US embassy cable - 00HANOI2559

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 002559 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/BCLTV 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPDC, VM 
SUBJECT: DIPLOMATIC NOTE ON LY TONG INCIDENT AND MFA BRIEFING NOTES 
 
REF: HANOI 2557 
 
1.  THE FOLLOWING DIPNOTE NO. 368, DATED 11/22/00 WAQS 
HANDED TO THE AMBASSADOR AT THE MEETING NOTED IN 
REFTEL. 
 
2.  BEGIN TEXT. 
 
THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE SOCIALIST 
REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM PRESENTS ITS COMPLIMENTS TO THE 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND, WITH 
REFERENCE TO THE FOLLOWING SERIOUS INCIDENT, HAS THE 
HONOUR TO INFORM THE LATTER THAT: 
 
IN THE AFTERNOON OF 17TH NOVEMBER 2000, LY TONG, A 
VIETNAMESE CITIZEN RESIDING IN THE UNITED STATES OF 
AMERICA ILLEGALLY ENTERED VIETNAM'S AIR SPACE IN AN 
AIRCRAFT ORIGINATING FROM THAILAND AND DROPPED TENS OF 
THOUSANDS OF LEAFLETS AGAINST THE SOCIALISTS REPUBLIC 
OF VIETNAM. 
 
THIS ACT OF LY TONG CONSTITUTES A SERIOUS VIOLATION OF 
THE SOVEREIGNTY, TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY AND SECURITY OF 
THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM AND MOREOVER, IT IS 
ALSO A VIOLATION OF AIR-SAFETY REGULATIONS.  THIS ACT 
IS EVEN MORE SERIOUS AS IT TAKES PLACE AT THE TIME WHEN 
U.S. PRESIDENT W. J. CLINTON WAS PAYING AN OFFICIAL 
VISIT TO VIETNAM. 
 
IT SHOULD BE BROUGHT TO NOTICE THAT IN 1992 LY TONG WAS 
CHARGED WITH HIJACKING, SEIZING CONTROL OF A VIETNAMESE 
AIRCRAFT AND HE WAS SENTENCED TO 20 YEARS IN PRISON. 
PROMPTED BY A HUMANITARIAN POLICY AND IN RESPONSE TO A 
REQUEST BY THE U.S. GOVERNMENT, IN SEPTEMBER 1998, THE 
VIETNAMESE STATE GRANTED HIM AMNESTY AND ALLOWED HIM TO 
RETURN TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 
 
IT SHOULD ALSO BE RECALLED THAT IN IMPLEMENTING THE 
RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMME FOR VIETNAMESE IN THE UNITED 
STATES OF AMERICA, THE U.S. SIDE FORMALLY COMMITTED NOT 
TO ALLOW THESE PEOPLE TO CARRY OUT ACTIVITIES AGAINST 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        HANOI  02559  01 OF 02  220915Z 
THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM AND THIS HAS BEEN 
CONSIDERED AS A CONDITION FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 
PROGRAMME. (THIS PARAGRAPH WAS ORIGINALLY OMITTED IN 
THE TEXT PRESENTED AT THE 11/22/00 MEETING.) 
 
WHEN PREPARING FOR THE VISIT TO VIETNAM BY THE U.S. 
PRESIDENT THE U.S. SIDE COMMITTED TO INFORMING VIETNAM 
OF ANY ATTEMPTS TO CREATE DISTURBANCES AND SPREAD 
TERROR IN VIETNAM WHICH WOULD AFFECT THE VISIT. 
 
HOWEVER, THESE COMMITMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN HONOURED. 
 
IN THE SPIRIT OF COOPERATION AND FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN OUR 
TWO COUNTRIES IN THE WAKE OF THE LAST OFFICIAL VISIT BY 
THE U.S. PRESIDENT, THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF 
THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM REQUESTS THAT THE 
U.S., IN COORDINATION WITH THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT, 
BRING THIS DANGEROUS INTERNATIONAL TERRORIST TO TRIAL 
AND TAKE EFFECTIVE MEASURES TO PREVENT RECURRENCE OF 
SIMILAR INCIDENTS IN THE FUTURE. 
 
THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE SOCIALIST 
REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM AVAILS ITSELF OF THIS OCCASION TO 
RENEW TO THE EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO 
HANOI THE ASSURANCES OF ITS HIGHEST CONSIDERATION. 
 
END TEXT. 
 
3.  THE FOLLOWING TALKING POINTS WERE FAXED TO THE DCM 
ON 11/22/00 BY THE MFA. 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 04        HANOI  02559  01 OF 02  220915Z 
4.  BEGIN TEXT. 
 
TALKING POINTS OF DEPUTY MINISTER BIN TO AMBASSADOR 
PETERSON (08:30AM ON NOVEMBER 22, 2000) 
 
- THE VISIT OF PRESIDENT CLINTON TO VIETNAM SUCCEEDED, 
OPENED A NEW CHAPTER IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE 
TWO COUNTRIES - RELATIONS OF COOPERATION AND FRIENDSHIP 
BASED ON THE PRINCIPLES OF RESPECTING INDEPENDENCE, 
SOVEREIGNTY, AND TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY, NON- 
INTERFERENCE IN EACH OTHER'S INTERNAL AFFAIRS, EQUALITY 
AND MUTUAL BENEFIT, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE BENEFIT AND 
ASPIRATION OF THE TWO COUNTRIES' PEOPLES. 
 
- THANKS TO THE EFFORT OF THE TWO SIDES, THIS VISIT HAD 
RESULTS SUCH AS THE CONCLUSION OF THE AGREEMENT ON 
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, MEMORANDUM ON LABOR 
COOPERATION, ANNOUNCEMENT FOR ESTABLISHING AN ECONOMIC 
COOPERATION DIALOGUE, A JOINT COMMITTEE TO IMPLEMENT 
THE BTA, $200 MILLION TO HELP FINANCE PRIVATE PROJECTS 
IN VN, THE SIGNING OF 12 CONTRACTS BETWEEN COMPANIES 
 
... WHICH IMPROVE MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN PEOPLE 
OF THE TWO COUNTRIES, ACCELERATE RESOLUTION OF 
CONSEQUENCES OF THE WAR AND CREATE A FRAMEWORK TO 
INCREASE ECONOMIC COOPERATION. 
 
- TO INCREASE THE MOMENTUM OF THE RELATIONSHIP, WE 
SUGGEST THE U.S TO: 
Z    ENCOURAGE THE U.S. CONGRESS TO RATIFY THE BTA 
  SOON, PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO HELP VN TO 
  IMPLEMENT THE BTA, PROVIDE SPECIFIC PLANS TO ESTABLISH 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        HANOI  02559  02 OF 02  220915Z 
  THE JOINT COMMITTEE TO IMPLEMENT THE BTA. 
Z    ESTABLISH A COMMITTEE ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 
  S&T AGREEMENT AS WELL AS DEVELOPING THE LABOR MOU. 
Z    INFORM US ON SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS AND INFORMATION 
  ABOUT THE ECONOMIC DIALOGUE SO WE CAN SOON PREPARE TO 
  ESTABLISH METHODS OF DIALOGUE. 
Z    BE WELL PREPARED FOR THE SINGAPORE MEETING NEXT 
  WEEK TO DISCUSS THE CONSEQUENCES OF TOXIC CHEMICALS IN 
  ORDER TO HAVE POSITIVE RESULTS.  THE U.S. NEEDS TO HAVE 
  REALISTIC PROGRAMS TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM. 
Z    ACCELERATE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ITS COMMITMENT IN 
  HELPING VN WITH INFORMATION, WHICH WOULD HELP VN TO 
  SEEK ITS MIAS, TO HELP VN IN DEMINING UXOS, TO HELP VN 
  IN THE PREVENTION OF NATURAL DISASTER. 
Z    COORDINATE WITH VN'S COMMITTEE FOR CHILD 
  PROTECTION & CARE TO ORGANIZE THE "CONFERENCE OF SAFETY 
  FOR VIETNAMESE CHILDREN" IN SPRING 2001. 
 
- ON NOV 17, 2000, LY TONG (DUAL AMERICAN & VIETNAMESE 
CITIZENSHIP) USED AN AIRPLANE WHICH DROPPED TENS OF 
THOUSANDS OF LEAFLETS WHICH HAVE CONTENTS OPPOSING VN, 
WAS AN INTERNATIONAL TERRORIST ACT, VIOLATED VN LAW, 
INTERNATIONAL LAW AND CONVENTIONS.  BECAUSE OF THE 
HUMANITARIAN POLICY AND GOODWILL OF VN, INCLUDING 
SUGGESTION FROM THE U.S., HE WAS GRANTED AMNESTY IN 
1998.  THIS TIME, VN REQUESTS THE U.S. NOT TO INTERFERE 
TO EXTRADITE HIM TO THE U.S., LET HIM BE TRIED IN COURT 
INSTEAD. 
 
BY THE WAY, VN ONCE AGAIN REQUESTS THE U.S. TO TAKE 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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MORE APPOSITE ACTION SO THAT VIETNAMESE AMERICANS WILL 
NOT TAKE EXTREME ACTIONS OPPOSING VN AND THE PROCESS OF 
IMPROVING RELATIONS BETWEEN THE U.S. AND VN. 
 
(A DIPLOMATIC NOTE IS ATTACHED RELATING TO THIS ISSUE.) 
 
- THANK YOU, MR. AMBASSADOR AND YOUR SPOUSE, FOR HAVING 
POSITIVE CONTRIBUTIONS IN MAKING THE PRESIDENTIAL VISIT 
A SUCCESS.  HOPEFULLY, THE AMBASSADOR WILL CONTINUE TO 
HAVE MORE POSITIVE CONTRIBUTIONS TO ACCELERATE THE 
RELATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES. 
 
END TEXT. 
 
PETERSON 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED