MONTHLY REPORT--BANGKOK BUREAU--JULY 1987

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88-00733R000100030008-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 13, 2012
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: August 2, 1987
• Content Type: MEMO

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/06/13: CIA-RDP88-00733R000100030008-3
ROUTING AND RECORD SHEET
SUBJECT: (Optional)
Monthly Report -- Bangkok Bureau
FROM:
EXTENSION
NO.
DATE
Chief, Operations Group
2944
July 1987
TO: (Offic.r designation, room numbs, and
building)
DATE
OFFICER'S
COMMENTS (Number each comment to show from whom
RECEIVED
FORWARDED
INITIALS
to whom. Draw a line across column oh.r each comment.)
1.
Chief, Operations Group
o7s
3.
Chief, E&PS
4.
D/Director, FBIS
5
Director, FBIS
6.
7.
C/ESG
B.
C/FED
9.
C/ADD
10.
r_
~(
C/HED
Chief, Admin Staff
12.
Chief Analysis Group
?t
13.
Admin Staff
14.
Chief, B$F
ls. ~/
Exec. ee 8
FOR
1-79M 610 EDITIO SS S
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 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/06/13: CIA-RDP88-00733R000100030008-3
2 August 1987
MBK-7014
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director, Foreign Broadcast Information Service
THROUGH a Chief, Operations Group
SUBJECT : Monthly Report -- Bangkok Bureau -- July 1987
1. While a number of noteworthy events took place during the
month, the most significant for the Bureau was the reappearance of
the Philippines' Quezon City RPN 9 TV on the 77E Palapa satellite
after a forced 18-month absence for not paying Indonesia for its
transmission time. With its return, on 7 July the Bureau began
covering the weekday 1030-1100 GMT domestic and international
newscast live, and filed a number of wire-worthy items as a result,
including a recorded excerpt of President Aquino's address at the
opening of the Philippines Congress. According to the newspapers,
the station also carries a 1530 GMT newscast on the weekends, but it
is obviously not transmitted by satellite as the
ROSET cruisers have found no trace of it.
2. Running a close second was Delhi TV's coverage of Indian
Prime Minister Gandhi being struck by a rifle butt wielded by an
obviously disgruntled Sri Lankan sailor during a farewell ceremony at
the presidential palace in Colombo on 30 July. The video recording
clearly shows the sailor suddenly reverse his rifle as Gandhi walks
past while inspecting a guard of honor, grab the and of the rifle
barrel in both hands, and swing it in an overhead arc at Gandhi's
head. The prime minister is seen to instinctively try to duck out of
the way and then stumble a few feet as the rifle butt catches him a
glancing blow on the back of the head and back. The video then shows
an apparently unhurt Gandhi being hustled away by aides as bodyguards
pounce on the sailor. The videotape of the event was sent to
Headquarters by Purolator Courier.
3. When an embassy component informed the Bureau that it had a
satellite dish sitting in a Z Deal warehouse that it would like to
give away, Bureau Engineer jumped at the offer and STAT
immediately began making plans as how best to utilize it at Bang
Ping. 0 even came back from his vacation a day early so he coulcSTAT
get his hands on it that much sooner. He might as well have stayed
at the beach. His new dish turned out to be nothing more than a huge
plastic water container of the type found all over Bangkok on the
roofs of apartment buildings.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/06/13: CIA-RDP88-00733R000100030008-3
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A. Monitorial/Editorial
1. All Vietnamese coverage with the exception of VNA was
assumed by the Bureau with the retirement of Okinawa Bureau's last
Vietnamese monitor on 9 July. VNA will also become Bangkok's
responsibility once the modernization program is operational here
sometime in September. With the assumption of all the Hanoi casts,
the Bureau ceased filing one processing FYI to Okinawa and downgraded
the filing of a program summary from to routine. The VietnameseSTAT
unit's ability to cope with the workload was aided by the
fact that its newest addition, completed his training and
became a full-fledged member of the team on 13 July. STAT
2. The Bureau was alert to Indochinese reportage/reaction to
speeches by Secretary Shultz and other administration officials on
the MIA issue, relations with Vietnam, and General Vessey's upcoming
visit to Vietnam in view of a special memorandum AG was preparing on
the MIA issue, but the only reportage thus far on the topic came from
AFP.
3. A "Cocktail Party" to be attended by the two warring
Cambodian sides, followed by a meeting attended by Vietnam and other
interest parties, was proposed by Indonesian Foreign Minister Mokhtar
in his role as ASEAN representative during his visit to Vietnam 29
July. Vietnam was reported as saying that it would consider and pass
on the proposal, while the other Indochinese countries merely
reported it.
4. The South Asian unit was kept busy throughout the month
as a result of the ongoing violence and resulting curfews in India,
Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Coupled with this, the unit
covered a Colombo TV passfeed on 29 July of the signing of an accord
by the Indian prime minister and the Sri Lankan president to end the
ethnic violence in Sri Lanka. In addition, it also dealt with an
Indian cabinet reshuffle and the presidential elections in that
country.
5. For the first time ever, Bang Ping cruisers intercepted a
pass feed from Athens, Greece to Australia on the 60 East satellite
27 July. As the cast focused on the Athens heatwave, Bangkok
staffers could muster up little sympathy for the suffering
Athenians.
B. Lateral Services
The Bureau responded to two requests from the embassy in
Vientiane as well as responding to ad hoc requests from the Political
and Refugee sections of the Bangkok embassy and VOA.
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 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/06/13: CIA-RDP88-00733R000100030008-3
C. Technical
1. The Bureau has acquired two facsimile machines that were
surplus to Vienna Bureau's needs. They have been installed at the
Bang Ping receiver site and the Bureau. The installation of these
units provides the Bureau with rapid transmissions of hardcopy logs,
diagrams, messages, etc., between the two facilities. Previously,
this type of material had to be delivered by courier, often on the
following day.
2. A contract has been signed with International Engineering
Co. Ltd. for the purchase and installation of an ITT PBAX telephone
system. The new system will consolidate the Bureau's present three
intercom systems into one. Installation is expected to be completed
by 31 August.
3. Engineering is now in the process of converting all of
the Bureau's internal communications lines from 60 MA Current loop to
low level. This will also give us a chance to clean up all the
wiring associated with the Bureau's communications. The changeover
will be completed before the start of the FBA-1 installation.
A. Personnel
1. Deputy Chief) land family arrived PCS 4
July, just in time to cook hamburgers at the Independence Day
celebrations at the International School.
2. Two days later, 6 July, arrived from OkinawaSTAT
for a 6-month TDY as the Bureau's satellite cruiser.
STAT
STAT
departed 16 July for assignment in MOD. STAT
4. The recently hired systems administrator,
entered on duty on 20 July 1987.
STAT
STAT
5. Chief Monitor) completed 30 years of STAT
dedicated service on 14 Julyl A congratulatory message from
Chief Ops was received while was on end of tour travel.
6. Technician
father of a baby girl F
on 8 July.
STAT
became the proud STAT
STAT
STAT
7. Indian Monitor) )who refuses to drive in
Bangkok, suffered a broken foot and was laid up for two weeks after a
motorcyclist went over rather than around him while he was attempting
to cross the street.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/06/13: CIA-RDP88-00733R000100030008-3
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1. The chief of training visited the Bureau on 7 July and
briefed staffers on the latest developments. In addition, we agreed
to provide OTE with some TV entertainment programs in Thai,
Indonesian, Malay, and Hindi.
2 On 10 Jul several Bureau staffers including
STAT
7 and the Bureau
chief, visited the VOA reception site and receive an extended tour STAT
of the facility.
3. The Bureau hosted a lunch for five Thai NIA officials on 13
July at the New Greater Shanghai Restaurant to introduce STAT
4. On 20 July, USIS officer Bill Shauen and Ted Kuligowski, a
USIS engineer on TDY, visited the Bureau for a briefing.
5. LEC engineer, was in Bangkok 23 July-3 August to STAT
survey the power situation at the Bureau prior to FBA-1.
STAT
6. Stephen May, DCM-designate, American Embassy, Laos, was
given a bureau briefing and tour on 28 July. We used the occasion to
t
s.
reiterate our need for journals and TV recordings of special even
Chief, Bangkok Bureau
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/06/13 CIA-RDP88-00733R000100030008-3
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/06/13: CIA-RDP88-00733R000100030008-3
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