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COUNTRY LAOS .
SUBJECT ROCEEDINGS OF SECOND ROUND OF RLG/NLHS SECRET TALKS, RLG/NLHS AGREEMENT ON POINTS RELATED TO POWS AND TROOP WITHDRAWAL
2. RLG NEGOTIATORS' MEETING WITH PRIME MINISTER SOUVANNA AND THEIR REQUEST HE. SUPPORT TO RLG AND ICC WITH VICE PRESIDENT AGNEW
WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM
TO STATE
TOO NUCC/MC
FOR LT. GENERAL PHILIP
NO DISTRIBUTION EXCEPT TO DR. KISSINGER NO DISTRIBUTION EXCEPT TO DR. RAY S. CLINE EXCLUSIVE FOR VICE ADMIRAL DE POIX EXCLUSIVE FOR ARMY ACSI, MAJOR GENERAL POTTS; NAVY DNI, REAR ADMIRAL RECTANUS; AIR FORCE AF/IN, MAJOR GENERAL KEEGAN EXCLUSIVE FOR LT. GENERAL PHILIPPS
APPROVEDA.
PAGE 3 AOES
SECRET PEACE TALKS. THE RLG SIDE,
INITIATED DISCUSSIONSEASE-FIRE BY PROPOSING THAT NO FORCES IN LAOS BE ALLOWED TO CHANGE THEIR POSITIONS AFTER THE STARTEASE-FIRE. THE NLHS SIDE,]-
COUNTERPROPOSED THAT AFTER THE CEASEFIRE, IN
THOSE PLACES WHERE SUBSTANTIAL NUMBERS OF OPPOSING FORCES ARE LOCATED, SOTH SIDES PULL SACK ONE OR TWO KILOMETERS TO AVOID CLASHES. THE RLG RESTATED ITS INSISTENCE THAT THEREITHDRAWAL2 LINESEASE-FIRE. NO AGREEMENT WAS REACHED PY THE TWO SIDES ON THE CEASE-FIRE ISSUE, AND THE MATTER WAS REMANDED FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION AT THE NEXT MEETING.
2. REGARDING PRISONERS OF WARHE NLHS PROPOSED THAT THE ISSUEOW EXCHANGE BE LEFT UNTIL AFTER AAND THAT THE ISSUE BE HANDLED SEPARATELY BY AN ENLARGED COMMISSION. .THE TWO SIDES AGPEEO THAT POW'S OF ALL NATIONALITIES WOULD BE DEALT WITH BY THIS ENLARGED COMMISSION.
a halt to all bombardment. that
there should alsolause to include north vietnamese aerial
attacks, since north vietnam had used aircraft in laos in the
past. asserted that his side has no aircraft. the rlg
then proposed that the phrase in the agreement should refer to
a halt in all bombing and bombardment.this
language, and the issue was also set aside until thk next
a. the rlg side stated that there shouldithdrawal of all foreign troops from laos, including nva and chinese Responded that the Chinese tn lags are engagedoadbuilding project and that chinese troops are in laos simply to protect the roadbuildersi therefore, the project does not'represent military aggression. the rlo delegation expressed insistence that the phrase "all foreign troops be withdrawn" be included in any agreement,finally agreed to this
language. however, the nlhs side maintained that all lurttuULAR
EITHER BE WITHDRAWN OR ELIMINATED.
5. CONSIDERABLE DISCUSSION ENSUED BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES CONCERNING SUPERVISION AND CONTROLEASE-FIRE. THE NLHS PROMOTED THE CONCEPT OF AN INTERNATIONAL CONTROL COMMISSION CICC) BASED IN VIENTIANE TO SUPERVISE THE CEASE-FIRE. THE RLG SIDE PROPOSED AN ICC SUPPORTEDIXED RLG/NLHS COMMISSION AND HAVING THE FACILITIES TO MONITOR THE CEASE-FIRE THROUGHOUT LAOS. NO AGREEMENT WAS REACHED OB THE ISSUE. IN ONE HEATED
EXCHANGE DURING THE DISCUSSION,THAT PRIME
MINISTER SOUVANNA PHOU MA HAD VISITED INDIA NOT TO
DISCUSS THE ICC BUT TO SEEK MILITARY SUPPORT FROM INDIA. ALSO CLAIMED THATALKS IN BANGKOK WITH THAI PRIME MINISTER KITTAKACHORN. AMBASSADOR UNDER WERE FOR THE PURPOSE OF DISCUSSING CONTINUING THAI MILITARY SUPPORT FOR THE VIENTIANE SIDE. THE RLG DELEGATION FIRMLY REJECTED THESE ACCUSATIONS.
AN RLG PROPOSAL FROM THE
SECRET SESSION, SATING THAT WHILE THE TWO LAOETTLEMENT, THE GREAT POWERS SHOULD BE BROUGHTTHE FINAL DAY TO SIGN THE EVENTUAL AGREEMENT. | NORTH VIETNAM, THE UNITED STATES AND THE GENEVATHE UNITED KINGDOM AND THE USSR, SHOULD SIGNLAO SETTLEMENT,REJECTED THE IDEA.
7. THE NLHS AGAIN PRESSED FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A
POLITICAL CONSULTATIVE COUNCIL (PCC). THE RLG SUGGESTED THAT
THE NAME OFODY BE SOMETHING SIMILAR TO "THE COMMISSION
FOR RECONCILIATION AND CONCORD.AND THAT ITS FUNCTIONS BE DEFINED
ODY IN SUPPORT OF THE GOVERNMENT. THE NLHS,LARIFICATION,
SAID THAT THE PCC'S FUNCTIONS WOULD BE TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS
TO THE GOVERNMENT AND TO PROMULGATE REGULATIONS.
THAT THE PCC SHOULD BE APPROVED BY THE KING AND ITS MEMBERSHIP
SHOULD DE DESIGNATED BY THE THREE PARTIES IN LAOS, BUT WHETHER
IT COMES INTO BEING BEFORE OREASE-FIRE IS NOT IMPORTANT.
iEORET
THE RLG SIDE, AS IN THE FIRST SECRET SESSION, REFUSED TO ACCEPT
THE PCC CONCEPT.REFUSEDPROPOSAL
RESPONDED BY
THAT THE NLHS JOIN THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY BY ASSUMING ONE-THIRD OF THE SEATS. | ]REMARKED THAT TO REJECT THE PROPOSAL IS TO REJECT THE LAO CONSTITUTION AND THE KING. SAYING THAT
SHOULD NOT QUESTION WHETHER OR NOT
RESPECTS THE KING AND CONSTITUTION.
8. THE RLG SIDE ASKED THAT AN EFFORT BE MADE TO DEFINE TERMS MORE CAREFULLY AND TO USE MORE PRECISE LANGUAGE. THE RLG ALSO PROPOSED THAT WHEN AGREEMENT IS REACHEDPECIFIC ISSUE, THE
THE LATTER IDEA, SAYING
RESULTS BE PUBLISHED.
THE RESULTS SHOULD BE MADE PUBLIC ONLYINALIS REACHED. THE NLHS SIDE INFORMET THE RLG DELEGATION THAT NLHS ADVISOR VONGCICHIT WOULD ARRIVE IN VIENTIANE VIA AEROFLOT0EBRUARY. THE MEETING ADJOURNED AFTER BOTH SIDES AGREED TO MEET AGAIN0 HOURS ^EBRUARY ATQ
PAW 8 AWS
THE
THE FOUR
DELEGATES RET SHORTLY WITH PRIME MINISTER SOUVANNA, WHO EXPRESSED APPROVAL OF THE'haNDLING OF THE SECRET TALKS. SOUVANNA SAID THAT HE COULD NOT ACCEPT THE NLHS CONCEPTCC. ON THE OTHER HAND, SOUVANNA SAID THAT HE DOESEASE-FIRE AND THE FORMATIONEW GOVERNMENT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND NEW ELECTIONS THIS YEAR, WITHIN SIX MONTHS IF POSSIBLE.
10. THE RLG NEGOTIATORS URGED THAT SOUVANNA BRING UP TWO SUBJECTS DURINGEBRUARY MEETINGS. VICE PRESIDENT SPIRO i (A) . SUPPORT FOR JEEPS, HELICOPTERS AND AIRCRAFT FOR USE BY THE ICQ IN LAOSj AND (B) . GUARANTEE TO SUPPORT THE RLG IF NORTH VIETNAMEASE-FIRE IN LAOS. SOUVANNA SAID HE WOULD DISCUSS THESE MATTERS WITH VICE PRESIDENT AG NEW. SOUVANNA ALSO SAID THAT DURING HIS
VISIT TO INDIA, HE OBTAINED PRIME MINISTERS SUPPORT FOR AN ENLARGED INDIAN CONTINGENT FOR THE LAO ICC.
Original document.
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