom - Permanent Secretary, Ministry of
Public Health
Lt.Gen. Weipote Srinual - Assistant Chief-of-Staff,
Royal Thai Army
Sirachi Choterat - Deputy Director-General of the
National Intelligence Agency, The Prime Minister's Office
Pol. Lt.Gen. Somsak Khwaengsopa - Commissioner of the
Border Patrol Police
Gen. Sirichai Thanyasiri - Director-General of the
Southern Border Provinces Peace Promotion Center
Sucharit Patchimnant - Director-General of the
Provincial Administration Department, Ministry of Interior
National Reconciliation Commission Secretariat Office:
Bavornsak Uvanno - Secretary-General of the Southern
Border Provinces Peace Promotion Center
Gothom Ariya - Lecturer, Peace Solution Studies and
Development Center, Mahidol University
Surichai Wankaeo - Lecturer, Political Science Faculty,
Chulalongkorn University
A DIVERSE GROUP
3. (SBU) As noted above, Anand recruited a diverse group of
nationally-known academics, government officials, opposition
politicians, and social activists to the NRC. For example,
Police General Chitchai Wannasathit is the senior Deputy
Prime Minister, Interior Minister, a close personal associate
of Thaksin and his designated overseer of security activities
in the south. Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, on the other hand, is a
nationally-regarded opposition Democrat Party Member of
Parliament (MP), a Muslim, and former foreign minister in
Chuan Leekpai's government. He has sharply criticized the
Thaksin Administration's policies in the South. Prawet Wasi
is a sharp-tongued social commentator and frequent Thaksin
critic. Ammar Sianwalar is an Advisor to the Thailand
Development Research Institute, and Gothom Ariya was Chairman
of Forum Asia, the regional human rights NGO. Mark Tamthai
is a prominent academic and senior advisor to the Thai
National Security Council (NSC) on southern issues. Ismael
Lutfi Japakiya is the highly controversial Rector of Yala
Islamic College. Many of the NRC civil society members
strongly criticized Thaksin for seeking to establish a
"zoning policy" in southern Thailand, that would have
punished villages in "red" areas for "cooperating" with
separatist groups. Widespread opposition to this zoning
policy eventually led to Thaksin's formation of the
Commission and selection of Anand to head it (Reftel). More
detailed bio material on NRC members will be provided septel.
NOW ANAND HAS HIS MISSION
4. (SBU) Comment: Thaksin's choice of the widely-regarded
former Prime Minister Anand Panyarachun to head the
high-profile NRC was a surprise. During a meeting March 29
with visiting A/S Designate Chris Hill and the Ambassador
(Septel), opposition MP and commission member Surin noted
Anand's ability to openly criticize Thaksin, even as the NRC
is just being formed. "The Prime Minister may regret that he
appointed Anand to head this commission," Surin said. Some
cynics say that Thaksin wants to pass the responsibility for
solving the chronic troubles in the South to Anand and his
Commission, while others have insisted that Thaksin,
realizing that he's hit a dead end in resolving the violence
is sincerely hoping Anand and the NRC come up with a workable
plan. We lean towards the latter characterization of the
Prime Minister's attitude. For now, all eyes will be on the
commission at the outset of what will be a long and difficult
process to find ways to peacefully resolve the increasingly
bloody conflict in the Muslim south.
BOYCE