BUT THERE ARE
*8.
THACH SEEMED TIRED AND RATHER LACK LUSTRE. THREE IMPORTANTS POINTS WHICH EMERGED AND THESE SHOULD BE SEEN IN THE CONTEXT OF THE PARTY CONGRESS WHICH HE CONFIRMED WOULD BE IN EARLY DECEMBER :
A.
CAMBODIA : THE SMOKESCREEN OF TALKS WITH ASEAN VIA THE INDONESIANS WAS CONSPICUOSLY MISSING. THE 1990 DATE FOR WITHDRAWAL WAS EMPHASISED TIME AND AGAIN. A POLITICAL SOLUTION EARLIER, TF NOT HANG SAMRIN WILL RULE WITHOUT OTHER PARTNERS SUCH AS SHIAHNOUK.
B. VIETNAM HAS NO INTENTION AT PRESENT OF COMPROMISING WITH THE IMF.
ECONOMIC REFORM WILL CONTINUE AND THE WHOLE QUESTION WILL INCREASINGLY DOMINATE ALL OTHER ISSUES, INCLUDING CAMBODIA UNTIL THE CONGRESS IS OVER.
C =
9. OVERALL ALTHOUGH IT WAS NOT ONE OF THACH'S BEST PERFORMANCES, HE SHOWED NO SIGNES OF ANY WEAKENING IN VIETNAM'S POSITION PARTICULARLY ON CAMBODIA, WHICH IS NOW BEING OVERTAKEN BY THE INTERNAL ECONOMIC ISSUE AND WHERE THE STATUS QUO IS QUITE ACCEPTABLE TO VIETNAM. THACH'S STATEMENT THAT
PEOPLE DID NOT QUESTION THE PARTY WAS CURIOUS: NO ONE HAD DARED SUGGEST THAT THEY DID. THE VERY FACT HE MENTIONED THIS
INCLINES ONE TO WONDER WHETHER IN FACT THIS IS BECOMING A WORRY. THERE ARE OF COURSE NO SIGNS OF PUBLIC DISENCHANTMENT WITH THE PARTY AND IN GENERAL VIETNAMESE ARE CAREFUL TO CRITICSE THE GOVERNMENT AND NOT THE PARTY. NEVERTHELESS THAT THACH MENTIONED IT AT ALL IS INTERESTING IN ITSELF.
M J H WOOD
YYYY
FCO PASS BANGKOK, KUALA LUMPUR, JAKARTA, MANILA, PEKING, MOSCOW FCO PASS WASHINGTON, HONG KONG
HEHPAN 0578
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