This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

271102Z Apr 01

2001HANOI01010 - UNCLASSIFIED
 
 
 
                           UNCLASSIFIED     PTO6348

PAGE 01        HANOI  01010  271118Z 
ACTION EAP-00   

INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    AID-00   ACQ-00   CIAE-00  SMEC-00  DINT-00  
      DOEE-00  DOTE-00  SRPP-00  DS-00    EB-00    EUR-00   FAAE-00  
      FBIE-00  UTED-00  VC-00    H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-00    
      L-00     VCE-00   MOFM-04  MOF-03   AC-01    NSAE-00  NSCE-00  
      OIC-02   OMB-01   OPIC-01  PA-00    PM-00    PRS-00   ACE-00   
      P-00     SP-00    SSO-00   SS-00    STR-00   TEST-00  TRSE-00  
      T-00     USIE-00  SA-00    PMB-00   DSCC-00  PRM-01   DRL-02   
      G-00     NFAT-00  SAS-00     /016W
   
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2700
INFO ASEAN COLLECTIVE
AMEMBASSY BEIJING 
AMEMBASSY LONDON
AMEMBASSY PARIS 
AMEMBASSY TOKYO 
AMEMBASSY SEOUL 
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 
AMCONSUL HONG KONG 
AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY 
AMCONSUL CHIANG MAI 
USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI//FPA/J2/J5/J233//
JOINT STAFF WASHDC
JICPAC HONOLULU HI
SECDEF WASHDC
DIA WASHDC

                       UNCLASSIFIED    

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UNCLAS HANOI 001010 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
USUN FOR PIPER CAMPBELL 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV, EAP/RSP, IO, DRL 
SECDEF ALSO FOR ISA/EA/LSTERN 
CINCPAC ALSO FOR FPA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PINR KDEM BM VM ASEAN
SUBJECT: VIETNAM - BURMA'S NEED TO QUICKEN THE PACE OF DIALOGUE 
 
REF:  STATE 69589 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY.  VIETNAM HAS RAISED THE DIALOGUE WITH 
BURMA BEFORE, AND INTENDS TO DO SO AGAIN AT THE APRIL 30 
ASEAN MINISTERIAL IN RANGOON, BUT "IN OUR OWN WAY."  AN MFA 
OFFICER PRAISED THE "SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS" THAT HAS BEEN 
MADE IN THE TALKS ALREADY.  OUR POINTS WILL BE PASSED TO FM 
NIEN, HEADING THE VIETNAMESE DELEGATION TO RANGOON, AS WERE 
SIMILAR POINTS MADE EARLIER BY A DELEGATION OF EU EMBASSIES 
LED BY SWEDEN.  END SUMMARY. 
 
U.S. AND EU POINTS TO BE SHARED WITH FM NIEN 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U) POLOFF PRESENTED REFTEL POINTS ON BURMA DIALOGUE TO 
TRAN DUC BINH OF THE MFA ASEAN DEPARTMENT APRIL 27.  BINH 
WILL BE A MEMBER OF VIETNAM'S FIVE-PERSON DELEGATION TO THE 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        HANOI  01010  271118Z 
APRIL 30 RANGOON ASEAN FOREIGN MINISTERS MEETING.  FM NGUYEN 
DY NIEN WILL LEAD THE DELEGATION.  BINH SAID THAT AN EU 
DELEGATION LED BY THE SWEDISH AMBASSADOR HAD OFFERED SIMILAR 
POINTS TO THE ASEAN DEPARTMENT TWO DAYS EARLIER.  HE 
PROMISED TO PASS OUR POINTS TO NIEN, AS HE HAD PREVIOUSLY 
PASSED ON THE EU'S POINTS. 
 
RAISING THE DIALOGUE "IN OUR OWN WAY" 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) ACCORDING TO BINH, VIETNAM WILL RAISE THE DIALOGUE 
WITH THE BURMESE DURING THE APRIL 30 MINISTERIAL, BUT "IN 
OUR OWN WAY."  HE EXPLAINED THAT VIETNAM HAD ALREADY 
EXPRESSED ITS INTEREST IN THE DIALOGUE, BUT IS LIMITED IN 
WHAT IT CAN SAY BECAUSE OF VIETNAM'S AND ASEAN'S POLICIES OF 
NON-INTERFERENCE INTO THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF OTHER 
COUNTRIES. 
 
VIETNAM SEES "SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS ALREADY" 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) BINH SAID THAT FROM VIETNAM'S PERSPECTIVE, THERE 
HAS BEEN "SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS" IN THE TALKS ALREADY. 
DURING LAST MONTH'S ASEAN MEETING IN HCMC, THE BURMESE 
DELEGATION BRIEFED THE OTHER ATTENDEES ON THE DIALOGUE. 
BINH NOTED THAT THE BURMESE DID NOT GO INTO DETAIL ABOUT THE 
DIALOGUE AT THAT TIME BECAUSE "MANY OF THE DETAILS ARE BEING 
KEPT SECRET."  NEVERTHELESS, HE SAID, VIETNAM'S IMPRESSION 
IS THAT "BOTH SIDES ARE SATISFIED THAT THERE HAS BEEN 
PROGRESS."  POLOFF REITERATED THAT OUR IMPRESSION, ON THE 
CONTRARY, IS THAT THERE HAS BEEN LITTLE PROGRESS OF LATE. 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 04        HANOI  01010  271118Z 
 
¶5.  (SBU) BINH SAID THAT THE VIETNAMESE DELEGATION LOOKED 
FORWARD TO SEEING THE SITUATION IN BURMA FIRST HAND, BUT 
CAUTIONED THAT NIEN AND HIS DELEGATION WOULD BE THERE FOR 
ONLY ONE DAY BEFORE RETURNING TO HANOI, WHERE NIEN WILL BE 
RECEIVING PRESIDENT MUSHARRAF OF PAKISTAN.  HE SAID THE 
GROUP WOULD BE BRIEFED ON THE DIALOGUE.  BINH REITERATED 
VIETNAM'S SUPPORT OF THE DIALOGUE PROCESS. 
 
COMMENT: ENCOURAGING THAT VIETNAM WOULD RAISE THE MATTER 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) COMMENT: IT IS ENCOURAGING THAT VIETNAM HAS RAISED 
THE MATTER OF THE DIALOGUE WITH BURMA, AND WILL DO SO AGAIN, 
IF ONLY "IN OUR OWN WAY."  IT IS UNUSUAL FOR VIETNAM TO 
RAISE SUCH MATTERS AT ALL WITH OTHER COUNTRIES, PARTICULARLY 
ASEAN PARTNERS, IN LIGHT OF ITS OWN STEADFAST ADHERENCE TO A 
POLICY OF "NON-INTERFERENCE IN INTERNAL AFFAIRS."  END 
COMMENT. 
 
PETERSON 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED