NETHERLANDS/EU/CAMBODIA: DEMARCHE ON TRAFFICKING

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 003330

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP AND EUR

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/22/2014
TAGS: CB KWMN PGOV PHUM PREL NL
SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS/EU/CAMBODIA: DEMARCHE ON TRAFFICKING
SCANDAL

REF: STATE 269580

Classified By: Political Counselor Andrew Schofer for reasons 1.4 (b) a
nd (d)


1. (C) Poloffs discussed reftel points December 21 with
Eric Verwaal, Head of MFA's Southeast Asia and Oceania
Department, and Hein Copper, desk officer. Verwaal clarified
that the Netherlands Embassy in Bangkok covers Cambodian
issues since the Dutch have no Embassy in Phnom Penh.
Verwaal was annoyed that the MFA in The Hague, representing
the Presidency, had not cleared the statement issued by the
UK Ambassador in Phnom Penh on behalf of EU Heads of Mission
there. Nevertheless, he said the statement was otherwise
non-controversial and reflected Dutch Presidency views. He
was pleased it had been issued expediently following the
event.


2. (C) Verwaal said his office would get a briefing about
the situation from the EU Heads of Mission in the field and
would circulate results to all EU members. He thought a
"logical follow-up" might be an EU Troika visit to seek
clarification from the Royal Government of Cambodia on the
status of the investigation into the incident. Verwaal
pointed out that as the Dutch EU Presidency ends in two
weeks, Luxembourg would take up the issue within the EU,
although the British would likely follow the matter in the
field as Luxembourg has no embassy in Cambodia either.


3. (U) Global Issues officer also shared points with MFA's
Judicial and Police Cooperation Division, which handles TIP
issues. That Division forwarded the demarche language to the
Netherlands Embassy in Bangkok. Marjo Compvoets, Senior
Policy Officer for TIP, appreciated the information and said
she would work with Mr. Verwaal's office to respond.
SOBEL