VZCZCXYZ0003
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHPF #1930 2980615
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 250615Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7511
INFO RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 2241
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON PRIORITY 0083
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 2186
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 1547

UNCLAS PHNOM PENH 001930 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS, IO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PHUM CB
SUBJECT: CAMBODIA ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLE, NAM RESOLUTIONS ON 
LEBANON 
 
REF: A. A) STATE 169257 
 
     ¶B. B) STATE 176793 
 
 ¶1.  (SBU)  Pol/Econ Chief delivered reftel A and B demarches 
to MFA Director for the Department of International 
Organizations Sun Suon on October 11 and October 24, 
respectively.  On the indigenous peoples demarche, there is 
no New Zealand Embassy in Cambodia and the Australian Embassy 
informed us that they were not instructed to raise this issue 
with the RGC.  Sun Suon noted that this issue has been a 
contentious matter for some time, but was not up to date on 
the arguments presented in reftel B.  Pol/Econ Chief provided 
demarche points from reftel A to the MFA official, adding 
that they represented agreed-upon language with the New 
Zealand and Australian governments.  Pol/Econ Chief noted 
that the Cambodian hill tribes might view themselves as 
indigenous people; Sun Suon said that the RGC would not 
recognize any of the country's ethnic minority groups as 
indigenous people and would insist the term cannot be applied 
in Cambodia.  Suon nevertheless promised to pass on our 
points and arguments. 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  On the NAM resolutions and Lebanon (reftel B), 
Suon said that Cambodia normally recommends balanced language 
in NAM statements and proposed resolutions, and would do so 
in the case of Lebanon.  He agreed that the NAM resolutions 
are more political than substantive, but added that Cambodia 
usually looks to others in ASEAN for consensus on their 
position. 
MUSSOMELI