VZCZCXRO6694
OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHPF #1860 2850744
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 120744Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7446
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY

UNCLAS PHNOM PENH 001860 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS, IO, AND ISN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PARM KNNP CB
SUBJECT: CAMBODIAN REACTION TO NORTH KOREA NUCLEAR TEST 
 
REF: A. A) STATE 169418 
 
     ¶B. B) MANILA 4312 
 
 ¶1.  (SBU)  On October 12, then-Charge and Pol/Econ Chief met 
with MFA Secretary of State Ouch Borith to deliver reftel A 
demarche points as well as provide a copy of President Bush's 
October 9 statement.  With respect to North Korean actions, 
Borith assured us that the RGC condemned the nuclear test. 
PM Hun Sen had joined with Australian PM Howard in a strong 
public condemnation of North Korea's actions, and both 
leaders called for the United Nations to urgently address the 
issue.  Borith apologized for any confusion regarding the 
Cambodian government's position that may have arisen as a 
result of earlier press statements by Minister of Information 
and RGC official spokesperson Khieu Kanharith.  Kanharith was 
quoted in the October 10 edition of the Cambodia Daily 
newspaper as saying that Cambodia maintained a neutral stance 
regarding the reported test.  Although Cambodia is a party to 
the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Cambodia also is 
against aggression towards North Korea and opposes any 
military solution, he added.  In a separate interview with 
AFP, Kanharith urged the U.S. to officially declare that 
there would be no military strike against North Korea. 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  Borith said that he contacted Kanharith following 
the Cambodia Daily story and questioned him regarding the 
remarks.  Kanaharith reportedly offered that he had been 
misquoted.  Borith noted that he urged Kanharith to contact 
the Cambodia Daily and demand that they publish a 
clarification.  (Note:  Following an unrelated October 11 
meeting at the MFA where Pol/Econ Chief learned that 
Kanharith's remarks had not been cleared within the 
government, the Embassy contacted Kanharith on October 11 to 
verify what had been said.  Kanharith explained he had been 
misquoted and planned to seek a correction.  End Note.) 
Borith went on to stress that Cambodia's position on UN 
issues related to nonproliferation matters is clear, and 
Cambodia opposes nuclear proliferation; the RGC is not 
neutral on the North Korean issue. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  When asked if ASEAN planned to issue a joint 
message regarding the nuclear test, Borith provided a copy of 
the draft text being circulated by the Philippines (reftel 
B), adding that Cambodia supported the text without changes. 
Borith cautioned that other ASEAN members may try to alter 
the text and whatever final statement is issued could be 
different, but Cambodia is fine with the text as it stands. 
MUSSOMELI