POW/MIA: COMMENTS OF A VIETNAMESE MILITARY ATTACHE ON THE MIA ISSUE AND LINKAGE

Created: 1/28/1987

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COUNTRY: VIETNAn

IETNAMESE MILITARY ATTACHE ON THE

MIA ISSUE AND LINKAGE. MILITARY ASSISTANCE TO CHINA

D-JANUARY

SOURCE:

TEXT: I T^^WkWWI^OOTERSATION IN_ .SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM (SRV) HIGH-RANKING MILITARY OFFICER ASSIGNED ABROAD, COMMENTED ON THE CURRENT STATUS OF THESRV EFFORT TO RESOLVE THE MIA PROBLEM. HE STATED THAT THERE WOULD BE NO PROGRESSOLUTION OF THIS ISSUE UNLESS. GOVERNMENT ADDRESSES SRV CONCERNS. WEAPONS SUPPLIES TO CHINA .THAT ARE BEING USED AGAINST SRV TROOP POSITIONS ALONG THE SINO-VIETNAMESE BORDER. HE ALSO ALLEGED THAT SRV TROOPS SUSTAINED SIGNIFICANT CASUALTIES DURING THE RECENT BORDER ENGAGEMENTS, DUE PRIMARILYSUPPLIED ARTILLERY GUIDANCE RADAR SYSTEMS DEPLOYED ALONG THE FRONTIER. MMpH1 IOMMI :nt : THE SRN OFTICEF CS CONVINCED HtM1 THAT . SUPPLIED TTJESW LOCATING I'ADAP SET? HAVE ftEEN DEPLOYED BY THE CHINESE ALONG THE SINO-VIETNAMESE BORDER FOR USE AGAINST SRV TROOP AND ARTILLERY POSITIONS. (HEADQUARTERS COMMENT: ACCORDING TO AVAILABLE INFORMATION, . RADAR IS NOT DEPLOYED ALONG THE SINO-VIETNAMESE BORDER.) (HEADQUARTERS COMMENT: . FOREIGN MILITARY SALE OF FOUR FIREFINDER ARTILLERY LOCATINGWITH ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT, TRAINING AND SUPPORTAS BEEN OFFICIALLY PROPOSED. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SALE TO CHINA. COCOM APPROVAL FOR THE SALE WAS RECEIVED IN IN THE ABSENCE OF. CONGRESSIONAL OBJECTIONS, THE SALE SHOULD BE CONCLUDED CIRCA FEBRUARY

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2 THE SRV MILITARY OFFICER INDICATED THAT ALTHOUGH. did NOT G'lVE EXPLICIT APPROVAL OF RECENT CHINESE MILITARY INCURSIONS INTO VIETNAMESE TERRITORY,. MILITARY SALES TO CHINA LEND TACIT SUPPORT TO CHINESE MILITARY ACTIVITIES AGAINST THE SRV. HE ALSO STATED. MILITARY ASSISTANCE, WHETHER IT INVOLVES MODERN OR DATED WEAPONS SYSTEMS. JEOPARDIZES THE MILITARY BALANCE ON THE FRONTIER AND INCREASES SRV SUSPICIONS. MOTIVES IN THE REGION. ALTHOUGH THE SRV. MILITARY AID TO THE CHINESE, WHICH IS SUBSEQUENTLY DEPLOYED AGAINST VIETNAMESE TROOP POSITIONS, THE OFFICER POINTED OUT THAT THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT HOPES TO MAINTAIN DIPLOMATIC TIES WITH BEIJING AND DOES NOT OBJECT IN PRINCIPLE TOCHINA BILATERAL RELATIONS. SIMILARLY, THE SRV DOES NOT OBJECT TO VISITS. NAVAL VESSELS FROM. SEVENTH FLEET AT CHINESE PORTS. HE EMPHASIZED, HOWEVER, THAT UNTIL. ADDRESSES SRV CONCERNS. MILITARY SALES TO CHINA, THERE CAN BE NO FURTHER MOVEMENT TOWARD AN EQUITABLE SOLUTION OF THE MIA ISSUE.

THE SRV MILITARY OFFICER ALSO SAID. EFFORTS TO DATE TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL AND LOGISTICAL SUPPORT FOR THE SEARCH FOP MIA REMAINS ON VIETNAMESE TERRITORY HAVE BEEN INSUFFICIENT. THE SRV HAD HOPED THAT. WOULD ASSIST SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE LOCATION, EXCAVATION, EXHUMATION AND TRANSPORT OF ANY MIA REMAINS AS PRESENT COSTS TO THE SRV GOVERNMENT TO CONDUCT THESE ACTIVITIES ARE PROHIBITIVE.

BASED ON THE ABOVE, THE MILITARY OFICEDR STATED THAT THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT HAS deferred FROM TAKING FURTHER INITIATIVES TO. CONCERNSIS THE MIA ISSUE. . JISSEM:

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Original document.

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