Cablegate: Illegal Activities by American Citizens in Southeast Asia

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

2000HANOI02605 - UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED PTO2136

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ACTION SCT-00

INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 A-00 ACQ-00 CA-02 CCO-00
CG-00 CIAE-00 COME-00 CTME-00 DODE-00 DOEE-00 DOTE-00
SRPP-00 DS-00 EAP-00 EB-00 FAAE-00 FBIE-00 UTED-00
VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 INSE-00 L-00 VCE-00
MMP-00 M-00 AC-01 DCP-01 NRCE-00 NSAE-00 NSCE-00
OCS-03 OMB-01 PA-00 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00
SP-00 IRM-00 SSO-00 SS-00 TRSE-00 T-00 USIE-00
USSS-00 ASDS-01 PMB-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00
SAS-00 SWCI-00 /012W
------------------A5AF01 300858Z /38
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1416
AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE PRIORITY
INFO AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY PRIORITY

UNCLAS HANOI 002605

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PTER KPAO CB VM CTERR
SUBJECT: ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES BY AMERICAN CITIZENS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

REF: A) HANOI 02560 B) HANOI 02559
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1. (SBU) DURING RECENT WEEKS, CITIZENS/RESIDENTS OF THE
UNITED STATES HAVE BEEN DETAINED IN SOUTHEAST ASIA FOR ACTS
DESIGNED TO DISRUPT AND CHALLENGE THE CONTROL OF SOVEREIGN
STATES -- VIETNAM AND CAMBODIA -- WHICH ARE RECOGNIZED BY
THE U.S. GOVERNMENT. THE GOAL OF THESE INDIVIDUALS AND/OR
THE ORGANIZATIONS THEY REPRESENT IS TO EMBARRASS THE
GOVERNMENTS OF VIETNAM AND CAMBODIA AND, MORE BROADLY, TO
IMPEDE THE DEVELOPMENT OF U.S. BILATERAL RELATIONS. SINCE
THE PRESIDENT WAS IN BRUNEI AND VIETNAM AND MEETING WITH
LEADERS OF THE AFFECTED STATES, THESE ACTIONS HAVE CREATED A
NEGATIVE BACKLASH TO OUR BILATERAL RELATIONS. THESE
INCIDENTS NEED TO BE FORMALLY CONDEMNED BY THE USG TO AVOID
CREATING THE IMPRESSION THE USG SOMEHOW CONDONES THE
ACTIONS. DEPARTMENT PRESS GUIDANCE OF NOVEMBER 27 ON THE
CAMBODIA INCIDENT BEGINS THAT PROCESS. BUT, NOW THAT IT IS
CLEAR THERE ARE U.S. CITIZENS IN DETENTION WHO HAVE ADMITTED
THEIR ROLES IN THESE ACTIVITIES, THE STATEMENTS SHOULD GO
FURTHER IN CONDEMNING THE ACTIONS.

2. (SBU) THE U.S. GOVERNMENT IS COMMITTED TO BUILDING
RELATIONS WITH VIETNAM AND CAMBODIA
-- AS WELL AS WITH NEIGHBORING LAOS WHICH EXPERIENCED
SIMILAR "INTERVENTIONS" IN THE PAST YEAR. THEREFORE, IT
WOULD SEEM APPROPRIATE FOR THE USG TO MAKE A PUBLIC
STATEMENT SPECIFICALLY DENOUNCING THE EFFORTS OF U.S.
CITIZENS/RESIDENTS TO INTERFERE IN OUR CONDUCT OF RELATIONS
AND TO PUT PEOPLE'S LIVES AT RISK. THIS STATEMENT, WHILE
POTENTIALLY UPSETTING TO SOME IN THE U.S., IN FACT
REPRESENTS U.S. FOREIGN POLICY. (IT WOULD BE MORE
CONTROVERSIAL BUT ALSO VALID TO ADD TO THAT STATEMENT A
UNCLASSIFIED

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COMMITMENT TO PUNISH ANYONE WHO MAY HAVE VIOLATED U.S. LAW
IN THE PROCESS OF CARRYING OUT THE ACTIONS TAKEN IN AND
AGAINST VIETNAM AND CAMBODIA.)

3. (SBU) BECAUSE OF THE DIPLOMATIC NOTE DELIVERED TO THE
EMBASSY HERE CONCERNING THE LY TONG INCIDENT (REFTELS), WE
DO NOT BELIEVE THE U.S. SHOULD ISSUE A STATEMENT THAT ONLY
FOCUSES ON THE HIJACKING. MOREOVER, GIVEN THE CLOSE VIETNAM-
CAMBODIAN RELATIONSHIP AND CANCELLATION OF THE VIETNAMESE
PRESIDENT'S VISIT TO CAMBODIA -- ALMOST CERTAINLY BECAUSE OF
THE INCIDENTS OUTSIDE PHNOM PENH -- THERE IS EVEN MORE
REASON TO BELIEVE LEADERS IN THESE COUNTRIES SEE THE ACTIONS
AS LINKED.

4. (SBU) EMBASSY HANOI RECOMMENDS DEPARTMENT CONSULT WITH
EMBASSIES IN PHNOM PENH AND VIENTIANE REGARDING THE ISSUANCE
OF A STATEMENT CONDEMNING THESE ACTIONS IN ONE COMPREHENSIVE
STATEMENT. WE SUGGEST SOMETHING BE USED ALONG THE FOLLOWING
LINES:

BEGIN TEXT:

THE U.S. GOVERNMENT CONDEMNS THE RECENT ACTIONS IN SOUTHEAST
ASIA BY INDIVIDUAL U.S. CITIZENS AND RESIDENTS WHO HAVE
VIOLATED THE LAW BY COMMITTING TERRORIST ACTS AGAINST
EXISTING GOVERNMENTS IN THAT AREA. THESE ACTS VIOLATE
INTERNATIONAL NORMS OF BEHAVIOR AND ENDANGER LIVES AND
SHOULD BE PUNISHED UNDER INTERNATIONAL AND LOCAL LAWS.
(U. S. LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES HAVE BEEN ALERTED TO
INVESTIGATE WHETHER ANY U.S. LAWS WERE VIOLATED LEADING UP
TO OR IN THE CARRYING OUT OF THESE ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES.) END
UNCLASSIFIED

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TEXT.

PETERSON

UNCLASSIFIED

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