VZCZCXRO5300
RR RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHHI #0424/01 1240806
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 040806Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9604
INFO RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH 5836
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEHZS/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE
RHMFIUU/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 000424 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE for EAP/MLS, PM/RSAT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL KPKO MARR MASS VM
 
SUBJECT: Back to Basics: Vietnam Discusses Peacekeeping at APCSS 
Workshop 
 
REF: Hanoi 0185 
 
HANOI 00000424  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  In an effort to further encourage Vietnam to 
participate in UN peacekeeping operations (PKO), the Asia-Pacific 
Center for Security Studies (APCSS), an academic institute linked 
with U.S. Pacific Command, joined with the Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs (MFA)-affiliated think tank and training institution, the 
Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV), to host a workshop, "Vietnam 
and United Nations Peace Operations," March 30-April 3, in Hanoi. 
Participants from the Ministries of Defense, Foreign Affairs, and 
Public Security expressed guarded support for future PKO 
participation peacekeeping and considered the workshop to have been 
a success.  At the same time, despite continued U.S. attempts to 
promote more active participation in the Global Peacekeeping 
Operations Initiative (GPOI, reftel), it is evident that many in 
Vietnam's military and foreign policy establishment still do not 
have an adequate understanding of the technical aspects of 
peacekeeping.  End summary. 
 
Initial Attitudes 
----------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) The APCSS and DAV brought together approximately 40 
working-level representatives from the Ministries of Defense, 
Foreign Affairs, and Public Security for a five-day seminar, March 
30-April 3, to discuss international peacekeeping concepts and 
consider options for Vietnam's future participation in peacekeeping 
operations (PKO).  The seminar, "Vietnam and United Nations Peace 
Operations," addressed issues common to all PKO-contributing 
countries: legal questions, financial considerations, training 
resources and requirements, logistical challenges, and coordination 
with the UN.  The APCSS team, led by retired U.S. Army Lieutenant 
General Ed Smith and including a roster of international experts 
with significant real-life experience, aimed at widening the 
perspective of the participants and highlighting the international 
nature of peacekeeping operations. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) According to a survey conducted at the outset of the 
workshop, 55 percent of the seminar's participants agreed that 
Vietnam was ready to make a useful contribution to UN peace 
operations; 52 percent indicated that the people of Vietnam would 
support overseas deployment of Vietnamese personnel in peace 
operations.  Military Observers and medical teams (with about 30 
percent each) were cited as the most favored ways for Vietnam to 
contribute to PKO, with staff officers and de-miners drawing ten 
percent each.  The respondents were more split, however, on the 
question of what Vietnam could hope to gain from participation in 
peacekeeping, with fulfilling international obligations (33 
percent), gaining international influence and recognition (27 
percent), and increasing the professionalism of troops and police 
(23 percent) being the top selections.  Lack of preparation (40 
percent) and lack of language skills (20 percent) topped the list of 
concerns about Vietnam's participation; others included putting 
troops under foreign control (13 percent), fear of casualties (ten 
percent), and cost (ten percent). 
 
Conclusions from the Participants 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The final presentations from the seminar's two working 
groups reflected some of the participants' initial views, but also 
showed a deeper understanding of the complexity of international 
peace operations.  Both groups focused heavily on the need for 
Vietnam to conduct extensive preparation activities in advance of 
deploying peacekeepers, including building public support for PKO, 
addressing legal obstacles by building a legal framework for 
participation, translating UN PKO doctrine into Vietnamese, 
developing policy and planning documents, providing appropriate 
training to personnel, and studying lessons learned from other 
countries.  Many advocated increased participation in GPOI 
activities as a path to gain experience and training, and to learn 
from other troop contributing nations. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) The first group's final presentation explicitly stated 
that Vietnam should actively participate in PKO, noting that PKO 
activities follow logically from the country's increasing 
international integration, it's participation on the UN Security 
Council in particular.  The group recommended that the GVN take 
advantage of GPOI, begin its participation with UN Military 
Observers, engineers, and medical teams, and use reimbursement funds 
as an incentive to upgrade equipment and build future capacity.  The 
second group took a more cautious approach.  Rather than providing 
specific recommendations, the group presented three options for 
Vietnam's participation in PKO:  1) to continue with present 
activities to observe and assess PKO missions before committing; 2) 
 
HANOI 00000424  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
to expand present activities step-by-step by increasing 
participation in PKO training opportunities, exchanging experiences 
with neighboring countries, and translating and studying PKO 
doctrine; and 3) to significantly expand present activities, 
including developing a comprehensive plan for participation. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Overall, there was a general consensus among the 
participants that being a part of the conference changed their views 
about peacekeeping operations.  Speaking at the beginning of the 
seminar, for example, one of the DAV's academic staff expressed 
skepticism of UN peacekeeping in general, mentioning abuses by 
peacekeepers in certain countries and stating that these soldiers 
had contributed to violence, rather than peace.  By the end of the 
conference, however, the DAV academic told the group that she had 
gained a better understanding about peacekeeping and now believes 
such operations have a positive affect around the world.  Other 
participants echoed these sentiments, emphasizing that through 
gaining a more thorough understanding of peacekeeping operations 
they had also come away with a more favorable view of PKOs in 
general. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) U.S. efforts to date have focused on encouraging Vietnam 
to more actively participate in GPOI as the path to a contribution 
to an ongoing UN peacekeeping mission.  Over the course of the 
workshop, however, it became clear that many participants still 
lacked a basic understanding of UN peacekeeping, both as a general 
concept as well as the technical aspects of contributing to an 
operation.  To give a simple example, many participants were 
unfamiliar with basic peacekeeping terminology -- confusing an 
observer at a military exercise with a UN Military Observer assigned 
to a peacekeeping mission.  This was not for lack of interest. 
Presentation topics such as coordination with the UN Department of 
Peacekeeping Operations, logistics, payment and reimbursement for 
troop contributions, all drew many questions, and it was apparent 
that most where hearing this information for the first time. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Comment continued:  We should continue to push Vietnam to 
be a more robust participant in GPOI, but this must also include 
more basic efforts to educate the GVN about UN peacekeeping in 
general.  In this sense, by raising awareness and by promoting 
inter-ministerial coordination, the APCSS's high-quality workshop 
directly contributed to USG efforts to encourage Vietnam to become 
an active participant in UN peacekeeping.  APCSS is building on its 
already close relationship with the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam 
and is developing a reputation for being able to address critical 
topics as an honest broker -- something few can claim.  This 
particular workshop was vital to continuing the momentum within the 
GVN for participation in peacekeeping operations and Mission Vietnam 
is grateful for the support of LTG (ret) Smith and his entire team. 
End comment. 
 
¶9.  (U) The APCSS team did not have an opportunity to clear this 
cable. 
 
MICHALAK