793.00/3–752: Telegram
No. 15
The Secretary of
State to the Embassy in
Burma1
784. Deptel 631 Mar 4 to Taipei rptd Rangoon 770.2 Emb may inform Ne Win that US sympathetic his plan repatriate KMT troops and wld be glad assist any practicable way. If officially requested by GOB Dept wld be willing use good offices submit matter Chi Govt Taipei. US Govt has no planes in area available for airlift but if plan approved in principle wld be glad investigate availability commercial planes to supplement GOB transport planes. Question expenses and other details cld be worked out between Burm and Chi Govts.
Dept believes it preferable delay informing Brit and Indian Govts until formal request recd from GOB.3
- Repeated to Bangkok, Taipei, New Delhi, and London.↩
- This telegram reported that Gen. Ne Win had again approached the Army Attaché in Rangoon concerning the Nationalist troops in Burma. His new suggestion, not yet approved by the Burmese Government, was that the troops should be repatriated to Taiwan via Rangoon; he inquired whether the United States would be willing to assist with air transport and whether the Chinese Government would share expenses. The Embassy was instructed not to submit the proposal to the Chinese Government pending further instructions, which would not be sent unless the Burmese Government made an official request to the Embassy in Rangoon. (793.00/3–452)↩
- Day reported on Mar. 18 that the Army Attaché, Colonel Davies, had given the Department’s answer to Ne Win on Mar. 14; the latter replied that he would notify Colonel Davies if and when the Burmese Government approved his plan. Day commented that he had informed the Foreign Office several times that the United States would be willing to approach the government at Taipei if the Burmese Government wished to have the troops repatriated via Rangoon, but he had received no indication that the Burmese Government was seriously considering this proposal. (Despatch 806; 690B.93/3–1852)↩