VIETNAM: NO COMMENT ON DARFUR PKO NOW

UNCLAS HANOI 000817 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL SU PKO VM SUBJECT: VIETNAM: NO COMMENT ON DARFUR PKO NOW REFS: STATE 51778 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: The MFA has not responded to our request to discuss the issue of troop and/or equipment support for a UN peacekeeping operation in Sudan. The Ministry of Defense received reftel demarche without comment, but asked unofficially whether China will participate and what is the expected scope of the mission. MND officials also noted that Vietnam's participation in any PKO mission will be complicated and will require a legislative change, which could be a time-consuming process. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) DATT Hanoi met Senior Colonel Nguyen Minh Huy, acting director of the America, Australia and Africa Department of the Ministry of Defense, April 10 to deliver reftel demarche. Huy had no official response to the demarche, but asked DATT unofficially about the scope and size of the Darfur PKO mission and inquired if the Chinese would participate. He also said that it "will take a lot of effort to coordinate" any effort to involve Vietnam in Darfur. ¶3. (SBU) At an earlier event, the DATT raised the issue of peacekeeping with another MND official, who noted that Vietnamese law will have to be changed to permit Vietnamese troops to be stationed overseas. That will be possible, the official said, since the National Assembly will do what the GVN requests, but it will take time and will have to occur during a National Assembly session, which could have an effect on the timing of a Vietnam contribution. ¶4. (SBU) Comment: The MFA is avoiding us on this one, for now at least, possibly out of concern that they not accidentally step into the MND's territory. Sr. Col. Huy's question about China was a pointed one, sending the message that if the United States and China are not in agreement on the Darfur UN PKO mission, then Vietnam will likely not participate. Because the upcoming 10th Party Congress has paralyzed most of Vietnam's policymaking apparatus, we may not receive a formal answer to this demarche before the UN's April 24 deadline. End Comment. MARINE