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11/1/1988 - “Go to Hell:” The RTAF Responds to Allegations of Corruption by Erik R. Guyot

ERG I9 NOTFORPUBLICATION WITHOUT WRITER S CONSENT INSTITUTE OF CURRENTWORLD AFFAIRS Soi Mahadlekluang Rajadamri Road Bangkok 10500 November Go Hell The RTAF Rsponds A Corruption Mr Peter Martin Institute ofCurrent World Affairs West Wheelock Street Hanover NH 03755 Dear Peter Sometime before July Thai Parliamentary elections Ambassador William Brown called Prime Minister Prem Tinsulanonda discuss important matter Four people present meeting lasted minutes Prime Minister Prem Secretary General Prasong Soonsiri Ambassador Brown Counselor Harry Slifer identified Thai press CIA chief station According informed source senior Thai military officials wanted exclude participants Thai generals reason concerned Brown Prem significant portion covert U S channeled through Thai military communist Khmer resistance missing For variety reasons newsletter focus ramifications allegations corruption rather specific facts matter First implica tions Of issue perceptions surrounding important details itself Second after front stories early November which threatened tarnish image Royal Thai Armed Forces local international press guarded their coverage The stories spelled detail secret Thai military serves conduit covert U S communist Khmer resistance Angered irresponsible journalism Thai officers their Gen Chavalit ongchaiyudh Commander Army Armed Forces spoke English there could mistake Washington Post could print early story charges corruptio without naming names Gen Panya Singsakda Secretary General Erik Guyot Institute Fellow studying U S security assistance Philippines Thailand ERG I9 Prime Minister Chatichai Choonhavan threatened legal action further leaks Bangkok announcing We throw someone More month after scandal rocked Bangkok sides It pffft firecracker It finished Thai general close Gen Chavalit He echoed military public position Washington Post level reflect U S policy speculated Right thing finished added spokesman Thai Armed Forces A Western diplomat noted There shoulders Thai military officers But thingsare normal Although Prime Minister Chatichai still settling office heavily dependent military promised investigation people counting Yet ashington Post story called likely again For piece carrion tossed rudely clear stream story refused sight pulled strong cross currents Thai politics These Kampuchean imbroglio changes U S Thai relations jostling within Thai government foreign policy formulation political aspirations leading military officers U S overt covert communist Khmer resis tance NCR flows through three channels allof which tainted allegations skimming Since FY1986 U S provided million million annually human itarian assistance through Economic Support Fund Under Mc Cullum amendment F1988 U S spent million airlift provide NCR lethal excess U S military equipment For F1989 theamount dgeted about million As covert assistance W ashington Post story lethal U S S12 million which Thai officers allegedly skimmed million However other reliable press reports estimate covert U S million F1988 Following dramatic story Washington Post Thai press provided detailed description mechanism disbursing covert Three committees overSee process The first committee headed Thai Foreign Minister Siddhi Savetsila includes senior Thai military Foreign Ministry officials It determines needs NCR light policy directives donor countries The second committee chaired Gen Chavalit includes American Singaporean Malaysian representatives donor countries It evaluates results program Singapore Malaysia reportedly provide about third U S level The third committee composed Only Thai generals again chaired Gen Chavalit ponsible distributing operations ERG Although press named Gen Chavalit heading third committee identities three other generals committee never appeared print Their names appear either Gen Chavalit Army generals graduates class Chulachomklao Military Academy According informed source sometime March U S offiCials notified Thai authorities portion covert unaccounted It could worse NCR With withdrawl Vietnamese troops Kampuchea impending U S ASEAN Association Southeast Asian Nations working hurriedly NCR prevent Khmer Rouge return power The halves NCR Armee Nationale Sihanoukienne faction ridden Khmer People National Liberation Front between perhaps troops The Khmer Rouge boasting toughened veterans poised vacuum after Vietnamese withdrawl U S ASEAN plans called building strength NCR fighters But allegations skimming reached U S Senate Select Committee Intelligence covert scaled Programs training intelligence propaganda reportedly either eliminated reduced A representative NCR downplayed impact reduction later apologized print their glossy monthly publication several months An ASEAN diplomat predicted reduction would definitely effect NCR But noted I think NCR battlefield impress anyone This first allegation irregularities distribution NCR In members NCR claime Thai military overcharged funds And Thai Purchased U S reporters generally viewed allegations unsubstantiated An NCR representative which American funds uniforms yielded about uniforms because overpricing Thai offiCers issue resolved And Gen Chavalit probably first public admis disagreements program brought incident explaininghow difference accounting This crazy because uniform S40 A repre sentative NCR insisted issue resolved We number uniforms Some Thai officers appear puzzled perhaps approximately U S covert counted Since Thai military expedited larger shipments Chinese military Khmer Rouge modest mounts NCR A informed Western military official involved program NCR estimated offhand thatthe Thai military diverted ERG I9 about Chinese For almost decade Thai officers maintained vital pipeline Khmer resistance expropriating quite rightly their share complained A senior Thai officer oversees military secret explained irregularities American covert program saying books Thai military secret always balance After meeting between Prime Minister Prem Ambassador Brown scheduled August Prem ordered Gen Chavalit inveStigation alleged irregu larities But after July parliamentary elections Gen Prem declined invitations government results Gen Chavalit investigation known Probably resul meeting Gen Chavalit removed assistant third committee distributes For officer removed ERG He replaced Maj Gen Surayuth Chulanont respected officer served Prem Finally American officialwas added third committee A representative NCR claimed since September equipment gotten better It believed previously Thai officers alone shipped material Bangkok Thai Kampuchean border The representative noted American escorts items warehouse Although issue soured relations between Bangkok Washington claim taste quickly dissipat A after story surfaced U S Air Force Logistics Command visit Gen Chavalit according Thai military allegations matter reporting The Gen Chava mentioned received apology about story declined Reiterating official level Thai general stated there change relationship U S because shared efforts various fields military level close Gen Saiyud Kerdphol former Armed Forces Supreme Commander issue effect Thai officers Washington since U S government control American press But issue deeper As mentioned earlier newsletter relations between U S Thailand transition which military military longer tight before The story besmirched Thai military reputation A Thai general claimed story local paper would merely internal issue But international paper capable bringing government Nixon produced waves spread world Thai officers probably hoped Washington would issue saving denial story Despite Thai military informal request denial State Department never offered A after story almost disappgared Thai daily Naew Na printed article claiming Gen Chavalit demanded transfer Counselor Slifer The article reflected speculation perhaps CIA behind order punish Gen Chavalit moving Thailand closer China Whether Gen Chavalit demand would sense reasons implied press For after Prime Minister Prem Secretary General Prasong stepped Ambassador Brown transferred previously scheduled Slifer Was persons meeting still retained origi Almost month later Thai militar continued signal displeasure Washington In November U S Embassy offered helicopters Philippines survivors flood Southern Thailand which hundreds perished The Thai Foreign Ministry prepared statement asking international assistance But Thai Armed Forces Chief Staff announced Thailand would begging pointedly declined U S offer grounds national prestige And November Thailand eceived first shipment U S military supplies planned joint reserve stockpile Normally event would heralded ceremony But therewas Assessing impact Post story Thai general noted sometimes Americans forget these things small country As prepared China With Gen Chavalit purchase Chinese general added Washington sometimes secret implying Beijing kepts secrets The third Undercurrent keeping issue afloat turbulent Thai foreign policy making process For almost decade Thai foreign policy single source Foreign Minister Siddhi former Air Chief Marshall present Social Action Party second largest party ruling coalition seats Today foreign policy buffeted about three rivals Foreign Ministry foreign policy advisors Prime Minister Army The three parties their communication other through newspaper headlines When Army informally requested front pages Foreign Ministry issue denuciation Washington Post story Siddhi noted politely words protest could stronger The Army again urged condemnation The Foreign Ministry stalled subtle fashion saying facts formal request Ar Forces before making formal statement Although Foreign Ministry sounds protest neverjissued formal condemnation The third party foreign policy advisors Prime Minister Chatichai wisely profile theissue embarrass military others Their position Prime Minister fully secure Finally issue caught tumult political succession A Thai general story Everyone knows although never mentioned aimed Chavalit As Supreme Commander theoretically responsible The story damage image Chavalit hinder political ambitions Gen Saiyud A Thai observer noted The years Chavalit claimed person charge border security If report grain truth responsible In future Of tainted persons difficult Hi premiership distant Dpinion divided whether story damaged military image A Thai observer maintained The Thai street feels China America foolish enough trust Khmers taryskims swrong But Gen Saiyud claimed first Thai papers yokkhaw steal fromzp_ gambling describe allegations military misconduct Previously papers corruption borrowing English blunt presumably encompasses broader normative range For things Thais hundred smoothnesses settled order The story suddenly burst Thai scene after disap peared inexplicably Scarcely trace Yet Thais expression sometimes describe their politics crudely translated still waters The story resurface should waters become stirred Sincerely Received Hanover