ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES BY AMERICAN CITIZENS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

UNCLAS HANOI 002605 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PTER KPAO CB VM CTERR SUBJECT: ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES BY AMERICAN CITIZENS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA REF: A) HANOI 02560 B) HANOI 02559 UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HANOI 02605 300858Z ¶1. (SBU) DURING RECENT WEEKS, CITIZENS/RESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES HAVE BEEN DETAINED IN SOUTHEAST ASIA FOR ACTS DESIGNED TO DISRUPT AND CHALLENGE THE CONTROL OF SOVEREIGN STATES -- VIETNAM AND CAMBODIA -- WHICH ARE RECOGNIZED BY THE U.S. GOVERNMENT. THE GOAL OF THESE INDIVIDUALS AND/OR THE ORGANIZATIONS THEY REPRESENT IS TO EMBARRASS THE GOVERNMENTS OF VIETNAM AND CAMBODIA AND, MORE BROADLY, TO IMPEDE THE DEVELOPMENT OF U.S. BILATERAL RELATIONS. SINCE THE PRESIDENT WAS IN BRUNEI AND VIETNAM AND MEETING WITH LEADERS OF THE AFFECTED STATES, THESE ACTIONS HAVE CREATED A NEGATIVE BACKLASH TO OUR BILATERAL RELATIONS. THESE INCIDENTS NEED TO BE FORMALLY CONDEMNED BY THE USG TO AVOID CREATING THE IMPRESSION THE USG SOMEHOW CONDONES THE ACTIONS. DEPARTMENT PRESS GUIDANCE OF NOVEMBER 27 ON THE CAMBODIA INCIDENT BEGINS THAT PROCESS. BUT, NOW THAT IT IS CLEAR THERE ARE U.S. CITIZENS IN DETENTION WHO HAVE ADMITTED THEIR ROLES IN THESE ACTIVITIES, THE STATEMENTS SHOULD GO FURTHER IN CONDEMNING THE ACTIONS. ¶2. (SBU) THE U.S. GOVERNMENT IS COMMITTED TO BUILDING RELATIONS WITH VIETNAM AND CAMBODIA -- AS WELL AS WITH NEIGHBORING LAOS WHICH EXPERIENCED SIMILAR "INTERVENTIONS" IN THE PAST YEAR. THEREFORE, IT WOULD SEEM APPROPRIATE FOR THE USG TO MAKE A PUBLIC STATEMENT SPECIFICALLY DENOUNCING THE EFFORTS OF U.S. CITIZENS/RESIDENTS TO INTERFERE IN OUR CONDUCT OF RELATIONS AND TO PUT PEOPLE'S LIVES AT RISK. THIS STATEMENT, WHILE POTENTIALLY UPSETTING TO SOME IN THE U.S., IN FACT REPRESENTS U.S. FOREIGN POLICY. (IT WOULD BE MORE CONTROVERSIAL BUT ALSO VALID TO ADD TO THAT STATEMENT A UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HANOI 02605 300858Z COMMITMENT TO PUNISH ANYONE WHO MAY HAVE VIOLATED U.S. LAW IN THE PROCESS OF CARRYING OUT THE ACTIONS TAKEN IN AND AGAINST VIETNAM AND CAMBODIA.) ¶3. (SBU) BECAUSE OF THE DIPLOMATIC NOTE DELIVERED TO THE EMBASSY HERE CONCERNING THE LY TONG INCIDENT (REFTELS),WE DO NOT BELIEVE THE U.S. SHOULD ISSUE A STATEMENT THAT ONLY FOCUSES ON THE HIJACKING. MOREOVER, GIVEN THE CLOSE VIETNAM- CAMBODIAN RELATIONSHIP AND CANCELLATION OF THE VIETNAMESE PRESIDENT'S VISIT TO CAMBODIA -- ALMOST CERTAINLY BECAUSE OF THE INCIDENTS OUTSIDE PHNOM PENH -- THERE IS EVEN MORE REASON TO BELIEVE LEADERS IN THESE COUNTRIES SEE THE ACTIONS AS LINKED. ¶4. (SBU) EMBASSY HANOI RECOMMENDS DEPARTMENT CONSULT WITH EMBASSIES IN PHNOM PENH AND VIENTIANE REGARDING THE ISSUANCE OF A STATEMENT CONDEMNING THESE ACTIONS IN ONE COMPREHENSIVE STATEMENT. WE SUGGEST SOMETHING BE USED ALONG THE FOLLOWING LINES: BEGIN TEXT: THE U.S. GOVERNMENT CONDEMNS THE RECENT ACTIONS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA BY INDIVIDUAL U.S. CITIZENS AND RESIDENTS WHO HAVE VIOLATED THE LAW BY COMMITTING TERRORIST ACTS AGAINST EXISTING GOVERNMENTS IN THAT AREA. THESE ACTS VIOLATE INTERNATIONAL NORMS OF BEHAVIOR AND ENDANGER LIVES AND SHOULD BE PUNISHED UNDER INTERNATIONAL AND LOCAL LAWS. (U. S. LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES HAVE BEEN ALERTED TO INVESTIGATE WHETHER ANY U.S. LAWS WERE VIOLATED LEADING UP TO OR IN THE CARRYING OUT OF THESE ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES.) END UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 HANOI 02605 300858Z TEXT. PETERSON UNCLASSIFIED