795.00/2–252: Telegram
The Commander in Chief, Far East (Ridgway) to the Joint Chiefs of Staff
top secret
Tokyo, February 21, 1952—4:40
p.m.
CX 64029. 1. The ques of releasing those civ internees, approx 38,000 in number, who have been twice screened by the ROK Govt, has been carefully considered here.
2. Our analysis is as fols:
- a.
- The UNC Delegation position on civ internees is that even though they were reported initially as prisoners of war, they are in fact nationals of the ROK. Their disposition, therefore, is an internal affair of the UNC.
- b.
- The enemy position is that at least 34,000 of the civ internees are demonstrably military personnel of their regular forces. The Communists refuse to recognize any reclassification of their military personnel as civilians and insist that the civ internees are prisoners of war who are subject to repatriation according to their army designation. The Communists cannot agree that the status of the civ internees is affected by their status as nationals of the ROK. Such agreement would adversely affect the status of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea vis-à-vis the ROK. Moreover, to them it would constitute a precedent which would be damaging to the theory and practice of world revolution. Thus, from the standpoint of the Communists, the armistice agreement cannot contain provisions which imply recognition of the ROK, or which imply that the war in Korea is a war between two sovereign governments.
- c.
- In order to use this Communist philosophy to assist in gaining Communist acceptance of voluntary repatriation, the UNC Delegation has indicated to the Communists that it is willing to include the civ [Page 58] internees as well as the prisoners of war of ROK residence now held by the UNC in the group subject to voluntary repatriation.
- d.
- The civ internees and prisoners of war of ROK residence are, in effect, bait to the Communists to accept voluntary repatriation.
3. In view of the foregoing, I have decided to hold all civ internees until the plan for their release can be included in the overall plan for the release of all internees, both military and civilian, without resorting to forced repatriation.