US embassy cable - 00HANOI2225

UNCLAS HANOI 002225 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV, EAP/RSP, INR/EAP/SEA 
SECDEF FOR ISA/EA/LSTERN 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PREL, VM, BM, ASEAN 
SUBJECT: VIETNAM ON AN ASEAN TROIKA APPROACH TO BURMA 
 
REF:  SECSTATE 185162 
 
1.   POLCOUNS AND POLOFF PRESENTED REFTEL POINTS 3 OCTOBER 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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TO MFA ASEAN DEPARTMENT DEPUTY DIRECTOR NGUYEN HUU CHI.  CHI 
SAID THAT, AFTER MEETING WITH UN SECRETARY GENERAL KOFI 
ANNAN, VIETNAMESE FOREIGN MINISTER NGUYEN DY NIEN CONSULTED 
CLOSELY AT THE UNGA WITH THE THAI AND BRUNEI FOREIGN 
MINISTERS ON THE IDEA OF ACTIVATING THE ASEAN TROIKA ON 
BURMA.  NIEN THEN HAD "CANDID AND FRIENDLY" TALKS WITH THE 
BURMESE FOREIGN MINISTER.  BASED ON THESE DISCUSSIONS, THE 
TROIKA WAS OF THE VIEW THAT THE SITUATION IN BURMA IS "NOT 
ONE THAT AFFECTS OVERALL ASEAN STABILITY," AND GETTING THE 
TROIKA INVOLVED IS NOT NOW NECESSARY.  (NOTE:  CHI INITIALLY 
CHARACTERIZED THIS AS A GROUP DECISION, BUT LATER NOTED THAT 
VIETNAM AS CHAIR MADE THE CALL ON BEHALF OF THE TROIKA.  END 
NOTE.) 
 
2.   CHI CONTINUED THAT THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT FOR THE 
TROIKA LAID OUT AT THE JULY BANGKOK MINISTERIAL SPECIFIED 
THAT THE TROIKA SHOULD BE CONVENED WITH THE CONSENSUS OF ALL 
ASEAN MEMBERS, BUT AS YET NO SUCH CONSENSUS EXISTS ON BURMA. 
ASEAN WOULD, OF COURSE, CONVENE THE TROIKA IF BURMA WERE TO 
REQUEST IT; HOWEVER, BURMA HAS JUST RECENTLY SENT A LETTER 
TO ALL THE ASEAN COUNTRIES ASKING FOR NO OUTSIDE, 
SPECIFICALLY TROIKA, INTERVENTION IN ITS INTERNAL AFFAIRS. 
 
3.   CHI TOLD POLOFFS HE HAS NO INFORMATION ON A VISIT TO 
HANOI BY UN SPECIAL ENVOY ON BURMA RAZALI ISMAIL.  AS 
VIETNAM HAS NO MANDATE TO ACTIVATE THE TROIKA UNILATERALLY, 
IT HAS NO AUTHORITY TO WORK WITH RAZALI, AND THERE HAVE BEEN 
NO CONTACTS OF WHICH CHI IS AWARE. 
 
4.   POLCOUNS SUGGESTED IT COULD BE USEFUL FOR VIETNAM AND 
OTHER ASEAN COUNTRIES TO APPROACH BURMA AND TRY TO NUDGE THE 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        HANOI  02225  050421Z 
REGIME IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION, RATHER THAN WAITING FOR A 
BURMESE REQUEST.  CHI SAID THIS WAS ALREADY DONE, AT THE 
UNGA.  HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT SOME OF THE ASEAN COUNTRIES, 
SUCH AS THAILAND, FAVOR FURTHER ACTION, BUT THAILAND HAS 
AGREED TO FOLLOW VIETNAM'S LEAD.  ANY ASEAN APPROACH TO 
BURMA WILL BE MADE THROUGH VIETNAM.  (NOTE: CHI'S ATTITUDE 
SUGGESTED VIETNAM BELIEVES IT DID ITS DUTY IN THAT REGARD AT 
THE UNGA.  END NOTE.) 
 
5.   COMMENT:  THE APPARENT DECISION NOT TO PRESS THE IDEA 
OF TROIKA INVOLVEMENT IN BURMA WITH ANY VIGOR CLEARLY HAS 
VIETNAM'S IMPRINT ON IT.  THE RESULTS OF THIS FIRST TEST OF 
HANOI'S WILL AS ASC AND TROIKA CHAIR ARE NOT SURPRISING, 
DEMONSTRATING VIETNAM'S EVER-CAUTIOUS NATURE AND AVERSION TO 
THE TYPE OF OUTSIDE INVOLVEMENT IT WOULD BE LOATHE TO ACCEPT 
IN A SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCE.  EMBASSY WILL FOLLOW UP ON THE 
ISSUE WITH OTHER ASEAN EMBASSIES TO GAIN THEIR PERSPECTIVES; 
FOR NOW, HOWEVER, OUR HUNCH IS THAT NOT MUCH SHOULD BE 
EXPECTED FROM THE TROIKA ON BURMA WHILE VIETNAM IS ITS 
CHAIR.  END COMMENT. 
 
PETERSON 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED