HUN SEN'S VISIT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BANGKOK 03838

USCINCPAC ALSO FOR JOHN FINNEY
DOD ALSO FOR OSD/ISA

E.O. 12356: N/A
TAGS: PREL CB TH
SUBJECT: HUN SEN'S VISIT


1. SUMMARY: HUN SEN'S PRECEDENT SETTING VISIT TO
BANGKOK REVEALED NO NEW PRK FLEXIBILITY ON THE KEY
ASPECTS OF AN INTERNAL SETTLEMENT. HE REMAINS OPPOSED TO
AND INTERNATIONAL PEACEKEEPING FORCE AND TO SIHANOUK'S
PROPOSALS. IN THEIR DISCUSSIONS WITH HIM, THE THAI
APPARENTLY FOCUSED ON THE EXTERNAL ASPECTS OF A
SETTLEMENT (AND BUISNESS DEALS) AFTER BEING REBUFFED WHEN
THEY RAISED THE INTERNAL ISSUES. THEY ARE REPORTEDLY
READY TO CARRY ON REGULAR CONSULTATIONS WITH HUN SEN AND
TO HOST FOUR PARTY KHMER TALKS AFTER JIM 2. END SUMMARY

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ARRIVAL
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2. PRK PRIME MINISTER HUN SEN ARRIVED HERE YESTERDAY
MORNING ON A SPECIAL THAI AIR FORCE FLIGHT FROM
VIENTIANE. HE WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A 22-MEMBER ENTOURAGE
INCLUDING: HIS WIFE; GENERAL TIE BANH, VICE CHAIRMAN OF
THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS AND DEFENSE MINISTER; KONG
SAM-OL, VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS; DIT
MUNTI, FIRST DEPUTY MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS; CHAM
PRASIT, DEPUTY MINISTER ATTACHED TO THE COUNCIL OF
MINISTERS; AND LONG KEM, PRK AMBASSADOR TO LAOS.


3. HUN SEN WAS ESCORTED ON THE FLIGHT FROM VIENTIANE BY
TWO OF PRIME MINISTER CHATCHAI'S ADVISERS -- M.R.
SUKHUMPHAN BORIPHAT AND DR. SURAKIAT SATHIRATHAI. ON
ARRIVAL HE WAS GREETED AT THE AIRPORT BY PM'S OFFICE
MINISTER ANUWAT WATTANAPONGSIRI. THE PM'S SON, KRAISAK,
AND THE HEAD OF HIS PRIVATE ADVISORY GROUP, PHANSAK
WINYARAT WERE ON HAND TO GREET HIM ON ARRIVAL AT THE
HYATT CENTRAL PLAZA HOTEL.

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PRESS CONFERENCE
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4. AFTER LUNCH, HUN SEN GAVE A PRESS CONFERENCE AT WHICH
HE ACCUSED THE THREE RESISTANCE FACTIONS OF BEING
INFLEXIBLE AND REITERATED HIS DETERMINATION TO PREVENT
POL POT FROM COMMING BACK. HE ALSO CONDITIONED HIS
SUPPORT FOR A SEPTEMBER WITHDRAWAL OF THE VIETNAMESE
FORCES ON A "POLITICAL SOLUTION" BEING "ATTAINED,"
INCLUDING CESSATION OF INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT FOR THE
THREE KHMER RESISTANCE GROUPS. HE DID, HOWEVER, OFFER
THAT THE PRK WOULD BE SUBJECT TO AN INTERNATIONAL
ASSISTANCE CUT OFF AT THE SAME TIME AS THE OTHER FACTIONS.


5. HUN SEN ENDORSED AN INTERNATIONAL CONTROL COMMISSION
TO VERIFY THE VIETNAMESE WITHDRAWAL, TO OVERSEE THE
CESSATION OF AID AND TO "MONITOR" THE GENERAL ELECTION.
HOWEVER, HE REJECTED AN INTERNATIONAL PEACEKEEPING FORCE
ARGUING THAT "WE PEOPLE CAN PROTECT OUR OWN PEACE IF THE
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY STOPS SUPPORTING POL POT. IF
FOREIGN COUNTRIES STOP SUPPORTING POL POT, I CAN
GUARANTEE HE CAN NOT RETURN TO POWER IN KAMPUCHEA."


6. HUN SEN ALSO SAID THAT THE PRK HAD ALREADY RELEASED,
FOR HUMANITARIAN REASONS, MORE THAN 200 THAI CAPTURED IN
CAMBODIA AND THAT ANOTHER 300 WOULD SOON BE RELEASED.
MOST OF THESE PEOPLE WERE ALLEGEDLY FORTUNE-HUNTERS
DIGGING GEMSTONES IN WESTERN CAMBODIA.


7. ON REFUGEE ISSUES, HE SAID THAT HE HAD ALREADY SIGNED
AN AGREEMENT WITH THE UNITED NATION HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR
REFUGEES ON "PRINCIPLES AND PROCEDURES" FOR REPATRIATING
REFUGEES. HE ANTICIPATED DISCUSSING THIS PROBLEM WITH
PM CHATCHAI. "WE ARE WILLING TO WELCOME REFUGEES WHO
WANT TO GO HOME, IF THAILAND COOPERATES AND AN AGREEMENT
IS REACHED."

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MEETING AT PM'S RESIDENCE
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8. FOLLOWING THE PRESS CONFERENCE, HUN SEN PROCEEDED IN
THE LATE AFTERNOON TO THE PM'S RESIDENCE FOR TWO HOURS OF
TALKS. GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SUWIT YOTMANI SAID THAT THE
TALKS, WHICH WERE "FRANK AND FRIENDLY," INCLUDED FM
SITTHI, RTA CINC GENERAL CHAWALIT AND PM'S SECRETARY
GENERAL PANYA SINGSAKDA. ALSO PARTICIPATING FROM THE MFA
WERE PERMSEC KASEM, POLITICO-MILITARY COORDINATOR LT GEN
CHARAN, POLITICAL DEPARTMENT DG THEP, AND AMBASSADOR AT
LARGE SARASIN. MILITARY REPRESENTATION INCLUDED RTA
DEPUTY CINC GENERAL WANCHAI, RTA CHIEF OF STAFF GENERAL
CHARUAY AND SUPREME COMMAND CHIEF OF STAFF GENERAL SUNTHON.


9. FM SITTHI REPORTEDLY LEFT THE MEETING ONE HOUR BEFORE
IT ADJOURNED, AND HE DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE
SUBSEQUENT DINNER CRUISE.


10. REPORTS OF WHAT TRANSPIRED IN THE MEETING ARE
SKETCHY, BUT ACCORDING TO "THE NATION," THERE WERE SOME
TENSIONS WHEN THAI DELEGATES RAISED THE ISSUE OF THE
"MODALITY" OF CONSTITUTING A RECONCILIATION GOVERNMENT.
HUN SEN BRIDLED AT THIS, ARGUING IT SHOULD BE LEFT FOR
THE FOUR CAMBODIAN FACTIONS TO DISCUSS. CHATCHAI
REPORTEDLY DROPPED THE SUBJECT, AND THE TALKS CONTINUED
IN A MORE RELAXED ATMOSPHERE. FM SITTHI HAD SAID EARLIER
THAT THE THAI WOULD NOT "BARGAIN" WITH HUN SEN (OVER
INTERNAL ISSUES),BECAUSE "WE ARE NOT KHMERS." IN THE
SAME VEIN, GENERAL CHAWALIT SAID THAT THAILAND WILL LEAVE
THE KHMER FACTIONS TO RESOLVE THEIR INTERNAL CONFLICT.
BUT HE ADDED THAT THAILAND HAD TO INVOLVE ITSELF IN THE
PEACE PROCESS WHICH MAY STILL HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO.


11. ONE SOURCE SITED IN "THE NATION" CLAIMED THAT BOTH
SIDES HAD AGREED IN PRINCIPLE TO THE GRADUAL REDUCTION OF
EXTERNAL ASSISTANCE TO THE RIVAL KHMER FACTIONS WHILE THE
VIETNAMESE TROOPS ARE WITHDRAWN. BOTH PROCESSES WOULD BE
SUBJECT TO VERIFICATION BY AN INTERNATIONAL MECHANISM YET
TO BE ESTABLISHED. OTHER "NATION" SOURCES, HOWEVER, WERE
"MORE CAUTIOUS" AND SAID ONLY THAT HUN SEN HAD NOT
SOFTENED HIS POSITIONS.


12. HUN SEN REPORTEDLY PROPOSED REGULAR CONSULTATIONS
BETWEEN THE RTG AND PHNOM PENH. ACCORDING TO GOVERNMENT
SPOKESMAN SUWIT, PM CHATCHAI AGREED TO THIS PROPOSAL.
THE GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN ALSO SAID THAT PM CHATCHAI "WILL
TRY TO DO WHATEVER HE COULD" WITH REGARD TO HUN SEN'S
SUGGESTION THAT THAILAND HOST FOUR-PARTY KHMER PEACE
TALKS. HOWEVER, IT WOULD NOT HAPPEN UNTIL AFTER JIM 2 IN
JAKARTA IN FEBRUARY.


13. THAI ARMY TEVEVISION COVERAGE HAD HUN SEN SAYING
THAT HE WOULD NOT ACCEPT SIHANOUK'S PROPOSALS DEALING
WITH A JOINT ARMY AND GENERAL ELECTIONS. HE INSISTED
THAT THE PRK MAINTAIN THE STATUS QUO UNTIL AN ELECTION IS
HELD TO DETERMINE WHO WOULD GOVERN THE COUNTRY.


14. ONE BANGKOK POST SOURCE SAID THAT HUN SEN REITERATED
MANY OF THE POINTS HE MADE IN THE PRESS CONFERENCE, BUT
HE ALSO DISCUSSED THE OPENING OF TRADE LINKS WITH
THAILAND. HUN SEN SAID THE TWO COUNTRIES COULD DO
BUSINESS IN FISHING, LOGGING AND GEMS, RESOURCES WHICH
REMAIN PLENTIFUL IN THE WAR-TORN COUNTRY. ACCORDING TO
ONE ACCOUNT, KONG SAM-OL, HUN SEN'S VICE PRIME MINISTER,
WAS TO HOLD TALKS WITH SENIOR THAI OFFICALS ON WAYS TO
DEVELOP TRADE BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES.

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SOCIALIZING
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14. FOLLOWING THE MEETING, PM CHATCHAI AND KHUNYING
BOONRUEN HOSTED HUN SEN AND WIFE TO A DINNER CRUISE WHERE
TALKS CONTINUED UNDER TIGHT SECURITY FROM AN ARMADA OF
POLICE BOATS. MFA PERMSEC IS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT THE
INTERNAL ASPECTS OF A SETTLEMENT REMAINED UNRESOLVED. FM
SITTHI DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE SOCIAL EVENT AT ALL.

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OPEN ENDED
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15. PM CHATCHAI AND HUN SEN CONTINUED THEIR TALKS AT A
WORKING BREAKFAST TODAY AT HUN SEN'S HOTEL BEFORE
CHATCHAI DEPARTED FOR THE PHILIPPINES. ACCORDING TO ONE
REPORT, THE PM'S ADVISORS MAY HAVE PERSUADED HUN SEN TO
EXTEND HIS VISIT AN ADDITIONAL DAY AND TO LEAVE FOR PHNOM
PENH TOMORROW, AND ALL ACCOUNTS AGREE THAT HE COULD SO
EXTEND HIS VISIT IF HE WISHED.


O'DONOHUE