188. Telegram From Secretary of State Muskie’s Delegation to the Department of State1
Secto 4074. Subject: Secretary’s Meeting With Thai FonMin Siddhi.
1. (C–Entire text)
2. Secretary Muskie met with Thai Foreign Minister Siddhi for thirty minutes on June 27. It was the Secretary’s first bilateral in Kuala Lumpur.
3. Foreign Minister Siddhi said he was honored to be the first ASEAN Foreign Minister to meet with the Secretary after his arrival in Kuala Lumpur. The Secretary observed that Thailand has the toughest problems. The Secretary then noted that this was his first trip to the region in thirteen years and that many of the NATO Ministers whom he had just seen in Ankara2 expressed satisfaction that he was coming to Kuala Lumpur.
4. The Secretary then asked that Marshal Siddhi bring him up-to-date on the situation on the Thai border. The Foreign Minister then proceeded to explain the events of recent days. He expressed the view that the Vietnameses’ aim had been to test their will. He felt that the Vietnameses’ action had been premeditated and they had in fact earlier made public warnings to the Thai not to proceed with their program [Page 660] of repatriating Cambodians.3 Siddhi said he felt that the Thai had acted correctly and that the repatriation scheme had been worked out entirely properly with the UNHCR. The Vietnamese criticism of the repatriation and the border relief effort did not deter the Thai. There are still Vietnamese forces in the area and the situation remains somewhat confused but so far 72 Vietnamese have been killed and 4 prisoners of war captured. Siddhi said he felt that the Vietnamese want to “choke” off all cross border feeding.
5. The Secretary asked if the Minister felt the Vietnamese were trying to stop the relief effort.4 Siddhi said yes, the cross border portion of it. They want all aid to be routed through Phnom Penh. He said that in his meeting with Foreign Minister Talboys of New Zealand, Talboys had suggested that the ASEAN dialogue countries should condemn Vietnam collectively for choking off the relief effort. Siddhi further explained that several days ago the Thai Government had ordered a temporary suspension of all direct relief to Phnom Penh (direct flights from Bangkok, etc.). But the Thai Government had now resumed such direct shipments to Phnom Penh as a way of showing that despite Vietnamese disruption of relief efforts on the border, the Thai were still willing to provide direct humanitarian aid to Phnom Penh. Assistant Secretary Holbrooke observed that this had been a very generous move on the part of Thailand and had placed the onus on Vietnam for obstructing the relief effort.
6. The Secretary asked how many Vietnamese troops had been involved in the action. Siddhi responded that roughly 2,000 had been involved, plus another 10,000 are poised in that particular area. Ambassador Abramowitz explained that the unit involved was one element of Hanoi’s heavy division with nine–ten regiments.
7. The Secretary then explained that since leaving Ankara yesterday we have been working with our authorities in Washington to see what additional steps we might take. The Secretary then reviewed the additional military assistance referred to in paragraphs 3, 4, 5, and 6 of State 168797.5 Siddhi expressed his gratitude noting that this was a demonstration of U.S. support and that he would cable his Prime Minister immediately. The Secretary then suggested that the specific details be reviewed by Deputy Assistant Secretary Platt (DOD) and [Page 661] the Thai delegation in the hope of ironing out any remaining details in the next two days. Mr. Holbrooke suggested, and the Secretary agreed, that without spelling out the details we agree that the press can be informed of our accelerated commitments. The Secretary also informed the Foreign Minister that we were urgently exploring the provision of additional FMS and that he hoped to be able to inform Thais of something shortly.
8. Mr. Siddhi mentioned that he was going to China on July 7 and he wondered if the Secretary had any message for him to convey there. The Secretary noted that Mr. Holbrooke would be going there at about the same time.
9. Siddhi then gave the Secretary a brief preview of some of the questions likely to come up at the meeting with the ASEAN 5. He said that the Indonesian Foreign Minister would ask about our China policy and ask us to commit ourselves to not arming China. The Ministers would not ask the Secretary to commit himself on the issue of DK seating although they will probe for evidence of U.S. concern for the region. Siddhi said that some of the other Foreign Ministers feel we neglect the region and place more importance on Afghanistan than on Cambodia.
8. The Secretary replied that his very reason for coming here was to show concern for the region. There were a number of subjects that he had come to listen about. He wanted to get a feeling for what their interests are. As for the D.K. issue, the Secretary said he planned to reserve judgment but he was prepared to listen to their point of view. He asked that we be given time to look over the situation.6
9. Siddhi ended by asking that we support the ASEAN resolution on Cambodia.7 He also said that the Secretary’s presence in the region was very important.
10. Secretary Muskie was accompanied by Ambassador Abramowitz, Assistant Secretary Holbrooke, Special Adviser Bernhard, and DAS Negroponte. FonMin Siddhi was accompanied by Asa Sarasin and Sakhtip Kraithorn.
- Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 74, Thailand, 7/80–1/81. Confidential; Immediate. Sent for information Immediate to Bangkok, Beijing, Jakarta, Manila, Singapore, and Toyko. Muskie was in Kuala Lumpur to meet with ASEAN Foreign Ministers.↩
- Muskie attended the NATO Ministerial meeting in Ankara June 25–26.↩
- On June 16, Thailand and the UNHRC agreed to proceed with a program of voluntary repatriation of Cambodians in Thai refugee camps. The Vietnamese Government opposed the program. (“Thais, U.N. Unit Agree On Refugee Repatriation,” Washington Post, June 17, 1980, p. A13)↩
- Reference is to the international efforts to provide primarily food aid to the Kampuchean refugees.↩
- Telegram 168797 to Kuala Lumpur, June 26, discussed additional military assistance to Thailand. (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D800308–0957)↩
- See Document 146.↩
- See footnote 2, Document 192.↩