VIETNAMESE MFA VIEWS THAKSIN VISIT TO BURMA AS

C O N F I D E N T I A L HANOI 002083 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MLS AND EAP/RSP E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/16/2016 TAGS: PREL PGOV BM TH VM SUBJECT: VIETNAMESE MFA VIEWS THAKSIN VISIT TO BURMA AS CONSISTENT WITH ASEAN POLICY OF ENGAGEMENT REF: STATE 127498 Classified By: POL/C Marc Knapper per 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (C) On August 16, Poloff met with MFA ASEAN Department Senior Officer Duong Tri Hien to discuss Thai Prime Minister Thaksin's recent visit to Burma. (Note: The meeting finally came after a week of MFA postponements and reschedulings. End Note.) In response to reftel points, Hien said Thaksin's visit came as a "total surprise" to the Vietnamese government. At the recent ASEAN ministerial in Malaysia, Vietnam was among the members expressing concern about political developments in Burma, but it was agreed that ASEAN members should continue to engage with the Burmese government. Hien suggested that Thaksin's visit was a normal bilateral development between two ASEAN member states, consistent with ASEAN members' agreement to continue to engage with Burma. ¶2. (C) Within ASEAN, Vietnam supports the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other member states, Hien continued. Burmese internal affairs are a matter that only the Burmese people can decide, but as ASEAN moves towards becoming a more closely linked community, it is necessary to act in a responsible manner for the benefit of the region. Hien said that Vietnam enjoys good relations with Burma and affirmed that Vietnam will continue its "soft, evolutionary approach" in dealing with the situation there. MARINE