VZCZCXRO8009
OO RUEHHM
DE RUEHHI #0702 2090950
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 280950Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9956
INFO RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH PRIORITY 6034
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0328

UNCLAS HANOI 000702 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR IO/UNP (FITZGERALD), EAP/MLS (BLACKSHAW) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL UNSC PHUM KPKO SU VM
 
SUBJECT: VIETNAM WANTS DARFUR PKO EXTENDED BUT SUPPORTS REFERENCE TO 
ICC; HOPES FOR COMPROMISE 
 
REF: STATE 77701 
 
¶1.  (SBU) On July 28, Acting PolCouns met with the MFA International 
Organizations Division's lead official for UN Security Council 
affairs, To Anh Tuan, to urge Vietnam not to support Libya's efforts 
to complicate a resolution extending the mandate of the UN-AU 
Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) by including extraneous language 
concerning the International Criminal Court's indictment of Sudan 
President Omar al-Bashir.  Per reftel, APolCouns emphasized that the 
purpose of the resolution should be to strengthen UNAMID by 
providing it with the mandate, troops, and equipment it needs.  The 
United States understood that Vietnam remained strongly opposed to 
the ICC indictment, a position we did not share; nevertheless, 
whatever our differences, the current resolution was not an 
appropriate vehicle to discuss the ICC indictment.  On such an 
important issue, it was important for the Security Council to speak 
with one voice, he said. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Tuan, in response, sought to assure the United States that 
Vietnam fully supported extending UNAMID's mandate.  Vietnam also 
shared a desire for consensus and hoped "acceptable compromise 
language" could be found.  At the same time, as a member of the 
Non-Aligned Movement and as a reflection of its own position, 
Vietnam felt bound to support some mention of the AU's concerns 
about the Bashir indictment.  Tuan took note of our argument that 
this particular resolution was not the proper place for such 
discussions, but said that "some countries" were frustrated because 
other avenues for debate had been cut off. 
 
MICHALAK