CODEL MONTGOMERY VISIT TO VIETNAM, CAMBODIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90B01370R000801110065-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 23, 2010
• Sequence Number: 65
• Publication Date: December 14, 1984
• Content Type: CABLE

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TOR: 140611Z DEC 84
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00 RUEHC
DE RUMJFS #1729/01 3480839
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
0 P 130833Z DEC 84 ZFF-4
FM AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5743
INFO RUMTBK/AMEMBASSY PRIORITY 4786
RUEHML/AMEMBASSY MANILA PRIORITY 5404
RUMJRV/AMEMBASSY RANGOON PRIORITY 1261
BT
C 0 N F I D E N T I A L VIENTIANE 1729
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: OREP, VN, CB
SUBJECT: t x I 4 $ I ?f dP
^ _' IN`-
1. ( CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT)
2. DURING A 3-DAY VISIT TO VIETNAM DECEMBER 9-11, CODEL
MET WITH VICE FOREIGN MINISTER PHAN DOAN NAM AND FOREIGN
MINISTER NGUYEN CO THACH AND PAID A CALL ON PREMIER PRAM
VAN DONG. THEY ALSO MET NATIONAL ASSEMBLY VICE CHAIRMAN
PHAN ANH AT A BANQUET HOSTED BY VFM NAM.
3. IN THEIR DISCUSSIONS, REPRESENTATIVE MONTGOMERY AND
HIS COLLEAGUES CONCENTRATED ON FOUR AREAS OF INTEREST:
MIAS, AGENT ORANGE, AMERASIAN CHILDREN, AND REEDUCATION
CAMP INMATES. LITTLE INFORMATION WAS OBTAINED ON THE AGENT
ORANGE PROBLEM BEYOND THE STATEMENT THAT THE VIETNAMESE
WERE PLANNING A FURTHER INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON THE
SUBJECT NEXT YEAR. ON MIAS, VIETNAMESE STRESSED HOW
MUCH THEY HAD DONE ALREADY AND PROMISED TO CONTINUE THEIR
EFFORTS, BUT THEY ALSO STRESSED THE DIFFICULTY AND
EXPENSE OF MAKING FURTHER PROGRESS. THEY MENTIONED THE
NEED FOR HELICOPTERS AND BULLDOZERS, WHICH THEY SAID
WAS BEING DISCUSSED IN JCRC CHANNELS.
4. DISCUSSION ON AMERASIANS WAS RELATIVELY NON-CONTENTIOUS,
ALTHOUGH THE VIETNAMESE REPEATEDLY COMPLAINED THAT THE
PACE OF "REPATRIATION" WAS MUCH TOO SLOW. IN HO CHI MINH
CITY, THE CODEL WAS GIVEN THE ESTIMATE OF A TOTAL OF
15,000 AMERASIAN CHILDREN, OR 45,000 INCLUDING FAMILY
MEMBERS. SRV OFFICIALS SAID THEY WERE WORKING ON A SECOND
LIST TO SUPPLEMENT THE ONE HANDED OVER IN NOVEMBER.
5. THE CODEL'S REQUEST TO VISIT A REEDUCATION CAMP WAS NOT
GRANTED. THE VIETNAMESE IN THEIR DISCUSSIONS STRESSED THEIR
FEAR THAT THE "HARD CORE" GVN OFFICIALS NOW IN THE CAMPS.
IF RELEASED, COULD BE USED AGAINST THEN BY AN UNFRIENDLY
U.S. THEY CITED SEVERAL INCIDENTS IN THE U.S. IN SUPPORT
OF THIS CONTENTION. (IN THIS CONNECTION, FOREIGN JOURNALISTS
HAVE BEEN INVITED TO HO CHI MINH CITY TO COVER A SUBVERSION
-SHOW TRAIL WHICH WILL REPORTEDLY INCLUDE ACTIVITIES BY
U.S.- BASED REFUGEES.) THE SRV OFFICIALS GAVE NO PRECISE
FIGURES FOR CAMP INMATES, SAYING ONLY THAT LESS THAN ONE PERCENT
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OF THE 1.5 MILLION ARVN SOLDIERS WERE STILL IN CAMPS.
THEY DID NOT RESPOND TO CODEL'S REQUEST FOR A LIST, NOR TO
THE SUGGESTION THAT THE SRV RELEASE A SMALL GROUP TO THE U.S.
ON A TRAIL BASIS, AS A FIRST STEP TOWARD A COMPLETE
RELEASE.
6. REPRESENTATIVE MONTGOMERY ASKED FOR WILLIAM MATHERS'
RELEASE AND OFFERED TO TAKE HIM ON THE CODEL PLANE. THE
VIETNAMESE PROVIDED NO REAL INFORMATION ON THE CASE. THACH
STATED THAT HE CONSIDERED THE CASE TO BE A MINOR PROBLEM BUT
THAT HE WOULD LOOK INTO IT. THE FRENCH AMBASSADOR IN HANOI
TOLD THE DELEGATION THAT HE HAD RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS FROM
PARIS TO MAKE A DEMARCHE ON MATHERS DECEMBER 11. (PRESUME
DEPARTMENT ALREADY INFORMED). IN HO CHI MINH CITY, A VVA
GROUP TOLD THE DELEGATION THAT THEY HAD BEEN IN CAN THO DECEMBER
11. AND ASKED ABOUT MATHERS. THEY WERE TOLD THERE THAT
THE INVESTIGATION WAS NOT YET COMPLETE.
7. THE VIETNAMESE USED DISCUSSION OF ALL THESE SUBJECTS
TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE LACK OF PROGRESS TOWARD NORMALIZATION.
DISCUSSION OF INCREASING CONTACTS BETWEEN AMERICANS AND
VIETNAMESE, INCLUDING VISITS TO THE UNITED STATES BY SRV
OFFICIALS, LED TO VIETNAMESE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE 25-MILE
LIMIT PLACED ON THEIR UN MISSION IN NEW YORK WHCIH PREVENTED
THEM FROM ACCEPTING INVITATIONS TO WASHINGTON. THE RESTRICTION
WAS ALSO MENTIONED IN CONNECTION WITH THE CODEL'S REQUEST FOR
A REEDUCATION CAMP VISIT. REPRESENTATIVE MONTGOMERY INDICATED
HE WAS UNHAPPY WITH THE RESTRICTION AND WOULD LOOK INTO IT.
8. THACH SPOKE TO THE CODEL ABOUT CAMBODIA, PREDICTABLY
BLAMING THE SITUATION ON POL POT AND THE CHINESE. HE STATED
THAT VIETNAM WOULD BE HAPPY TO WITHDRAW ITS TROOPS IF POL POT
WERE ELIMINATED AND PEACE SECURED BY A REGIONAL AGREEMENT
BETWEEN ASEAN AND THE COUNTRIES OF INDOCHINA.
THE UNITED STATES HAD A ROLE TO PLAY IN THE REGION, AND
VIETNAM DID NOT OPPOSE ITS BASES IN THE PHILIPPINES,
SO LONG AS THEY WERE NOT USED AGAINST VIETNAM. BUT THE
UNITED STATES SHOULD NOT LET ITSELF BE USED BY
CHINA.
9. THE HALF-HOUR MEETING WITH PRAM VAN DONG WAS LARGELY
RESTRICTED TO GENERALITIES, ALTHOUGH REPRESENTATIVE MONTGOMERY
TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF RESOLVING
THE MIA ISSUE. BOTH DONG AND THE CODEL EXPRESSED THE HOPE
FOR A RAPID RESOLUTION OF DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO
COUNTRIES AND FOR NORMALIZATION OF RELATIONS.
10. IN THEIR ONE-DAY VISIT TO PI-NVOM PENH, THE CODEL MET WITH
FOREIGN MINISTER HUN SEN, WHO GAVE THEN A ONE AND ONE HALF HOUR
LECUTURE DENOUNCING THE UNITED STATES POLICY OF SUPPORTING
POL POT. THE CODEL ALSO VISITED TOUL SLENG PRISION AND A BURIAL
GROUND FOR MASSACRE VICTIMS. AT DINNER THEY MET PHLEK
PHIRUN (F), PRESIDENT OF THE KAMPUCHEAN RED CROSS AND A
MEMBER OF THE KAMPUCHEAN PARLIAMENT.
11. CODEL MEMBERS LEFT PHNOM PENH CONCERNED ABOUT U.S.
POLICIES ON THE CAMBODIAN QUESTION. REPRESENATIVE MONTGOMERY
HAS ASKED TO MEET WITH ASSISTANT SECRETARY WOLFOWITZ OR
OTHER DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS TO DISCUSS THIS QUESTION UPON
HIS RETURN, PREFERABLY IN THE PERIOD DECEMBER 19-21.
12. CODEL PLANS A PRESS RELEASE UPON ITS RETURN TO THE
UNITED STATES. DEPARTMENT AND OTHER ADDRESSEES SHOULD
NOT MAKE DETAILS OF THE TRIP PUBLIC BEFORE THAT TIME, OTHER
THAN TO CONFIRM IF ASKED THE ITINERARY AND THE IDENTITY
OF THE CODEL'S INTERLOCUTORS.
IV CONFIDENTIAL
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