DELINEATION OF THAI-LAO FLUVIAL BOUNDARY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP08C01297R000300060014-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 14, 2012
• Sequence Number: 14
• Publication Date: August 24, 1970
• Content Type: CABLE

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, Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/11/16 : CIA-RDPO8C01297R000300060014-0
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01021 DEPAI4T-44101 OF STATE -r EGRA w
4BkElSECRETARIAT DISSEM BY
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ACTION EA -15
INFO OCT-01 L-04 CIAE-00 INR -07 NSAE -00 RSC-01 PM-05
NSC-10 SS-20 DODE -00 RSR -01 /064 W
R. 241214Z AUG 70
FM AMEMBASSY BANGKOK
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 8376
INFO AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE
LIMITED FFICIAL Ut DANOKOK.10628
087781
/190 -65/-*-
SUBJECT:En
DELINEATION OF THAI-LAO FLUVIAL BOUNDARY
REF: A. VIENTIANE 5 70 6
B. STATE 135079 N7
C. BANGKOK A-129, MARCH 12, 19 69
I. EMBASSY CONTINUES TO HOLD TO VIEWS EXPRESSED IN REF- C ON
DELINEATION OF T HA I -LAO FLUVIAL BOUNDARY. WE AGREE WITH, JEPART--
MENT AND EMBASSY VIENTIANE THAT USG SHOULD BE DISINTEREETED
SPECTATOR AND TAKE NO ACT ION WHICH MIGHT INVOLVE. US IN SI:CH A
SENSITIVE, COMPLEX T HA I-LAO BILATERAL QUESTION..WHILE F: rG
EVIDENTLY IS INTERESTED IN DISCUSSING POSSIBLE BOUNDARY 'AD-
JUSTME NTS WITH RLG, RTG IS NOT LIKELY IN OUR ESTIMATION TO PRESS
RLG ON. THIS ISSUE AT THIS -TIME, GIVEN LAO ATTITUDE AND 1.XISTENCE
OF MORE URGENT PROBLEMS.
2. WE SEE NO REAL ADVANTAGES TO BE GAINED BY PRESSING THAI
TO DEFINE CLEARLY THEIR OBJECTIONS TO BORDER DEL INEAT ION AS
DRAWN BY USATOPOCOM ON BASIS OF 1926 TREATY. THEREFORE TO
MOVE PRESENT MAPPING REVISION PROJECT ALONG9 WE FAVOR DEPARTMENT'S
SUGGEST ION THAT BOUNDARY SYMBOL BE ELIMINATED IN PORT IONS OF
RIVER WHERE THERE ARE ISLANDS, WE BELIEVE THAT RTSD WOULD
RA ISE NO OBJECTIONS TO THIS COURSE OF ACT ION WHICH TACITLY
REMOVES CAUSE OF ITS RESERVATIONS, AND WOULD NOT REDRAWING
BOUNDARY IN AREA OF ISLANDS IN VIEW OF PRESENT RLG ATTITUDE.
IF DEPT AGREES, WE PREPARED SEE THIS RAISED WITH RT SD .
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DEPARTMENT OF STATE TELEGRAM
ABLE SECRETARIAT DISSEM BY PER # TOTAL COPIES: REPRO BY
MEG. 9/69
4E RF.
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3. WE DO NOT FAVOR ALTERNATIVE COURSE OF PERMITTING RTSD
TO DRAW BOUNDARY AND THEN REMOVING ALL DESIGNATIONS IDENTIFYING
MAP AS A US PRODUCT FOR SUCH A COURSE OF ACTION COULD WELL
PRECIPITATE OPEN THAI-LAO BOUNDARY DISPUTE FOR WHICH USG
LIKELY TO SHARE BLAME DUE TO WIDELY KNOW USATOPOCOM INVOLVEMENT
IN PREPARATION OF THIS MAP SERIES.
4. PERHAPS USATOPOCOM CAN RECOMMEND A MORE SUITABLE CARTO-
GRAPHIC PLOY TO SOLVE OUR DILEMMA IF DEPARTMENT SUGGESTION
ENDORSED PARA 2 ABOVE NOT ACCEPTABLE FOR SOME REASON. EXEMPT
UNGER
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/11/16: CIA-RDPO8C01297R000300060014-0
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/11/16 : CIA-RDP08C01297R000300060014-0
DEPARTMENT OF STATE TELEGRAM MFG. 9/69
./ 00238
C.ABLF. StCRETARIAT DISSEM BY / )_,N? PER # TOTAL COPIES: C')
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ACT ION EA-15
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-------- 073371
R 211046Z AUG 70
FM AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE
TO SECST ATE WASHDC 9660
INFO AMEMBASSY BANGKOK
CO C. CM CM Me UM OM 1.2 CM
LIMITED, OFFICIAL USE V IE NT IANE 5706
SUBJ: DEL I NEAT ION OF THAI/LAO BOUNDARY IN
MEKONG RIVER
REF: STATE 135079
25X1
't
1. DURING LAO/THAI TECHNICAL LEVEL TALKS BANGKOK ?)*1
APRIL 16-23 AND SIMILAR TALKS NOW UNDERWAY VIENTIANE,
THAIS RAISED WITH LAO QUESTION OF DEFINING THEIR
BORDERS SI NCE AGREEMENTS SIGNED WITH FRENCH IN 1904 , 0 -1
1907 AND 1926 APPEAR NO LONGER VALID to i
Z
2. LAO, WHO HAVE PREFERRED DISCUSS BREAD-BUTTER .
QUESTIONS SUCH AS TRADE AND TRANSIT, AUG 20 TOLD THAIS
BORDER QUESTION OF EXTREME COMPLEXITY AND JOINT
LAT/THAI SUBCOMMITTEE SHOULD PREPARE EXHAUSTIVE NJ
AND DETAILED STUDIES. 0
3. IN VIEW SENSITIVITY BOTH COUNTRIES RE DEFINITION
THEIR BORDERS, BELIEVE THAT USG SHOULD, UNDER NO
CIRCUMSTANCES, BECOME INVOLVED IN ONE WAY OR
ANOTHER WITH DEFINING LAO/THAI
BORDER. DECON 8/71.
GODLEY
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135079
ORIGIN
EA-15
INFO
OCT-01
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NSC-10 SS-20
RSC-01
CI AE-00 INR -07
NSAE-00
L-04
DO DE-00 /063
R
66638
DRAFTED BY EA TB EHICKS EBS -
APPROVED BY EA TB MR BERGESEN.
EA LC MR LYDON
INR RGE MR HODGSON
PM .ISO MR KELLEY
L EA MR GREEN WALD
R 192150Z AUG 70
FM SECST ATE WASHDC
TO AMEMB ASSY BANGKOK ?
INFO AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE:
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE STATE 135079
060388
SUBJ : DELINEATION OF THE THAI /LAOS BOUNDARYSIN THE MEKONG RIVER
REF: A) STATE CA-855 OF FEBRUARY 10, 1969
B) BANGKOK A-129 OF MARCH 12, 1969
1. ROYAL THAI SURVEY DEPARTMENT (RTSD) AND THE U.S. ARMY
TOPOGRAPHIC COMMAND (USATOPOCOM ) CURRENTLY ENGAGED IN JOINT
LARGE-SCALE MAPPING PROJECT. IN CONNECTION THEREWITH,
THAI/LAO MEKONG RIVER BOUNDARY ISSUE RE-RAISED BY RTSD.
RTSD POSITION IN THIS MATTER APPARENTLY REMAINS SAME AS
DESCRIBED YEAR AGO IN REF. -( I.E. , REFUSAL TO ACCEPT 1926
TREATY AND 1931 MAPS AS MOST RECENT VALID BASIS FOR DELINE-
ATION OF THE FLUVIAL BOUNDARY BETWEEN LAOS AND THAILAND.)
2. WE, UNDERSTAND FROM USATOPOCOM THAT RTSD RECENTLY SUB-
MITTED PROBLEM TO MINISTRY OF DEFENSE.- IN LIGHT OF PROS-
PECT THIS MATTER POSSIBLY BEING RAISED TO POLITICAL LEVEL.'
EMBASSY COMMENTS ARE REQUESTED. DEPARTMENT PARTICULARLY '
INTERESTED IN PROBABLY POLITICAL IMPACT THIS ISSUE.
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DEPARTMENT OF STATE TELEGRAM
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TOTAL COPIES: REPRO BY
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FILE RF.
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PAGE 02 STATE 135079
A) DOES EMBASSY BANGKOK CONSIDER STANCE RECOMMENDED
IN REF. B. STILL APPROPRIATE?
B) WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT ASSESSMENT LIKELY RTG
POLITICAL CLIMATE ON THIS MATTER?
C) DO YOU BELIEVE BASIC QUESTION OF THE LEGAL
BOUNDARY SHOULD BE PRESSED AT THIS JUNCTURE OR THAT IT
MORE PRUDENT (AND PERHAPS ULTIMATELY MORE EFFICIENT--
GIVEN EVER-PRESENT POSSIBILITY CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT IN
AOS AND ALWAYS SENSITIVE THAI/LAO RELATIONS) TO DEFER
REAL QUESTION?
C) IF FORMER, WHAT OF POSSIBLILITY TELLING THAI WE
COULD NOT PARTICIPATE IN REVISING THE MAPS IF THEY CON-
TINUE INSIST ON DISCLAIMER AS BASIS DRAWING BOUNDARIES?
IF WE DEFER QUESTION, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR POLITICAL
REACTION TO IDEA OF SHOWING BOUNDARY SYMBOL WHERE THERE
ARE NO RPT NO ISLANDS AND ELIMINATION OF SYMBOL WHERE
THERE ARE RPT ARE ISLANDS? THIS WOULD ESCHEW ISSUE
FOR NOW AND ALLOW THE PRESENT MAPPING REVISION - PROJECT
TO PROCEED. WOULD THE THAI BE PARTICULARLY AMENABLE TO
SUCH A TACTIC?
A THIRD POSSIBILITY EXISTS. THE THAI MIGHT DRAW
BOUNDARIES AS THEY WISH BUT REMOVE ALL DESIGNATIONS
IDENTIFYING THE MAP AS US PRODUCT, THUS AVOIDING GIVING.
ERRONEOUS IMPRESSION MAPS REFLECT US OFFICIAL RECOGNITION OF-.
BOUNDARY AS DELINEATED.
3. DEPARTMENT INCLINED AVOID REAL ISSUE FOR PRESENT
AND NOT PRESS THAI ON DEFINING THE QUEST' INABLE AREAS.
BELIEVE PROXIMATE OBJECTIVE SHOULD BE PURSUIT OF BEST
METHOD TO ASSURE CURRENT NAPPING PROJECT PROCEEDS APACE.
WHILE RISKS OF THAI-US AND THAI-LAO FRICTION ARE KEPT.
TO MINIMUM. REQUEST EMBASSY REPLY ASAP.
ROGERS
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