Office of the Historian

68. Telegram From the Department of State to the Delegation at the SEATO Council Meeting1

Washington, December 19, 1960—8:01 p.m.

898. UK Ambassador telephoned Parsons mid-afternoon Dec 19 that, according to report from UK representative on Dec 19 meeting Council Reps, Thai representative said Thai Ambassador in Vientiane had been requested by provisional RLG to warn SEATO to be prepared. Thai Rep then gave alarming account of PL military dispositions and North Vietnamese intervention in Laos.

British extremely concerned at this development and consider we must stop RLG from appealing to SEATO at this stage. We heartily concur it would be unwise for appeal to be made now, especially since new government appears to be consolidating its position in Vientiane and despite admittedly difficult situation there is good reason to hope it will be able to hold its own.

We strongly feel as we did in summer 1959 that RLG should not make any unwise appeal to SEATO, certainly not without consultation with us beforehand.

While we should not appear to be denigrating SEATO or its capabilities, you should take urgent steps to dissuage the Thai from promoting or encouraging any RLG appeal to SEATO at this time and indeed try discourage Phoumi from any thoughtless action this nature.

Ambassador Brown should take appropriate steps to forestall any unwise and precipitous actions by RLG. FYI. In Summer 1959 Kamphan Panya as Foreign Minister appealed to UN for emergency force without consulting us or even obtaining approval of Prime Minister Phoui. End FYI.2

Herter
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 379/12–1960. Secret; Niact; SEATO. Drafted by Anderson in SEA and approved by Parsons. Also sent niact to Vientiane and repeated niact to London, Paris, Canberra, Karachi, and Manila.↩

  2. In telegram 1070 from Bangkok, December 20, Johnson reported that the Thai Representative at the December 19 Council Representatives’ meeting had mentioned the Lao Government’s initiative briefly at the beginning of the meeting, and that in subsequent talks Thai officials were “taking very cautious conservative attitude and certainly not thinking in terms of any premature or precipitous appeal to SEATO by RLG.” (Ibid., 379/12–2060)

    In an unnumbered telegram from Vientiane dated December 21, the Embassy reported that the reason for the Thai Representative’s statement in the December 19 meeting was a request by Lao officers to an officer in Vientiane on December 16 “when outcome battle for Vientiane was still in doubt and they were uncertain its success. Purpose request was simply have SEATO informed and prepared.” (Ibid., 379/12–2160) Both telegrams are included in the microfiche supplement.

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