VIETNAM - BURMA'S NEED TO QUICKEN THE PACE OF DIALOGUE

UNCLAS HANOI 001010 SIPDIS SENSITIVE USUN FOR PIPER CAMPBELL STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV, EAP/RSP, IO, DRL SECDEF ALSO FOR ISA/EA/LSTERN CINCPAC ALSO FOR FPA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PINR KDEM BM VM ASEAN SUBJECT: VIETNAM - BURMA'S NEED TO QUICKEN THE PACE OF DIALOGUE REF: STATE 69589 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. VIETNAM HAS RAISED THE DIALOGUE WITH BURMA BEFORE, AND INTENDS TO DO SO AGAIN AT THE APRIL 30 ASEAN MINISTERIAL IN RANGOON, BUT "IN OUR OWN WAY." AN MFA OFFICER PRAISED THE "SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS" THAT HAS BEEN MADE IN THE TALKS ALREADY. OUR POINTS WILL BE PASSED TO FM NIEN, HEADING THE VIETNAMESE DELEGATION TO RANGOON, AS WERE SIMILAR POINTS MADE EARLIER BY A DELEGATION OF EU EMBASSIES LED BY SWEDEN. END SUMMARY. U.S. AND EU POINTS TO BE SHARED WITH FM NIEN -------------- ¶2. (U) POLOFF PRESENTED REFTEL POINTS ON BURMA DIALOGUE TO TRAN DUC BINH OF THE MFA ASEAN DEPARTMENT APRIL 27. BINH WILL BE A MEMBER OF VIETNAM'S FIVE-PERSON DELEGATION TO THE UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HANOI 01010 271118Z APRIL 30 RANGOON ASEAN FOREIGN MINISTERS MEETING. FM NGUYEN DY NIEN WILL LEAD THE DELEGATION. BINH SAID THAT AN EU DELEGATION LED BY THE SWEDISH AMBASSADOR HAD OFFERED SIMILAR POINTS TO THE ASEAN DEPARTMENT TWO DAYS EARLIER. HE PROMISED TO PASS OUR POINTS TO NIEN, AS HE HAD PREVIOUSLY PASSED ON THE EU'S POINTS. RAISING THE DIALOGUE "IN OUR OWN WAY" -------------- ¶3. (SBU) ACCORDING TO BINH, VIETNAM WILL RAISE THE DIALOGUE WITH THE BURMESE DURING THE APRIL 30 MINISTERIAL, BUT "IN OUR OWN WAY." HE EXPLAINED THAT VIETNAM HAD ALREADY EXPRESSED ITS INTEREST IN THE DIALOGUE, BUT IS LIMITED IN WHAT IT CAN SAY BECAUSE OF VIETNAM'S AND ASEAN'S POLICIES OF NON-INTERFERENCE INTO THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF OTHER COUNTRIES. VIETNAM SEES "SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS ALREADY" -------------- ¶4. (SBU) BINH SAID THAT FROM VIETNAM'S PERSPECTIVE, THERE HAS BEEN "SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS" IN THE TALKS ALREADY. DURING LAST MONTH'S ASEAN MEETING IN HCMC, THE BURMESE DELEGATION BRIEFED THE OTHER ATTENDEES ON THE DIALOGUE. BINH NOTED THAT THE BURMESE DID NOT GO INTO DETAIL ABOUT THE DIALOGUE AT THAT TIME BECAUSE "MANY OF THE DETAILS ARE BEING KEPT SECRET." NEVERTHELESS, HE SAID, VIETNAM'S IMPRESSION IS THAT "BOTH SIDES ARE SATISFIED THAT THERE HAS BEEN PROGRESS." POLOFF REITERATED THAT OUR IMPRESSION, ON THE CONTRARY, IS THAT THERE HAS BEEN LITTLE PROGRESS OF LATE. UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 HANOI 01010 271118Z ¶5. (SBU) BINH SAID THAT THE VIETNAMESE DELEGATION LOOKED FORWARD TO SEEING THE SITUATION IN BURMA FIRST HAND, BUT CAUTIONED THAT NIEN AND HIS DELEGATION WOULD BE THERE FOR ONLY ONE DAY BEFORE RETURNING TO HANOI, WHERE NIEN WILL BE RECEIVING PRESIDENT MUSHARRAF OF PAKISTAN. HE SAID THE GROUP WOULD BE BRIEFED ON THE DIALOGUE. BINH REITERATED VIETNAM'S SUPPORT OF THE DIALOGUE PROCESS. COMMENT: ENCOURAGING THAT VIETNAM WOULD RAISE THE MATTER -------------- -------------- ¶6. (SBU) COMMENT: IT IS ENCOURAGING THAT VIETNAM HAS RAISED THE MATTER OF THE DIALOGUE WITH BURMA, AND WILL DO SO AGAIN, IF ONLY "IN OUR OWN WAY." IT IS UNUSUAL FOR VIETNAM TO RAISE SUCH MATTERS AT ALL WITH OTHER COUNTRIES, PARTICULARLY ASEAN PARTNERS, IN LIGHT OF ITS OWN STEADFAST ADHERENCE TO A POLICY OF "NON-INTERFERENCE IN INTERNAL AFFAIRS." END COMMENT. PETERSON UNCLASSIFIED