EXCHANGE OF POW LISTS AT 17 SEPTEMBER JCIA MEETING AND DECISION TO HOLD SECOND

Created: 9/18/1974

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

jli the JOINT COMMISSION TOiIMPLEMENT THE AGREEMENT (JCU) MET ON4 TO EXCHANGE1 THE PRISONER OF WAR (POH) LISTS AND TO MAKE FINAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE FIRST POH EXCHANGE IT HAS AGREED Bv HE JCIAECOND EXCHANGE WOULD TAKE PLACE9 SEPTEMBER AND THAT NO MORE THANAMES WOULD'BE EXCHANGED

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THEN,

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AT THE OPENING OF THE MEETING. VIENTIANE SIDE CHIEF DELEGATE TO THE JCIA SOUKAN VILAYSAN SAID THAT THE INTERNATIONAL CONTROLCC) HAD hRIUEN TO THE JCU CONGRATULATING IT ON PROGRESS MADE AND EXPRESSED ITS WILLINGNESS TO SEND SIX ICC REPRESENTATIVES TO THE PLAIN Of JARS TO OVERSEE THE ROW EXCHANGE. SOUKAN ASKEO IF THE LAO PATRIOTIC FRONT (LPF) MADOPT OF' THIS LETTER AND UPON LEARNING THAT THEY HAD NOT PROVIDED THCH WITH ONE.

THE TWO SIDES THEN EXCHANGED POW LISTS. THE LPF LIST CONTAINED ONE AMERICAN. EMMET , AOHAI'S. THE VIENTIANE SIDE LISTORTH VIETNAMESE AND SEVEN

|THE LPF LIST CONTAINS:NO NAMES OF FAR..ERSONNEL. FAR OFFICIALS BELIEVE THAT THE LIST ARE NAMES F GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS. POSSIBLE DISTRICTHO HAD BEEN CAPTURED BY THE PATHET LAO UTOT DISCOUNT THE POSSIBILITY THAT SOME OF THE LAO LISTEO ARB IRREOULAR PERSONNEL.)

ST

FAR HAS NOH DECIDED T0 RETURNORTH VIETNAMESE ARMY (NVA) PCW'S. OUDONE SAID THAT SOME TIME AGO FAR TALKEDHE NVA PON'SO ASKEO SU TO STAV. RECENTLY FAR TALKED TO THEM AGAIN AND THREE OF THE SIX ASKED TO IN THE PAST COUPLE

OF DAYS FAR TALKED TO THE SIX TOGETHER AND OPENL* IN

I .

FRONT OF OTHERS. BUT NONE WANTED TO STAY, THE JCIA NOH

DOES NOT INTEND* AS HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN PLANNED. TO ASK

r "I I I' 'I , I

THE NVA PON'S AT THE AIRPORT BEFORE TAKE-OFF IN FRONT OF THE

COMMENT! IT HQULD APPEAR THAT FAR hA5

ICC IF ANY NISHED TOECIDED TO GET RIDROBLEM BY SENDING ALL THE NVA PON'S BACK.)

5. ARRANGEMENTS HERE THEN DISCUSSED FOR THEEMMETT HAS NOTED THATHOULD BE

USED AND THAT THE AMERICAN EMBASSY HAS MAKING ARRANGEMENTS

WAS SCHEDULED

FLY TO LUANG PRABANG LEAVING VIENTIANE0 HOURS ON

IHt ji I1 !! "

EPTEMBER AND DEPARTING PHONGSAVAN AT BBBB ONEPTEMBER.

DEPENDING ON HEATHER CONDITIONS* THE PLANE SHOULD BE BACKIN VIENTIANE0 HOURS. ACCORDING TO THE LPF. THE

WUiiZ MHlCH HAS ORIGINALLY GOING TO BE USED DIDENOUGHHEN THE AMERICAN EMBASSY COULD NOTRIGHT GAS FOR THE PLANE. IT WAS PROPOSEDPLANE BE

;

HERE NOT OTHER AMERICAN POW'S SINCE MANY HERE LISTED AS

'If '* ' ' it '

1 MISSING INREPLIED THAT THE LPF HAD; NO OTHER

j- !if-

I AMERIC/iNS.)

6. SOUKAN THENETTER RECEIVED FROM THE LAO PRESS ASSOCIATION PROTESTING THE DECISION LIMITING PRESS

; :it"

REPRESENTATIVES AND ASKING THE JCIA TO RECONSIDER THE NUMBER

j I ii ' I

!;OF LAO AND FOREIGN PRESS REPRESENTATIVES TO BE INCLUDED AT THE POW EXCHANGE*. THE LPF.AGREED TO HAVE THREE ADDITIONAL j

; MINISTRY OF INFORMATION REPRESENTATIVESNE FROM AQENCE LAO PRE-SS* ONE FROM LAO RADIO AND ONE-PHOTOGRAPHER. OUKAN MENTIONED THAT THERE WEREOREIGN PRESS REPRESENTATI ACCREDITED IN VIENTIANE. !HE SUGGESTED THEY ALL BE PERMITTED; TO GO SO AS NOT: TO DISCRIMINATE! HOWEVER. IF IT HAS NECESSADY

VES

REPRESENTATIVES OF THE FOLLOWING FOREIGN PRESS MEDIA HAVE

! - I, ; . |

BEEN INVITED TO ATTEND THE POH EXCHANGE! AGENCE

FRANCE PRESS. REUTERS* UNI TED PRESS INTERNATIONAL* TOKYO

NEWS SERVICE* COLUMBIA BROADCASTING SERVICE* AUSTRALIAN

BROADCASTING SERVICE* MAJNICHI SHIMBUN. NEW YORK TIMES*

AMERICAN BROADCASTING COMPANY. BANGKOK DAILY NEWS* PRAVJA-.

VOICE OF AMERICA* LE MONDE DIPLOMATIQUE* YAMIURI SHIMBUN*

! I . i

MARKBLOCH (GERMAN) AND NORTH VIETNAMESE

phess representatives were being selected by tme ministry of information to go to the poh exchange* stressed that only lpf representatives in the ministry had the right to make the selection because the site for the exchange is in lpf controlled area.)

8. ress representatives. lpf acting chiefhiengtham said that the lpf here willing to consider more than five* such as representatives of lan xang kao na and the young ideals party paper,hot, he said. however. the lpf categorically refused to include representatives of xat lao or sleng seri since these media do not represent tme two sides and are trying to create dissension,

it has agreed that there would be

aircraft employed for the prisoner exchange i four to

transport the pom's and one for the jcia and other lao

government representatives* icc representatives and

theand foreign press representatives. if all goes

according to schedule the official and press representatives sh0ul3 hfcturn to vientiane0 hourseptember. o pow's will be flown to the reception center at phou khao khoua. the thai pow's will be flown directly to thailand. except fqr one aircraft. with both thai's and lao on tjoard* which will land first at phou khao khoua to off-load the lao

10, ccording to pressof the nva' row's at sam khe prison inthby are planning" to 6mbarass lao authohit1esprisoner exchange oneptember. firstly theyto heajr fresh clothing provide!) for the occasionon wearing tattered and worn prison uniforms. they will claim that thfy have been depriveoclothing and food throughoutrison authorities of responsibilitycondition. they plan to accusef allmistreatment, including torture with electrodes.)

Original document.

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