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


2001HOCHI00488 - UNCLASSIFIED
 
 
 
                           UNCLASSIFIED     PTQ7831

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ACTION EAP-00   

INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    AID-00   AMAD-00  CIAE-00  SMEC-00  COME-00  
      DOEE-00  SRPP-00  DS-00    EB-00    EUR-00   FBIE-00  UTED-00  
      VC-00    H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-00    L-00     VCE-00   
      AC-01    NSAE-00  OIC-02   OMB-01   OPIC-01  PA-00    PM-00    
      PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00     SP-00    STR-00   TEST-00  TRSE-00  
      USIE-00  SNIS-00  NISC-00  PMB-00   DSCC-00  PRM-01   DRL-02   
      G-00     NFAT-00  SAS-00     /009W
                  ------------------E412B4  260658Z /38    
FM AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 4967
INFO AMEMBASSY HANOI 
AMEMBASSY TOKYO 
AMEMBASSY PARIS 
USMISSION GENEVA 
AMEMBASSY BEIJING 
AMCONSUL HONG KONG 
ASEAN COLLECTIVE
USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI
JICPAC HONOLULU HI
SECDEF WASHDC
DIA WASHDC
NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS HO CHI MINH CITY 000488 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV AND EAP/PD/JMARTIN 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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STATE ALSO FOR DRL/IRF 
CINCPAC FOR FPA 
SECDEF FOR ISA/EA/LSTERN 
DEPTTREAS FOR AJEWELL 
USDOC FOR 4431/MAC/AP/OKSA/HPPHO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM VM HUMANR RELFREE
SUBJECT: A BIT OF CAO DAI HISTORY 
 
¶1. POLOFF RECENTLY MET WITH A CAO DAI RELIGIOUS ELDER WHO 
RELATED AN ANECDOTE REGARDING THE INDOCHINA TALKS HELD IN 
GENEVA IN 1954.  THE SOUTHERN DELEGATION (WHICH INCLUDED 
ONE CAO DAI REPRESENTATIVE) ATTEMPTED TO MEET PRIVATELY 
WITH THE VIET MINH DELEGATION HEADED BY PHAM VAN DONG AND 
PHAN ANH.  BUT DONG CALLED THE SOUTHERN DELEGATES PUPPETS 
OF THE FRENCH, AND THE PROPOSAL NEVER BORE FRUIT.  IN AN 
ATTEMPT TO RESTART THE INITIATIVE, PHAM CONG TAC, CAO DAI 
POPE AT THE TIME, INVITED DONG AND THE THREE OTHER VIET 
MINH DELEGATES TO DINNER.  THEY REFUSED, BUT OFFERED TO 
HOST THEIR OWN DINNER FOR PHAM CONG TAC.  THE CAO DAI POPE 
ALSO REFUSED THE DINNER INVITATION, BUT THE CAO DAI AND 
THE VIET MINH EVENTUALLY DID AGREE AT LEAST TO MEET. 
 
¶2. THE CAO DAI AND VIET MINH HAD BEEN BITTER ENEMIES. 
VIET MINH FORCES ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE KILLED THOUSANDS OF 
CAO DAI FOLLOWERS AND DIGNITARIES FROM 1946-48.  AT THE 
BEGINNING OF THEIR MEETING, PHAM CONG TAC REPORTEDLY TOLD 
PHAM VAN DONG THAT VIETNAM SHOULD FIND ITS OWN IDEOLOGY 
AND NOT FOLLOW THAT OF CHINA AND THE SOVIET UNION. 
INDEPENDENCE FROM COLONIALISM WHILE FOLLOWING COMMUNISM, 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        HO CHI  00488  260658Z 
PHAM CONG TAC REPORTEDLY SAID, WOULD BE LIKE A PRISONER 
BREAKING HIS HANDCUFFS FROM THE WALL ONLY TO ROAM WITHIN 
HIS PRISON CELL. 
 
¶3. DESPITE THIS ROCKY START, THE ATMOSPHERE DURING THE 
MEETING IMPROVED.  AFTERWARDS THE CAO DAI AND VIET MINH 
SHARED A VEGETARIAN MEAL TOGETHER.  PHAM VAN DONG PROMISED 
TO MAKE A VISIT TO THE CAO DAI TEMPLE IN TAY NINH. 
(REMINDED OF THIS PROMISE IN 1991, DONG REPORTEDLY SAID 
THAT FOR POLITICAL REASONS, THE TIME WAS NOT YET RIGHT. 
HE NEVER MADE THE TRIP.) 
 
¶4. AT THE NEXT FORMAL SESSION IN GENEVA, WHEN THE VIET 
MINH DELEGATION WALKED INTO THE ROOM, THE CAO DAI 
REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE SOUTHERN DELEGATION (WHO HAD BEEN 
AT THE PHAM CONG TAC/PHAM VAN DONG MEETING) STOOD UP AND 
BOWED TO PHAM VAN DONG.  DONG IN TURN BOWED TO THE CAO DAI 
REPRESENTATIVE.  THE SOUTHERN DELEGATION TOOK THIS AS A 
BOW TO THEM ALL COLLECTIVELY, AND THEY IN TURN STOOD UP 
AND BOWED TO THE VIET MINH DELEGATION, WHO IN TURN THEN 
RETURNED THE COMPLIMENT.  ACCORDING TO THE CAO DAI 
RELIGIOUS ELDER WHO RELATED THE STORY, THE FRENCH 
DELEGATION LOOKED ON IN AMAZEMENT AT THIS BOWING BETWEEN 
THE TWO SIDES WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY REFUSED TO TALK TO EACH 
OTHER AT THE FORMAL ROUNDS.  THE GENEVA TALKS ENDED WITH 
"ACCORDS" THAT PARTITIONED THE COUNTRY, AND CALLED FOR A 
CEASE-FIRE AND ELECTIONS.  THE REST, AS WE KNOW, IS 
HISTORY. 
 
RAY 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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                       UNCLASSIFIED