VZCZCXRO8948
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHPF #1374/01 3101051
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 061051Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PHNOM PENH 001374 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/MLS, G/TIP, EAP/RSP, DRL, SWCI; SECDEF FOR DPMO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: MARR MOPS PREL PHUM KWMN CB
SUBJECT: DEFENSE DAS RAY'S VISIT TO CAMBODIA REINFORCES 
STRONG POW/MIA COOPERATION AND THE U.S.-CAMBODIA 
RELATIONSHIP 
 
REF: PHNOM PENH 90 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for 
POW and Missing Personnel Affairs Charles A. Ray visited 
Cambodia from November 3-6, to review ongoing POW/MIA 
recovery efforts.  Discussions included the current state of 
the U.S.-Cambodia relationship as well as TIP, upcoming 
elections, the KR Tribunal and Burma.  DASD Ray met with PM 
Hun Sen, senior RGC officials from the Royal Cambodian Armed 
Forces (RCAF) and Ministry of Interior and members of the 
press.  This was DASD Ray's second successful trip to 
Cambodia in 2007.  DASD Ray previously served as the US 
Ambassador to Cambodia from 2002-2005. 
 
CAMBODIA:  POW/MIA COOPERATION: EXAMPLE TO THE REST OF THE 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
WORLD 
----- 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  During his November 5 meeting with Prime Minister 
Hun Sen, DASD RAY expressed his gratitude for the continued 
cooperation from the RGC on POW/MIA issues.  He emphasized to 
the PM that when he negotiates with other governments on 
POW/MIA issues he always highlights Cambodia as an example of 
cooperation on POW/MIA issues.  DASD RAY clarified a 
statement he had made at their last meeting in January 2007. 
At that time, DASD Ray stated that the Joint POW/MIA 
Accounting Command expected to complete excavating identified 
incident sites in the next few years.  PM Hun Sen took this 
to mean there would be a reduction in the U.S. accounting 
effort in Cambodia.  DASD Ray noted that if additional sites 
are identified, the U.S. will request permission to excavate. 
 In short, the U.S. commitment to the fullest possible 
accounting will continue in Cambodia.  The PM was grateful 
for DASD Ray's comments and especially for showcasing 
Cambodia as a model of cooperation on POW/MIA issues.  The PM 
recalled urging the governments of Vietnam and Laos to 
cooperate in a similar fashion. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  The conversation then turned to the issue of land 
grabbing.  The PM noted that the number of land disputes has 
decreased.  He acknowledged accusations that the rich and 
powerful were behind land shortages, but said the story was 
more complex.  There has been an increase in the population; 
large and extended families require more land to survive. 
The PM said he has started a new campaign in which he will 
provide a house and two hectares of land to disabled 
soldiers.  The RGC would help build the infrastructure around 
these areas because "disabled soldiers are the most 
vulnerable segment of the population." 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  DASD Ray informed the PM of his other 
responsibility to the Secretary of Defense in addition to 
POW/MIA recovery, that being personnel recovery and support 
to civil search and rescue.  DASD Ray said the U.S. is 
working to create an international network of countries that 
have the capability to work together to provide emergency 
rescue assistance in the event of natural disasters.  DASD 
Ray used the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami as an example of 
countries assisting each other after a natural disaster 
strikes.  DASD Ray hoped Cambodia would be an important part 
of the network and said that the USG was ready to help build 
the capacity of the RGC to respond to a natural disaster. 
The PM thanked the U.S. Embassy for the USG's assistance in 
searching for a missing airplane that crashed earlier this 
year. 
 
TIP AND ELECTIONS 
----------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  DASD Ray praised Hun Sen for his leadership and 
the RGC for making great strides in combating the dreadful 
practice of human trafficking.  DASD Ray noted that national 
elections were to be held next July and said that he hoped 
the elections in 2008 will build upon the achievements of the 
last national election in 2003.  He emphasized that it was 
important for Cambodia to have a representational system in 
place.  The PM stated he was determined to make the elections 
better and that the NEC was doing its best.  The RGC is 
trying to provide the NEC with everything they need.  For 
previous elections, the RGC relied on "friends" (donors) for 
assistance.  The PM noted that the RGC can cover 60 percent 
of the funding for next year's national elections.  The RGC 
is working to institute a national identification card for 
Cambodians over the age of 15; he expressed his belief that 
the ID card would assist with registration and the overall 
election process.  Hun Sen said he did not believe there 
 
PHNOM PENH 00001374  002 OF 002 
 
 
would be constitutional issues or violence in Cambodia as 
compared to the problems Thailand and the Philippines face 
with elections. 
 
U.S.: BURMA and U.S.- ASEAN SUMMIT 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  The PM stated that ASEAN was prepared to talk 
about Burma and to discuss it with the United States.  He 
suggested the summit would have to be for "ASEAN 9.5" (Burma 
would only be permitted to send its Foreign Minister) to 
facilitate discussions.  The PM acknowledged that, "ASEAN 10" 
would not be acceptable to the USG but said "ASEAN 9" would 
not be acceptable to ASEAN.  The PM concluded his remarks on 
Burma by pointing out that this summit could provide an 
opportunity for dialog with Burma. 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  The PM briefly mentioned the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, 
but noted that he could not talk about ongoing cases before 
the court.  He explained that he had personally contacted the 
Governor of Pailin Province before Nuon Chea's arrest. 
(Pailin Province is a former Khmer Rouge stronghold and Nuon 
Chea, known as Brother Number Two, was Pol Pot's Deputy.) 
The PM said he had advised the Governor that he must take 
responsibility, monitor the situation, and carry out the 
orders of the court, which included bringing his former 
comrades to Phnom Penh.  It was the intention of the PM to 
ensure that Cambodian citizens respected the capacity of the 
government by enlisting the support of the former Khmer Rouge 
cadres to assist with the detention and transport of Khmer 
Rouge defendants to Phnom Penh. 
 
¶8.  (SBU)  DASD Ray concluded the visit by telling the PM how 
impressed he was with the progress Cambodia has made, but 
noting that challenges remain ahead.  He stressed that 
flexibility, creativity and new ideas will be needed to 
accomplish the POW/MIA accounting mission in Southeast Asia. 
 
 
¶9.  (SBU)  During his visit, DASD Ray also met with the 
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sar Kheng; the 
Chairman of the POW/MIA Committee; visited a POW/MIA recovery 
site; and spoke with journalists regarding the POW/MIA 
accounting mission and the evolving US-Cambodia relationship. 
 Sar Kheng said that the POW/MIA recovery effort is an 
important humanitarian priority for Cambodia, past, present 
and future.  Sar Kheng commented that Cambodia's full 
cooperation is without conditions and strictly a humanitarian 
effort.  DASD Ray met with General Pol Saroeun, Chairman of 
the POW/MIA Committee.  DASD Ray mentioned to General Pol the 
importance of the RCAF restructuring itself.  He said reform 
was important to building support in the U.S. Congress for 
expanded mutual assistance programs such as 
military-to-military assistance and emergency search and 
rescue capability. 
 
¶10.  (U)  DASD Ray reviewed and approved this cable prior to 
his departure. 
MUSSOMELI