ARMY PAPER DECRIES RUSSIAN POW DOCUMENT

Created: 9/14/1993

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

Besi Hid

umber:

FS_NUHBBK:

EPORT_DATE:

EADLINE;

Army Paper Decries Russianocua-mt

DallyFS_NUMBER:

EPORT_NUMBER:

EPORT.VOLUWK|

Tuesday Vol IVEPORT_SERIBS:

DailyTART_PAOE: 52

ND. .PAGE: 53

.RBPORT_DIVISION:

SOUTHEAST ASIA

.REPORT.SUBDIVISION|

Vietnam .AC_PILE_FLAG: ,UDC_NUNBEP: -REPORT_NAME: East Asia .CLASSIFICATION:

UNCLASSIFIED .LANGUAGE:

Vietnamese .DISSEMINATION;OCUMCrr_DATB:

CITY_SOURCB:

Hanoi Voice of Vietnam Network .HEADLINE:

Army Paper Decries Russian PON Document .SUBHEADLINB: .AUTHOR:

Quang Lot: ype of Trading on tbe Suffering ol Other People.AUTHOR:

.AFFILIATION:

ROADCAST:

.REFERENCE:

.SOURCE.LINK:

anoi Voice of Vietnam Network in0 GMTep 93

.SUBSLUG:

[Commentary fromeptomber QUAN DOI NHAN

DAN by: ype of Trading on the Suffering

of Other People. "1

.SUBSLUG: .REPORT TOC

ELtASE

1

[Commentary fromeptember QUAN DOI NHAN

unmi-a, am

O/cgl-blnta(cgi.YF

DAN by Quang Loi: ype of Trading on che Suffering of OtherTEXT:

'Text) The Issue of Russian documents related to American POW's during the Vietnam war has again hit the

headlines. Thisocument, allegedly originated

from Soviet military intelligence, has fabricated that Vietnam held. pilots in thes,

insteads announced byTEXT:

This document alsotory that the Vietnam Workers Party Centralh plenum, which is said to have been held in0 oriscussed. POWEXT:

Our country's Foreign Ministry spokesman rejected this Russian documenteptember as an ill-intentioned fabrication and asserted: At the time of the signing of the Paris agreement, Vietnam had inmerican

and foreign POW's and returned all of them to.

Government ino far.. fOW'a left

behind after the war have been held captive inEXT:

This is not the first time thatussian document of

this type has surfaced. One can still recall that early in

April this year thereimilar Russian document

released by certain people claiming that this was a

Russian translation2 report from General Tran

Van Quang. deputy chief of the General Staff to the

Political Bureau. According to this document, Hanoi had

held. POW's as of mid-September

f course,. side could not ignore the

phenomenal substance of this Russian document, while

U.S. intelligence specialists were themselves busy

studying this document. General John Vessey,.

presidential special envoy, flew to Hanoi to meet General Tran Van

Quang in order to obtain first-hand

knowledge of the authenticity of the RussianTEXT:

In an interview granted to QUAN DOI NHAN DAK

following this meeting. General Tran Van Quang

pointed out that this document was sheer fabrication;

that during the. he held the position of

commander of the Pourth Military Region and then

commander and political commissar ofront

encompassing the Tri Thien Hue region: and that he

never held any jobs having to do. POW's and

thereby never wrote any documents on this issue. As for

General John Vessey, he also said he was suspicous

about the authenticity of this document. . TEXT:

After spending some time studying this. specialists involved concluded: The Russian document

put the figure. POW's too high to be trusted.

..TEXT:

That first Russian document was releasedime when President Bill Clinton was examining the possibility of the United States ceasing to prevent the International Monetary Fund, IMF, from of (firing loans topontaneous act toward lifting theTEXT:

It isoincidence that this second Russian document has been releasedime when. President

Isifficult decision as to whether he should extend or lift the embargo against Vietnam, which has

been in place over the past IBTEXT:

One should recallittle moreear ago. motivated by some obscure feelings, Mr. (Kaiogyn) [words indistinct) fabricated that Vietnam sent. row's to the former Soviet Union's Siberia region for detention and he personally interrogated. POW's. Mr. (Kaiogyn)'s allegationublic controversy in. investigation committee was immediately sent to Moscow to look into this issue. The committee's conclusion was that (Kaiogyn)'s allegation was groundless. (Kaiogyn) was also invited to Washington to answer questions at. professional agencies. Itad fact for {Kaiogyn) that the myth he fabricated had only one effect, that is, it madeaughingEXT:

When recalling the process of solving tho POW/NXA issue, one should not fail to point out the fact that there were numerous touts [teen cof mooif] who. out of their desire for money, made up stories and provided. side with fabricated information. They claimed. POW's were detained in thatched houses enclosed with bamboo wells. Tbey evenhotograph of some Russian men. which they cut outormer Soviet magazine and seat to the United States, claiming that they personally took this photo. POW's still held captive in Indochina. All these sensational details are. indeed, enough tohrilling detectiveEXT:

These types of efforts to earn money in on inhuman way in the past were limited to certain bad elements of the Vietnamese exile community. But now. this trading on the suffering of American families with loved ones who died or disappeared during the Vietnam war seems to be taking on an internationalEXT:

The Vietnam war has been over for nearlyears now, but the time does not seem to be long enough to make the United States forget an unprecedented tragedy that hurt its strength and credibilityuperpower, which had been regarded asEXT:

ew years now. the Internal ranks of the United

States have been split into two camps. Tho bulk of the

American people, especially the manufacturing and business circles,

wish to see. Administration

promptly lift its embarao against Vietnam and normalize relations. Whereas, the other camp -made up of

woman's. war veterans, families of American servicemen

killed or missing in action, and those

who have been unable to overcome hard feelings about

tbe past or have been mieintormed-contlnues to

demand that the administration maintain its embargo.

POW/mia hasulnerable [deex toonr

thuowngl issue. society. Against this background,

the fabricated, ill-intentioned Russian document is creating a

negative impact capable- of obstructing the process of normalization of

Vietnamese relations,

especially at this very sensitive juncture.

.TEXT:

The normalization of relations between two nations involvedar is not easy. It is effected by the political, psychological. and emotional feelings of the two sides involved. Many complex issues caused by the

am

r*cciRl^ONUiRO Wr*WQ_RESB_

war are still heavily preoccupying and causing pain to the American and Vietnamese people alike. But the need to overcome the heavy vestiges of the past In order to set sail into the future regarding relations between the two countries has become an Inevitable demand tn line with the interests of bothEXT:

Proceeding from our understanding of those American families whose sons were killed or missing In action, the government and people of Vietnam have actively helped and cooperated with the United States in solving the POW/MIA issuepiri of humanitarLanlsm. This has produced satisfactory results. The world at large is welcoming the good-willed and humanitarian attitude and positive actions adopted by the government and people of Vietnam, and the positive trend towardVietnamese relations. Many countries, including various Western countries such as France. Japan, Italy. Belgium. Germany, Australia, and Canada, have made positive contributions to this process. Therefore, tho release of the fake Russian document at this time is highly suspicious. .TEXT:

of '1

Original document.

---

---