57. Letter From the Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Sebald) to the Ambassador in Burma (Satterthwaite)1
Dear Joe: Recent communications from the Embassy indicate that several unusual opportunities may be emerging which could have important and far reaching effects on our relations with Burma and on Burma’s long-range orientation. The interest of some GUB officials, albeit circumspect, in obtaining U.S. assistance for an undefined program of selective and perhaps mass indoctrination strikes me as a particularly important opening. It has been my belief that the security forces, especially the Army, provide the best hope for political stability and internal security in Burma. The Army approach to USIA and the Army Attaché for assistance in psychological warfare cum indoctrination therefore is viewed as an excellent opening for an important complementary aspect of our plans for military assistance.
From preliminary soundings in the various agencies I can assure you that there is widespread interest in seeing this indoctrination program move along as fast and as wide as is feasible. I gather that one of the basic causes for inertia is that the Burmese don’t really know what kind of program they would like to have; another stumbling block probably is the reluctance of GUB leaders to assume responsibility for tying up with the Americans. In discussing these facets of the problem with other agency representatives it was suggested that perhaps what was needed at this time is to fire the Burmese [Page 88] imagination with some ideas and preferably ideas from the Asian experience. Thailand, Viet-Nam and the Philippines each have gone through the soul searching process and are now engaged in full-blown programs of psychological warfare, indoctrination and village uplifting; of these the Philippine and Vietnamese examples probably would be the most useful to the Burmese. We therefore are willing to consider financing the visit of Colonel Ba Than and one or two others to Manila, and/or Saigon and Bangkok. I believe after a look see and chat with Asian brothers, the Burmese will be able to block out a more definite program and have a better knowledge of how the U.S. might help. I also believe that such a trip would dispel from Burmese minds any fears they might have of our taking over the country through assistance with such programs.
One other thought on this subject: If you think it advisable, we would also be willing at a later stage to bring Ba Than and one or two others to the U.S. for interagency discussions where he could have the benefit of ideas coordinated with the various interested agencies and their experts.
Turning for a moment to another aspect of the same objective, I feel everything possible should be done to complement the Burma Army’s requests for U.S. instructors and for training slots in U.S. military schools. I believe the Defense Department has supplied the Army Attaché with pertinent details concerning the instructors and that we are now awaiting a firm official request from the GUB before moving ahead. We fear the price tag on these instructors might frighten the Burmese and therefore suggest that you might indicate to the GUB that expenses for these instructors are a matter which can be discussed with General Erskine and could likely be taken care of in our military assistance program.
I also believe that Defense has attempted to satisfy most of the requests for training slots; and again, the dollar expense problem—if it is a problem—might well be solved by the military aid program.
. . . . . . .
Burmese interest in shoring up the police organizations is not as encouraging, although there is much we could do once the Burmese are willing to discuss the possibility. In view of the opening Kyaw Nyein has given in asking for information concerning how we handle bribery and corruption, we believe it might be useful to have a few top level police officials visit the U.S. to see how bribery and corruption are handled by state and municipal police. This would also provide an opportunity for them to look over our training facilities and to see some of the benefits of possible U.S. material assistance to police establishments in Burma.
[Page 89]When you have an opportunity I would appreciate your comments on these various programs and any ideas you might have as to how we in Washington might assist early implementation. There is much interest around town at the moment and I believe we can expect maximum cooperation from almost everyone.2
Sincerely yours,
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.90B/12–1056. Top Secret; Official–Informal.↩
- Satterthwaite replied in a letter to Sebald of January 10, 1957, describing specific developments that related to Burmese use of U.S. training facilities and instructors. (Ibid., 790B.5–MSP/1–1057)↩
- Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.↩