Identifier | Created | Classification | Origin |
---|---|---|---|
06HANOI823 | 2006-04-11 10:44:00 | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | Embassy Hanoi |
VZCZCXRO9195 RR RUEHROV DE RUEHHI #0823 1011044 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 111044Z APR 06 FM AMEMBASSY HANOI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1427 INFO RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY 0905 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 6693 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0574 RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI//J02/J2/J3/J5// RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC//ISA-AP// RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC//J2/J3/J5// RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC//DHO-3// |
UNCLAS HANOI 000823 |
1. (SBU) Summary: The MFA is in charge of preparing the political ground for Vietnam's eventual participation in international peacekeeping operations, which means winning internal consensus and gaining public opinion support. Neither task is complete yet, and the internal consensus- building will not be possible until Vietnam's new leadership slate is in place, which will not happen before June. Vietnam will thus be unable to make a Darfur PKO contribution commitment before the April 24 deadline. End Summary. 2. (SBU) One day after informing the Embassy that a meeting "would not be possible now" on the subject of possible Vietnamese support for a Darfur PKO mission (reftels), the MFA invited Poloff to discuss the subject with International Organizations Department Section Chief Pham Vinh Quang. Poloff presented Ref B demarche, which Quang characterized as "encouraging." "The U.S. commitment to Darfur is good to hear," Quang said. 3. (SBU) Unfortunately, Quang said, Vietnam will probably not make the April 24 deadline to commit troops or equipment for the UN force. "We are still in the stage of collecting information and discussing it within the Government," he explained. "This is a political decision that will be made at the very top, and will require consensus among all of the major foreign policy officials." 4. (SBU) In theory, Quang continued, Vietnam is already committed to the idea of contributing something to one or more international peacekeeping operations. "After some years of stability, Vietnam is ready to make a greater contribution internationally. This is linked to our desire to serve as a nonpermanent member of the UN Security Council beginning in 2008." Vietnam will start modestly, he predicted, with "observers, a military medical team or a demining team." For now, however, Vietnam is still collecting information and building internal consensus. 5. (SBU) The GVN also has to take public opinion into account, he said. The only modern Vietnamese experience with sending troops internationally was the 1978 invasion of Cambodia (or, as Quang put it, "Vietnam's period of assistance to its Cambodian brothers"). Public opinion is still not positive about that effort, he said. The GVN does not want to risk casualties, and so there needs to be "careful preparation" both militarily and politically. The MFA, with Vice Foreign Minister Le Van Bang as the lead official, is in charge of political preparation, including winning internal support. The Ministry of Defense is in charge of physically preparing the troops for an overseas deployment. 6. (SBU) Quang apologized that the desired April 24 deadline will not be possible to meet. "We have not finished the preparation," he explained, "and the final decisionmakers will be the leaders chosen and ratified by the 10th Party Congress in April and the National Assembly in May and June. We cannot expect an answer before then." MARINE |