C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGKOK 001587
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/15/2017
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, ASEC, KDEM, TH
SUBJECT: OUTSPOKEN ACADEMIC ON ANTI-COUP PROTESTS
REF: A. BANGKOK 1538 (CHATURON WORRIED)
B. BANGKOK 1311 (RAMKHAMHAENG RECTOR)
C. 06 BANGKOK 6121 (OCT 5 UPDATE)
Classified By: Deputy Political Counselor David R. Greenberg, reason: 1
.4 (b) and (d).
SUMMARY
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1. (C) Outspoken academic Giles Ungpakorn told us he
suspected many anti-coup activist groups had ties to the Thai
Rak Thai party, while independent intellectuals and civil
society groups were not significantly energized against the
government. Although Ungpakorn has vocally criticized the
coup and government, he did not feel concerned for his safety
or liberty. He did not feel Bangkok students were primed for
demonstrations, although he said those at Ramkhamhaeng,
Thailand's largest university, were often manipulated by
national political parties. Several groups that are part of
a loose confederation plan protests on the weekend of March
17-18. End Summary.
PART OF A SMALL MOVEMENT OF INTELLECTUALS
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2. (C) Giles Ungpakorn, an outspoken professor at
Chulalongkorn University's Political Science faculty,
received us at his office on March 14. Ungpakorn, who
proudly describes himself as a Marxist, has consistently
spoken out publicly against the September 19 coup d'etat. He
recently published a book, entitled "A Coup for the Rich:
Thailand's Political Crisis." Chulalongkorn University
bookstore refused to stock his book, which includes a call to
diminish the role of the monarchy.
3. (C) Ungpakorn is a member of the People's Coalition Party,
an unregistered political party with approximately 250
members nationwide. He also considers himself part of an
informal "People's Movement," which consists of various
proletarian civil society organizations. Although he has
been identified in the press as a leader of the "September 19
Network against the Coup d'Etat," Ungpakorn told us he is not
in the inner circle of that group's collective leadership,
which he said consists of "around five people." The Network
appeared split between those who wanted only to criticize the
coup leaders, and those who wanted to advocate a broad
political reform agenda; Ungpakorn said he fell into the
latter category.
4. (C) The Network had shown it could draw approximately 200
people to rallies when it first formed, Ungpakorn said, but
he assessed that its ability to attract protestors was
currently unclear and might have lessened. Ungpakorn
believed Thais did not have an interest in conducting
sustained demonstrations; he and his associates were not
trying to replicate the efforts of the People's Alliance for
Democracy, which had sustained large rallies against the
Thaksin administration.
5. (C) Ungpakorn told us he also was involved in the "Thais
Say No" campaign against the ongoing constitution drafting
process. He said that he would oppose the draft constitution
because the drafting process -- initiated and influenced by
the coup leaders -- was illegitimate. He also anticipated
that he would object to various substantive provisions, once
the drafting process was complete. At the moment, the "Thais
Say No" campaign was focused on gathering 2,500 signatures
for a petition.
DEALING WITH TRT AFFILIATES
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6. (C) Ungpakorn said he was prepared to cooperate with
others who shared his agenda, although he felt it prudent to
maintain a certain distance from some groups that were likely
agitating simply in order to further the interests of deposed
Prime Minister Thaksin or the Thai Rak Thai party. He noted
that the "Saturday People's Movement Against Dictatorship"
and the "White Dove" organization seemed to fall into that
category. He also characterized a group called "Temujin" as
"very suspicious" (likely linked to Thaksin). (Note: Temujin
recently issued an ultimatum for Prime Minister Surayud
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Chulanont to resign by March 31, threatening to hold large
rallies if he remained in office. End Note.)
CAMPUS MOOD
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7. (C) Ungpakorn said the predominant mood among students and
other intellectuals was one of disenchantment with the coup
-- a far less intense sentiment than the anger underpinning
1992 protests. He said students did not seem on the verge of
engaging in large political demonstrations; he highlighted
that the prestigious Chulalongkorn and Thammasat Universities
had recently ended their academic years and would not resume
classes until June. This would ensure minimal student
activism on those campuses for the next few months, although
he noted Ramkhamhaeng University -- Thailand's largest --
followed a different calendar. Classes there were still in
session. Ungpakorn noted parenthetically that national
political parties have a history of meddling in student
politics at Ramkhamhaeng. He added that Ramkhamhaeng's
rector, Wutisak Lapcharoensap, was both corrupt and
collaborating with the coup leaders. (Ref B reports our
meeting with Wutisak.)
DEMONSTRATIONS PLANNED
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8. (C) When we asked Ungpakorn about rumored demonstrations
on the weekend of March 17-18 (ref A), he said he had heard
these demonstrations would take place, and he said with
uncertainty that he believed they were organized by people
who were associated with Thai Rak Thai. Checking with other
sources, we determined that the Saturday People's Movement
Against Dictatorship and the Civil Revolution Movement plan a
demonstration at Bangkok's Royal Grounds (Sanam Luang) on
March 17. Meanwhile, the September 19 Network (see above)
planned to lead a march to the home of Privy Council
President Prem Tinsulanonda on March 18. All three of these
groups are in a loose network called the "Confederation
Against the Coup d'Etat," along with five other organizations:
- The Democracy Confederation;
- The Democracy Heroes' Foundation;
- The Friends of the 1997 Constitution Movement;
- The Workers for Democracy Movement; and
- The Urban Poor for Democracy Movement.
9. (SBU) Meanwhile, five anti-coup protesters were
reportedly arrested yesteday by Bangkok police for
"obstructing officials in their duties." The protesters were
accused to throwing empty glass bottles at the police as the
officers attempted to dismantle tents that were set up for
this weekend's rally. All five were subsequently released on
bail.
COMMENT
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10. (C) We have little further information on the
above-mentioned groups, of which the September 19 Network and
the Saturday People's Movement Against DictatorsHip appear to
be the best known. None of them appear to command widespread
resources or support, nor have any proven able to rally large
numbers of people against the authorities. As for Ungpakorn,
he welcomed our visit but at times seemed mildly amused by
our questions about anti-coup organizations, smiling as
though he thought we were giving his own efforts more
attention or credit than they deserved.
BOYCE