ITALY: WAIT AND SEE ON VIETNAM HIGHLANDS/REFUGEES

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 001640 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/26/2014 TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREF PREL VM CB IT SUBJECT: ITALY: WAIT AND SEE ON VIETNAM HIGHLANDS/REFUGEES REF: A. STATE 86031 ¶B. ROME 01509 ¶C. STATE 82712 CLASSIFIED BY: POL M/C TOM COUNTRYMAN FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) MARCO DELLA SETA, MFA SOUTH EAST ASIA OFFICE DIRECTOR STATED THAT ITALY IS AWARE OF THE SITUATION IN VIETNAM AND HAS DEMARCHED BOTH THE VIETNAMESE AMBASSADOR TO ITALY AND THE GOVERNMENT OF CAMBODIA (REF B). HE ADDED THAT THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT ACKNOWLEDGED TWO CASUALTIES IN THE APRIL 10-11 CONFLICT, REPORTED THAT THE REGION WAS CALM AND IS CONSIDERING OPENING THE AREA TO FOREIGN VISITORS IN MAY. ¶2. (C) DELLA SETA AGREED THAT THERE MAY BE SOME PRESSURE FROM THE VIETNAMESE ON THE CAMBODIAN GOVERNMENT TO PREVENT REFUGEES FROM CROSSING THE BORDER BUT HE ALSO SUGGESTED THAT THE CAMBODIANS MAY NOT WANT TO WELCOME REFUGEES DUE TO THE ECONOMIC BURDEN THEY REPRESENT. ITALY IS KEEPING TRACK OF DEVELOPMENTS IN THE REGION BUT IS NOT READY TO TAKE ANY FURTHER ACTION UNTIL MORE INFORMATION IS KNOWN. HE STATED THAT ALL ACTION TO THIS POINT HAS BEEN BILATERAL AND THAT ALTHOUGH THE EU MAY CONSIDER REQUESTING A VISIT TO THE REGION, NO FORMAL DISCUSSION HAS BEEN HELD AT THE EU LEVEL. VISIT ROME'S CLASSIFIED WEBSITE: HTTP://WWW.STATE.SGOV.GOV/P/EUR/ROME/INDEX.CF M SEMBLER NNNN 2004ROME01640 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL