O 261132Z JAN 89
FM AMEMBASSY BANGKOK
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4059
INFO AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR
AMEMBASSY MANILA
AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE
AMEMBASSY BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
AMEMBASSY BEIJING
AMEMBASSY CANBERRA
AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
AMEMBASSY PARIS
AMEMBASSY TOKYO
AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI
DIA WASHINGTON DC//
SECDEF WASHDC

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 
----------- 
 
¶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