CONFIDENTIAL
PA
63
165033
HKD 243/S
VR's
MDLIAN 7408
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HANOI
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 233
OF 23054OZ JUNE 88
INFO PRIORITY BANGKOK, BANDA SERI BAGAWAN, JAKARTA, LUALA LUMPUR FFNO PRIORITY MANILA, SINGAPORE, PEKING, UKMIS NEW YORK
INFO PRIORITY WASHINGTON, MOSCOW, PARIS
Nie
BANGKOK TELNO 387 IF 17 JUNE: CAMBODIA
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1 LAST NIGHT CHUCHAI KASEMSARN, THE THAI AMBASSADOR COMMENTED BRIEFLY ON THE THACH TALKS AT WHICH HE WAS PRESENT. THE TALKS WERE APPARENTLY HELD IN A FRANK AND OPEN ATMOSPHERE. NOTHING
SPECTACULAR BUT A GOOD BEGINNING. KASEMSARN SAID THAT THACH SEEMED TO HAVE CHANGED A LITTLE BECOMING MORE FRANK AND STRAIGHTFORWARD
ALTHOUGH DESPITE THIS QUOTE STILL FOXY UNQUOTE.
NIR
2. THACK REPEATED WHAT HE HAD/SAID TO ALATAS ABOUT INVITING LAOS TO THE JIM (SEE OUR TELNO 229) OF 21 JUNE). ACCORDING TO KASEMS ARN THE THAIS REMAIN UNHAPPY ABOUT THIS BUT HAVE AT THE END OF THE DAY DECIDED TO PUT UP WITH IT. SIDDHI TOLD THACK THAT
HE WAS CONCERNED THAT THE LAO WOULD USE THE JIM TO RAISE BILATERAL ISSUES. THACH REPLIED THAT SIDDHI SHOULD NOT WORRY ABOUT
THIS (SEMI-COLON) HE WOULD TELL THEM NOT TO.
3. THE OTHER MAJOR SUBJECT RAISED WAS REFUGEES. THACH GAVE VERY
MUCH THE SAME LINE THAT WE HAVE BEEN GETTING HERE. HE STRESSED
THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS DOING ALL IT COULD TO DISCOURAGE ILLEGAL DEPARTURES AND PUNISHING CORRUPT LOCAL OFFICIALS WHO PROFIT FROM THE TRADE. WHEN ASKED TO SUBSTANTIATE THIS AND TO MAKE PUBLIC
INSIDE VIETNAM THE GVOVERNMENT'S POLICY THACH BECAME EVASIVE.
4. THACK ALSO MET KRIANGSAK, PREM, GENERAL CHAVATEB AND A GROUP OF THAI BUSINESSMEN, ON A PERSONAL NOTE THACK SAID THAT HE WAS SURPRISED AND IMPRESSED BY THE CHANGES IN BANGKOK SINCE HIS LAST VISIT A
LITTLE MORE THAN TWO YEARS AGO.
5.
ON SIHANOUK'S RECENT STATEMENTS IN PEKING, KAR//// KASEMSARN SAID THAT HE UNDERSTANDS THAT SIHANOUK'S LATEST POSITION IS THAT HE WILL NOT ATTEND STAGE 1 OF JIM BUT ONLY STAGE II IF THE OTHER THREE FACTIONS FIRST REACH AN AGREEMENT. HOWEVER, KASEMSARN SAID THAT HE IS RELAXED ABOUT THIS. SIHANOUK WILL PROBABLY CHANGE HIS
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CONFIDENTIAL