Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07VIENTIANE25
2007-01-11 08:45:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Vientiane
Cable title:
NEW INFORMATION ON NORTH KOREANS DETAINED IN LAOS:
how-toVZCZCXRO5250 PP RUEHCHI RUEHCN DE RUEHVN #0025/01 0110845 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 110845Z JAN 07 FM AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0764 INFO RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 7079 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 2075 RUEHHI/AMEMBASSY HANOI 2797 RUEHPF/AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH 1874 RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 0531 RUEHUM/AMEMBASSY ULAANBAATAR 0081 RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 0186 RUEHCHI/AMCONSUL CHIANG MAI 0501 RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VIENTIANE 000025
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MLS, EAP/K, PRM, DRL/SENK, DRL, IO;
PACOM FOR POLAD
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/10/2017
TAGS: ASEC KN KS LA PHUM PREF PREL SMIG
SUBJECT: NEW INFORMATION ON NORTH KOREANS DETAINED IN LAOS:
5 RELEASED; 3 STILL DETAINED
REF: A. VIENTIANE 0006
B. 06 VIENTIANE 1220
Classified By: Ambassador Patricia M. Haslach for reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VIENTIANE 000025
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MLS, EAP/K, PRM, DRL/SENK, DRL, IO;
PACOM FOR POLAD
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/10/2017
TAGS: ASEC KN KS LA PHUM PREF PREL SMIG
SUBJECT: NEW INFORMATION ON NORTH KOREANS DETAINED IN LAOS:
5 RELEASED; 3 STILL DETAINED
REF: A. VIENTIANE 0006
B. 06 VIENTIANE 1220
Classified By: Ambassador Patricia M. Haslach for reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d)
1. (C) Summary: South Korean Embassy Counsellor Lee told
Poloffs January 11 that five North Korean refugees detained
almost a month in northern Laos had been released by local
authorities. The five are on their way to Vientiane from
where the South Korean Embassy expects them to depart quietly
to Thailand. Ms. Lee had no new information on the three
North Korean girls detained in Vientiane. End Summary.
2. (C) South Korean Embassy Counsellor Miyon Lee told Poloffs
that her Embassy had written a letter directly to the local
authorities in the northern Laos province of Oudomxay where
five North Korean refugees had been held for almost a month.
The letter requested that Oudomxay release the five "because
they are Koreans" she explained. (Note: This contradicts Ms.
Lee's comment to us last week that it remained unclear
whether the five "are really North Koreans or Chinese." (ref
A)) Surprisingly, since the South Korean Embassy had been
earlier told the five had been "formally arrested" and thus
officials had no latitude, the Oudomxay authorities decided
to release the five. Ms. Lee opined this may have been
because the local authorities "were tired of having to take
care of the five" for all of these weeks. She affirmed the
South Korean Embassy had made no monetary payments to the
local officials in Oudomxay either for care of the five
during the past month or to secure their release. (Note: Of
course their families or other supporters may have done this
directly.)
3. (C) Ms. Lee said the five are on their way to Vientiane,
perhaps arriving as soon as the afternoon of January 11. The
South Korean Embassy will help put them in contact with a
"broker" to help move them across the border into Thailand as
soon as possible. (Note: Ms. Lee made clear that her Embassy
does not pay the brokers, although the families or other
supporters of the refugees may do so. (ref A)) Ms. Lee was
clear that this case will not be over for her Embassy until
the five are actually safely across the border.
4. (C) Poloffs asked Ms. Lee for an update on the three North
Korean teenage girls detained in Vientiane since November 19.
They also asked about the current rumor that the girls may
want to go to the United States. Ms. Lee said there has been
no movement toward releasing the three. Indeed, the fact
that international organizations (UNICEF: UNDP) have raised
their situation has made the possibility of a quiet release
-- as was achieved in the Oudomxay case -- much more
difficult. Ms. Lee said she had not heard anything about the
three wanting to go to the United States since no one here
has had direct contact with them.
5. (C) Comment: The only successes we have seen in dealing
with the central or provincial governments in Laos on refugee
issues have occurred in cases where there has been no
international "spotlight." Formal attempts by international
organizations or Vientiane-based Embassies to intervene have
made more difficult the quiet diplomacy favored by the South
Koreans. The fact that Oudomxay authorities were, for
whatever reason, willing to release these five is a
particularly good sign. The provincial capital of Muang Xay
is a key transportation hub in northern Laos on the main
transportation route from China's Yunnan Province.
6. (C) Comment continued: Once these five are able to depart
Laos for Thailand, only the three girls remain in detention
-- as far as we and the South Korean Embassy are aware. We
cannot verify the recent claim by a U.S. NGO to PRM that the
three girls would like to settle in the United States. We
cannot even say with any certainty where they are being
detained and question the source of this NGO's information.
VIENTIANE 00000025 002 OF 002
HASLACH
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MLS, EAP/K, PRM, DRL/SENK, DRL, IO;
PACOM FOR POLAD
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/10/2017
TAGS: ASEC KN KS LA PHUM PREF PREL SMIG
SUBJECT: NEW INFORMATION ON NORTH KOREANS DETAINED IN LAOS:
5 RELEASED; 3 STILL DETAINED
REF: A. VIENTIANE 0006
B. 06 VIENTIANE 1220
Classified By: Ambassador Patricia M. Haslach for reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d)
1. (C) Summary: South Korean Embassy Counsellor Lee told
Poloffs January 11 that five North Korean refugees detained
almost a month in northern Laos had been released by local
authorities. The five are on their way to Vientiane from
where the South Korean Embassy expects them to depart quietly
to Thailand. Ms. Lee had no new information on the three
North Korean girls detained in Vientiane. End Summary.
2. (C) South Korean Embassy Counsellor Miyon Lee told Poloffs
that her Embassy had written a letter directly to the local
authorities in the northern Laos province of Oudomxay where
five North Korean refugees had been held for almost a month.
The letter requested that Oudomxay release the five "because
they are Koreans" she explained. (Note: This contradicts Ms.
Lee's comment to us last week that it remained unclear
whether the five "are really North Koreans or Chinese." (ref
A)) Surprisingly, since the South Korean Embassy had been
earlier told the five had been "formally arrested" and thus
officials had no latitude, the Oudomxay authorities decided
to release the five. Ms. Lee opined this may have been
because the local authorities "were tired of having to take
care of the five" for all of these weeks. She affirmed the
South Korean Embassy had made no monetary payments to the
local officials in Oudomxay either for care of the five
during the past month or to secure their release. (Note: Of
course their families or other supporters may have done this
directly.)
3. (C) Ms. Lee said the five are on their way to Vientiane,
perhaps arriving as soon as the afternoon of January 11. The
South Korean Embassy will help put them in contact with a
"broker" to help move them across the border into Thailand as
soon as possible. (Note: Ms. Lee made clear that her Embassy
does not pay the brokers, although the families or other
supporters of the refugees may do so. (ref A)) Ms. Lee was
clear that this case will not be over for her Embassy until
the five are actually safely across the border.
4. (C) Poloffs asked Ms. Lee for an update on the three North
Korean teenage girls detained in Vientiane since November 19.
They also asked about the current rumor that the girls may
want to go to the United States. Ms. Lee said there has been
no movement toward releasing the three. Indeed, the fact
that international organizations (UNICEF: UNDP) have raised
their situation has made the possibility of a quiet release
-- as was achieved in the Oudomxay case -- much more
difficult. Ms. Lee said she had not heard anything about the
three wanting to go to the United States since no one here
has had direct contact with them.
5. (C) Comment: The only successes we have seen in dealing
with the central or provincial governments in Laos on refugee
issues have occurred in cases where there has been no
international "spotlight." Formal attempts by international
organizations or Vientiane-based Embassies to intervene have
made more difficult the quiet diplomacy favored by the South
Koreans. The fact that Oudomxay authorities were, for
whatever reason, willing to release these five is a
particularly good sign. The provincial capital of Muang Xay
is a key transportation hub in northern Laos on the main
transportation route from China's Yunnan Province.
6. (C) Comment continued: Once these five are able to depart
Laos for Thailand, only the three girls remain in detention
-- as far as we and the South Korean Embassy are aware. We
cannot verify the recent claim by a U.S. NGO to PRM that the
three girls would like to settle in the United States. We
cannot even say with any certainty where they are being
detained and question the source of this NGO's information.
VIENTIANE 00000025 002 OF 002
HASLACH