267. Memorandum From D.W. Ropa of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow)1
SUBJECT
- Southeast Asia Developments
These are the more important developments during your absence in those parts of Southeast Asia you did not visit.
Laos
Air Force Commander General Ma, leader of the abortive mutiny on October 21, fled to Thailand and now awaits Thai government decision whether to extradite him or grant asylum. The Thais probably will let him go into court as a delaying tactic to permit Lao tempers to ease and the ultimate resolution of Mao’s status without harming Thai-Lao relations.
Souvanna has persuaded Kong Le to remain in Bangkok under the fiction of still being the Neutralist commander in need of medical treatment. Friction among Neutralists, some of whom are unhappy over Kong Le’s unceremonious departure, has triggered unconfirmed reports [Page 528] of a possible Neutralist move on November 5. Sullivan suspects the French are fanning the discontent and seeking a way to bring Kong Le back.
Deputy armed forces commander General Kouprasith is continuing his efforts to integrate Neutralist forces into the army under his direct control as prelude to seeking dominant right-wing control in the January Assembly elections.
Together with last month’s Assembly dissolution, these events have eroded the facade to tripartitism. Bill Bundy is concerned and was charged a Laos working group to appraise the future of tripartitism and report to FE/IRG by November 30. I am participating.
[Here follow reports on developments in Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, and the aftermath of the Manila Conference.]
- Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Name File, Ropa Memos. Secret.↩