[Australia]: Message to Thailand [SEC=TOP SECRET]

[Owen]

​

PRIME MINISTER​

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION: TOP SECRET (Encrypted)​

25 July 1999​

Dear Ambassador of Thailand to Australia, I am summoning you to my office in Parliament House after we have received reports that Thai forces are crossing the border into Laos. This is gravely concerning to our government, who see the peace and security of the Asia-Pacific as paramount. Whilst we may be concentrated on the Middle East right now, we will always have one eye on the Asia-Pacific. It would break my heart to see a war raged across the First Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge which was built by Australian companies and in which the Australian Government funded in 1994 as a symbol of peace between the two nations. Our flag flies on that very bridge. I look forward to seeing you soon. Yours sincerely, Kim Beazley.

Parliament House, CANBERRA, ACT 2600 Telephone: (02) 6277 7700​

Protective Marking:	Business Impact Level:	Compromise of Information Confidentiality:	Required to be Encrypted:
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OFFICIAL	Low Business Impact	No or insignificant damage. This is the majority of routine information.
OFFICIAL: Sensitive	Low to Medium Business Impact	Limited damage to an individual, organisation or government generally if compromised.
PROTECTED	High Business Impact	Damage to the national interest, organisations or individuals.
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TOP SECRET	Catastrophic Business Impact	Exceptionally grave damage to the national interest, organisations or individuals.

Bossza007

 

[Bossza007]

The Thai ambassador, Busadee Santipitaks, would quickly rush to her car when she had prepared her things and went to the Australian Parliament House. She parked her car and fastly paced each step to Kim Beazley's office. She stands outside, slowly breathes deeply, and knocks on the door. "Excuse me, mister Beazley. I am the Thai ambassador that you summoned." She waited for the allowance before opening the door and walking inside. "Mr. Beazley, good afternoon. I suppose you may seek an explanation from the Thai government regarding the war." She would take a seat. "It has escalated fast."

Owen

 

[Owen]

"Well yes, Ms. Santipitaks I must say we have been taken by surprise by this invasion. I have just saw your government's press release regarding the matter. I must say I am not too convinced this is the right course of action. Surely diplomatic avenues have not been exhausted. Australia would have been willing to sit down with both Thailand and Laos to reconcile your differences... we still are. This is a gravely concerning matter to the peace and security of the Asia-Pacific. Usually conflicts arise in the Middle East and Europe, this part of the world is supposed to be better than that. This was the whole point of ASEAN. I must say, our position in ASEAN is up in air if this offensive continues. So is the position of our forces at Hat Yai Air Base. We are frankly quite disappointed we weren't alerted prior to this happening, mainly so we could work to stop it."

Bossza007

 

[Bossza007]

"I'm sure you've seen our declaration of war, right? I suppose the gazette is superior. We attempted to contact the Lao government through all diplomatic channels but received no answer. Before declaring war, we had given four countries advance notice. We explain why we are going to war with Laos. Their law enforcement agencies have detained five Thai citizens for ten days. The officer at the police station has tried to torture one of them, and the SWAT team fired 20 rubber bullets at the same person at a close distance. They are innocent, and they got released. We believe that the Laos rule got affected by the world's other dictatorships. We have a war problem originated by our population, and we must listen to them and find a solution. If a Laos administration responds directly to us, we would be delighted to pursue a diplomatic solution."

Owen

 

[Owen]

"I'm wondering why we were not given advance notice being in the region, being a played with ASEAN and having troops stationed in Thailand. Now I don't know who the world's leading experts on warfare are, but I'm sure that most of would agree with me when I say that an issue regarding law enforcement and your own citizens in another country is probably not casus belli enough to start a full scale invasion of said country. So let's start by telling me the truth, what is actually going on here? I am not buying the notion you are planning invading Laos over this minor law enforcement issue. That would certainly be a first for warfare. You may find that we are more on your side then you think, but I need truth, I can't keep having Thailand going behind our back like this when we have troops stationed in your country. If a single Australian serviceman died because of your actions and the failure to adequetly inform us I would hold your Prime Minister personally accountable."

Bossza007

 

[Bossza007]

"Well, I am sorry on behalf of our information affairs. I believe there must be some mistake that makes the Foreign Ministry unable to send messages to Australia. I am confident that war won't reach your honorable troops since there are in the most southern part of Thailand. We are invading Laos because their police and SWAT have tortured and abused the human rights we embrace for our citizens. We know there will be people who don't settle with us, so we also put casus belli in the war declaration. We plan to retake Laos into our former territory or the sphere of influence that the foreign people keep calling."

Owen

 

[Owen]

“That is…. a blunt statement. I’m sure you’re aware of the repercussions this will have on Australia’s relationship with Thailand. If this is indeed an operation to fully “retake” Laos then we have no option but to stand against it. Despite the fact that the actions of their police does not in any way constitute a casus belli for even a minor skirmish, let alone a full scale invasion and occupation. This is modern-day imperialism, something Australia does not condone. The law enforcement excuse is frankly…. quite pathetic. Your nation is going to set South East Asia back 25 years with these actions. We haven’t seen actions like this since the fall of South Vietnam in 1975. We poured millions of dollars into development in Thailand and Laos over the decades, just for it to be wasted. I will be consulting with my counterparts in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines and I’m sure they will come back with the same position. What’s the position of Vietnam? I’m sure you’ve had communications with them.

Effective immediately, we will be withdrawing all Australian forces currently stationed in Thailand and will be withdrawing from the ASEAN negotiations. I hope I’ve made mine and my government’s position on this matter clear.”

Bossza007

 

[Bossza007]

"I'd like to caution you not to make any radical decisions based on your knowledge since you can't trust yourself. We're talking about human rights and war here. I am disappointed to learn that the Prime Minister, who is at the top of your country's food chain, seems unconcerned about human rights. We would be delighted to work with Australia to help Thailand and the region prosper. We'll soon have $20 billion buckets in our wallets, ready to spend on the infrastructure project. Thailand will eventually become a developed country. I disagree with your assertion that Thailand will return the area to 25 years since we have never seen Southeast Asia as this good. Laos had abused its law and tried to torture our citizens. It's the point we are talking about, and we go to war. I am being honest here. We see it as appropriate to retake Laos because they can't even stand on its legs. Our best friends in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, and others will say the same. I suggest you return your delegate to the meeting. You don't want to be a person who destroys everything when things are about to finish, aren't you?

Owen

 

[Owen]

"We will make whatever decisions our government sees as appropriate. Of course I support human rights, but I am also a leader of my nation. I make decisions about whether or not to send troops into harms way. Sons, daughters, mothers, father.... Those are not easy or light decisions and it's disappointing to see the Thai government make such a light decision about invading Laos. I firmly believe that MANY more human rights abuses will take place now that this is occurring, it is a warzone after all. From both sides. That is what happens in war. So do I think invading another country over these minor human rights abuses is substantial enough? Absolutely not. Any rational expert of war would tell you the same. Responsbility to protect is a flawed doctrine with no basis in international law. There is no mass genocide occurring in Laos. If that was occurring, of course we would be concerned and I would appreciate it if the Thai government was to inform us about it, but so far there is no evidence.

It's actually insanity to me hearing that a full scale invasion of Laos is taking place because their law enforcement tortured a handful of your citizens? It's just absurd. I can't remember a case of war being started because of that. I think you are greatly overestimating the support you have across Southeast Asia. Malaysia and Singapore are strong allies of Australia, if it wasn't for us they would have been taken over by the Communists. As for Indonesia... I have a pretty good working relationship with President Wahid, I'm sure I can be persuasive. But no, Mr. Rudd will not be returning to the ASEAN+ Summit whilst this overreaction of an invasion of Laos is taking place. We can restart when your forces withdraw and you can come to a more diplomatic and peaceful solution with Laos that we would be more than glad to facilitate."

Bossza007

 

[Bossza007]

"Yes, Mister Kim Beazley, I understand that you have to make a proper decision for your country. That is what any good leader would do, like you. The government and I are also aware that there will be more abuse of human rights in the warzone because the civilian has the chance to be a victim. There hasn't been genocide in Laos since the US bombing and the Third Indochina War. We are happy that there aren't any. We have been building a vital relationship with Laos, but their government has started being inflexible lately. We are currently trying to reach the General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party to negotiate peace. I hope that could make you feel more comfortable discussing this matter. We do not want war with Laos because they are among the closest ethnic to Thai people. The undesired circumstance has forced us to do so. We have limited the military to use their strength because our Armed Forces have acquired one of the most advanced equipment in the world. We have captured about 20 percent of the Laos territory, and we are asking them to stop fighting, which we will follow. We will negotiate peace with them after that. The war started a few weeks, and we are now trying to end it through diplomacy. It is now up to Laos if they want to stop the fight because we can't perform a ceasefire if they continue to kill our soldiers. I hope you understand, and we can ensure that we are trying our best to negotiate with Laos."

Owen

 

[Owen]

"If you want we can host a summit in Australia between the Thai and Laos leaders to settle this dispute on neutral ground. We also heard about the wildfires raging through the country, is there any assistance we can offer to combat that? Australia is one of the most advanced nations when it comes to fighting wild and/or bush fires. We have an extensive National Aerial Firefighting Fleet and a volunteer firefighting force of over 150,000."

Bossza007

 

[Bossza007]

"I agree that hosting a summit could be an acceptable idea, but I am afraid that the government has planned the conference in Bangkok, and they have sent the invitation already. I still have a solution to this one, but we have to get tricky about it. I have to use some form of corruption through my connection to get you inside the meeting room. I might be able to talk with my associate in Foreign Office to help your delegates to get a seat as a host at our peace conference. Of course that my government doesn't want anyone to intervene in this matter, but we could try. We have time until the Lao leader arrives at the government house. I am sorry that I couldn't directly ask for permission from the government because they don't permit me to do. Let's talk about the wildfire. Our soldier got ambushed during their travel a few days ago, causing a bloody battle there. All sides want to be alive until they see their family, so they throw grenades at each other and fire rockets. One of the Signal Corp battalion personnel calls for fire support, and they send 36 artillery causing almost 600 large explosions per minute. That's what I have heard. The wildfire then started, and we sent 70 helicopters to extinguish the fire. There is still minor fire around Laos, which we assumed comes from the battle. Your aerial firefighting fleet could help the local firefighter. What do you say? We could guarantee your volunteer for the international protection of non-combatants, and I believe the other in the world would do so."

Owen

 

[Owen]

"How is your peace negotiations going? I want to see concrete actions now before we start taking our own concrete actions."

Bossza007

 

[Bossza007]

Ambassador Busadee would open her cell phone to read the email from Thailand regarding the peace negotiation. She answers with a joyful tone. "Hey, I have received an email that the Lao leader has arrived in Bangkok. I believe that my Foreign Minister has met with Thai and Vietnamese leaders to find a solution. I am not sure how it would be going, but I can tell that at least foreign nations would stop paying attention to our region again. Do you have anything requests? I want to send that message to Thailand."

Owen

 

[Owen]

"My request is that your forces withdraw themselves from Laos immediately. I think thats the same position taken by China, Vietnam and others. Thailand's reputation is in tatters here. This has truly been one of your government's greatest policy failures. I'm sure you will cave though to the external pressures and this peace agreement will be settled promptly. Please keep me informed about the progress of talks. Our Ambassador to Thailand, William Fisher, will be an observer at the talks. What is the humanitarian situation on the ground at the moment? In regards to wildfires, humanitarian aid, refugees? Australia's capabilities are far fetched and we stand ready to assist both the people of Thailand and Laos who have been affected by this conflict."

Bossza007

 

[Bossza007]

Ambassador Busadee would look up from her cell phone again after reading the report from the peace negotiation. "We will have them withdraw from Laos after my Prime Minister and Lao General Secretary sign a peace treaty. I heard that they are not inside the government house. There is a broadcast in Thai media, but it is in the corner of news programs and has no sound. Vietnam wants to send the peacekeeping force to Laos." She looks down again for a moment before turning up. She answers in a somewhat ironic voice. "I would say we have seen worse than this failure in the past, but I can't deny that the legacy of internal instability can harm this much damage. The Foreign Minister has no problem with the pressure of the others, I would say. We still haven't accepted any demand yet. We are just fixing our system. The fighting has stopped, and we are doing our best to stop the wildfire. I believe we have a lot to settle to restore the ecosystem. I would say that the army made some mistakes by firing powerful artillery. The Lao military also fired at their city and caused over ten thousand civilian casualties. I will try to coordinate with Thailand to allow your help."

Owen

 

[Owen]

"Can you get to us a map of the extent of the current wildfires and give me an overview of the amount of resources which are currently battling it? That way we can prepare our own firefighting forces appropriately."

Bossza007

 

[Bossza007]

"I believe there are wildfires in Champasak province and Vientiane Prefecture. I am not sure about the exact location, but I think it should be around the highways. I have many reports saying that the conflagration span ten kilometers and might be more than that. It's in Champasak. We could have your firefighter depart to Thailand or Laos and travel to the place. Can you bring some ecologists there as well? I am convinced that there is a problem with an artillery bombardment that destroyed the ecosystem. I believe that your ambassador should be at the government house by now, and I can coordinate you with our agencies in Thailand and Laos."

Owen