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ACTION EA-14
INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 CIAE-00 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 SSO-00 USIE-00
INRE-00 PM-07 H-03 INR-10 L-03 NSC-07 PA-04 RSC-01
PRS-01 SP-03 SS-20 SY-04 USSS-00 SCCT-02 A-01 M-02
OPR-02 OC-06 CCO-00 PC-04 CU-05 DRC-01 NIC-01 /102 W
--------------------- 008675
O 040519Z JUL 74
FM AMEMBASSY BANGKOK
TO SECSTATE WASHDC NIACT IMMEDIATE 4795
INFO AMCONSUL CHIANG MAI PRIORITY
AMCONSUL UDORN PRIORITY
CINCPAC IMMEDIATE
DIA WASHDC IMMEDIATE
SECDEF IMMEDIATE
C O N F I D E N T I A L BANGKOK 10917
CINCPAC FOR POLAD
E.O. 11652: GDS
TAGS: PINS, PFOR, ASEC, TH
SUBJ: THE BUILD-UP TO JULY 4 ANTI-AMERICAN DEMONSTRATIONS
REF: A. BANGKOK 10900
B. FBIS B032034Z JUL 74
C. FBIS D040246Z JUL 74
D. CHIANG MAI 276 (NOTAL)
E. FBIS D040243Z JUL 74
F. FBIS D040234Z JUL 74
SUMMARY: WE EXPECT A SMALL GRUP OF STUDENT DEMONSTRATORS TO
APPEAR BEFORE THE EMBASSY THE AFTERNOON OF JULY 4. THE HASTILY
ORGANIZED ANTI-AMERICAN PROTEST IS ALSO SCHEDULED TO INCLUDE A
"HYDE PARK" RALLY AT SANAM LUANG. WE DO NOT ANTICIPATE AN OR-
GANIZED ATTEMPTTO DISRUPT THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY'S JULY 4
CELEBRATION. NEWSPAPERS QUOTE THE PRIME MINISTER AS BEING "DEEPLY
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CONCERNED" ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF DEMONSTRATIONS AT THE EM-
BASSY. THE THAI AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE PRESS HAVE EDITORIALIZED
AGAINST SUCH DEMONSTRATIONS. THE POLICE HAVE INCREASED THEIR
PRECAUTIONS AND HAVE GIVEN US THEIR FULL COOPERATION. END SUMMARY.
1. IN ADDITION TO THE FOREIGN MINISTER'S CALL TO THE AMBAS-
SADOR JULY 3, THE PRIME MINISTER HAS ISSUED A STATEMENT SAYING
THAT HE IS "DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT PENDING ANTI-AMERICAN DEMON-
STRATIONS. (REF B AND C.) THE "DAILY NEWS" IS THE ONLY THAI
LANGUAGE PAPER TO PICK UP THIS STORY.
2. MOST OF THE PREPARATIONS FOR TODAY'S ANTICIPATED DEMON-
STRATION ARE RATHER SPUR OF THE MOMENT, THOUGH SOME ACTIVIST
GROUPS MAY HAVE GIVEN SOME PRIOR THOUGHT TO THE IDEA. OUR BEST
INFORMATION IS THAT THE LEADERSHIP HAS NOT YET INVOLVED LARGE
NUMBERS OF STUDENTS. ACTIVIST CHULALONGKON UNIVERSITY STUDENTS,
NUMBERING 50-75, MARCHED OVER TO THAMMASAT JULY 3 TO ATTEND THE
AFTERNOON PANEL DISCUSSION. POSSIBLY THREE YOUTHS POSTED SIGNS
AT THE CHIANG MAI CONSULATE (REF D) THE MORNING OF JULY
4. NEWSPAPER ACCOUNTS OF THE PENDING DEMONSTRATION REFLECT THE
HASTY PREPARATIONS IN THAT DIFFERENT PAPERS GIVE UP TO THREE
DIFFERENT TIME THE DEMONSTRATION AT THE EMBASSY MAY OCCUR
(REF E).
3. BOTH THE THAI LANGUAGE AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE PRESS HAVE
CRITICIZED STUDENT PLANS FOR DEMONSTRATIONS AT THE EMBASSY
PROTESTING AMERICAN MILITARY PRESENCE. "THE NATION" CHIMED
IN WITH AN EDITORIAL JULY 4, WHICH IS A DETAILED CRITICISM
OF THE PLANNED DEMONSTRATION AT THE EMBASSY (REF F). THAI-
LANGUAGE "SIANG MAI" AND "PRACHATHIPATAI" HAVE ALSO EDIT-
ORIALIZED IN THE SAME VEIN JULY 4.
4. ACTIVIST STUDENTS ORGANIZED A PANEL DISCUSSION AT THAM-
MASAT UNIVERSITY THE LATE AFERNOON OF JULY 3 ON THE SUBJECT
"WITHDRAWAL OF AMERICAN FORCES". SPEAKERS INCLUDED FORMER PEOPLES'
PARTY PARLIAMENTARIAN KHAISAENG SUKSAI, FREE LANCE JOURNALIST
SAMRUNG KHAMPHAU, CHULALONGKON UNIVERSITY LECTURER KHIEN
THIRAWIT, AND PEOPLE FOR DEMOCRACY (PFD) COORDINATOR THIRAYUT
BUNMI. SATHIAN CHANTIMATHON, ANOTHER FREE LANCE JOURNALIST
MODERATED. OUR POLITICAL ASSISTANT SAID THAT THE AUDIENCE WHICH
FILLED THE THAMMASAT AUDITORIUM RESPONDED BEST TO KHAISAENG'S
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WIT AND SATIRE RATHER THAN THE OTHER SPEAKERS. KHIEN STARTED
OFF WITH A DRY, ACADEMIC DISCUSSION OF AMERICAN FOREIGN
POLICY. OUR POLITICAL ASSISTANT FELT THAT THIS AUDIENCE
WAS NOT AS AROUSED AS THAT WHICH ATTENDED A SIMILAR SEMINAR
ON MAY 28 (SEE BANGKOK 9000). THE MODERATOR, WHO ALSO CRITICIZED
THE AMERICAN MILITARY PRESENCE, ASKED THE AUDIENCE TO GATHER
AT 1000 HOURS JULY 4 AT THE SANAM LUANG FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION
OF THE EVILS OF AMERICAN IMPERIALISM.
5. AT 1100 JULY 4 OUR POLITICAL ASSISTANT REPORTED THAT THERE
IS NO CROWD GATHERING AT SANAM LUANG, NOR INDICATIONS AT NEARBY
THAMMASAT UNIVERSITY THAT STUDENT CROWDS HAVE GATHERED TO
HEAR ANTI-AMERICAN SPEAKERS. ANOTHER POLITICAL ASSISTANT REPORTED
AT 1130 THAT THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE AT CHULAKONGKON UNIVERSITY
OF STUDENT PREPARATIONS FOR A DEMONSTRATION. ONE CHULAKONGKON
PROFESSOR WE SPOKE TO JULY 4 SAID THAT HE WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED
IF THE DEMONSTRATION FLOPPED, SINCE ONLY A MINORITY OF STUDENTS
SEEMED INTERESTED IN THIS ISSUE AT THIS TIME. THE POLICE
HAVE ALSO TOLD US THAT THERE IS NO UNUSUAL ACTIVITY ABOUT TOWN
AND WITHIN THE CAMPUSES. THE POLICE HAVE GIVEN US THEIR FULL
COOPERATION.
6. THE VIN D'HONNOUR AT THE PRESIDENT HOTEL WHICH BEGAN AT
1130 JULY 4 HAS PASSED WITHOUT INCIDENT.
KINTNER
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