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POWflBA^socxated UarkingS in Southeast Asia
Zacrodaetian
This intooBtion mi prepared by che Central intelligence Agency Car the Scute Select Cornnltccte an KW/KXA Affairs. Itxaamary ot CIA analysis performed inUel, aod 1M3 of areas ia Vietnam end Laos where Barkings en buildings and terrain wore evaluated at evidence of possible links to OS PCJU/KXAS in Soutfcsant AtU.
Analysis of
Sri .on caap. Starch viotnsa
The prison is located atapproximatelyilometers vaat-northwest of the port or Cant is locatedecluded area at the base of the foothillsilometer north of Dona Hangilometers north of.
Although weunable to find any conclusive evidence that this prison might contain American Rows, there are several unique features in this prison that differ from other known Vietnamese prisons. It is secludedelatively reset* area and has an access control point on the road loading to the case. Malls within the compound physically end visually ssgzegate che prisoners. The visual segregation of prisoners indicates it is
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orced labor cup. The only othsr tacvn prison that used internally walled eonpouads to segregate tha prisoners we* the
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Dan Red.
There wai cool repair work on ou ot the confinement building*/living quuten inS. ody of thianique alternating light aad dork pat torn on the roof. This pattern. In the Cora of squares, was repeated three tines at different locations en the root. Because of the seemingly unusual nanocr in which the roof wee being repaired, we attempted to discern if this pattern.vac coincidental or purposeful. He wore unable to snake this distinction ud realise that the
prospect of it being purposeful is resoce. It is hot known if
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prisoners would be used or allowed to asjee these repairs. Eowever. we did invosticate thie possibility. An attempt was ude to transpose this pattern into Horse code. The white squares, being larger than the dark ones, were considered as dashes and tha dark squares an dots. ash-dot-daub, in Horse code transpones as tha letter K. However, two less conspicuous possibilities exist. These are thend TX chat era variations of the sane dash-dot-da ih pattern. Me contacted an individual in too Depertstent of tense who has extensive knowledge of the PCM situation. According to thie Individual, thaas the pernanently designated signal leteer assigned to sir crews should they be downed and unable to recall the monthly and/or daily assigned signal letters. Thin information has been coafirned through discussions with foraer KMs.
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The' prison was under conatraction adjacentmail possible detention cenp in The possible detention eemp consistedecured cottpound containing approximately tenaesvipermanent buildings, as work on the present prison progressed, the semipermanent facility was dismantled.
The currently existing prison consistsalled coepound containing eight confinement buildings/living Quarters, one probable moscball. two supportt least four Latrines, ten unidentifed buildings and two probable guard houses/towers. The interior of the compound is divided intoeparately secured areeii. Bach area is securedolid wallingle access. Tbe only buildings in the eoaoound tbat are not separately secured ere the probable messhall and two support buildings. Studies of prisons in North Vietnam known to contain poms during the war have shown efforts to segregate the prisoners by using vails or other materials to obscure visibility. Bowever. none were as extensively segregated as'at thismall building, possibly used for solitary confinement, is located outside of the walled exsnpound. ttic building is secured on three sidna by fencing and on one side by the east wall of the cospound. Two possible guard houses/towers are at the two outer corners of the fenced area. Another guard tower is locatedillside outside of the coapound near the southeast corner and it affords good visibility of the entire prison.
During construction of one of the confinement buildings/living Quarters, we determined that there would be eight rooms er cells. Assuming the other confinement buildings also contain eight rooms and it two to four prisoners were in
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each room. the confound could containrisoners-
A large, area behind the east Ireax) wall of tha coapounrf haa bean cleared aad leveled. Portion* of an outer well have been constructed around the eossaound with'one isomeric of this outer wall extandine: into the cleared area. Ina height of thie outer wall io about three tines higher tbat the existing wall securing the prison. If this cleared area is for enlarging the eossaound, it could increase the current capacity by approximatelyercent.
The edainistretien end support facility tor the prison is located just outside tha prison corpound, Ihis facility consists of one administration building, three barracks, one probable sasshall and several support buildings.
A possible eatallito/auxiliary detention case isnters northwest of the main cosnoand. This easp began to develop as construction of the main compound progressed. It may have been constructed to hold personnel from the possible detention cesn that was dismantled to make room for the main ceaepound. If this satellite areaetention facility, it indicates an effort to separate tha prisoners being kept there from those being confined at the main compound. Otherwise tbe stain cenpound would have originally been constructed of sufficient else to accooxxlate these prisoners.
This possible satellite compound is triangular shaped and contains four to five possible confinentent buildings/living
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quarter* ud several support buildings. These buildings are much smeller than those at the main compound. Two Malls' of the compound are in the open/ but vegetation covers the area where we expect the third wall to be. Therea rye opening where the two wells should meet. This largo opening raises questions about the security oC the cocpound. wine aosdnistration/support buildings are located outoide of the ccs^ound.
Analysis of
Th&Xbefc, Laos
Detention
of
A detention camp is located in central Laos,m eastatZc. iselatively isolated
eroa- The cu^jtrtsesTBnonee^atweena ande determined it was occupied inut could not identify persons in tha caap.
The camp is located in the northwestarge cleared area of slash and bum activity. What appears toow fence ia present at the tree line around part of the clearing. The carp consists of an outer area and an inner area, each of which is enclosedence.
Tbe outer stockade-type fence Isan area of0 square meters. tfetVaea^enee and tbe inner fence, there are guard forcetrench, an su coma tic weapons position, two observationrow crops. The; observation towers sre thatch-roofed enda platformtho ground. The
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only "cirt.ri- through too eatert the southwestrail leads from this entrance toeters to the west, The trail is wide enough for vehicles but there was no indication of vehicular use.
The inner compound is located.near the center of thecompound encompasses an area ofquare metersenclosedtockade-type fence
main- entrance to this compound is near tha eoutnwcs^eoraerecond entrance near the northwest corner. The inner conpound contains Five buildings, several sheds, and various unidentified structures /objects located mostly alone; the rossjound perimeter. The two largest buildings appear to bearrow fenced corridor extends from tbe southeast corner of the inner compoundluster of trees.
a flee, nearly square cleared area ofquare meters is aboutaters east of. the camp. Its function ia unknown. mall possible earthen dam is locatedcream that flews through the east side of the camp, ew buildings, which could have some relation to tha caap, are located in the forest south of the slash and burn area around tho ci
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Xna. onlynarrow foot trail passed through tha heavy forest now containing the caap. Byne
primary structures bad been constructed but tha camp did not seem complete.
lyele of Hhoeaacatb Decaneloa camp, Laos
a detention oamp is located in central Laos,m eastatIt iselatively Isolated
area. Tnecamp was established between8 and9 and was occupied in We could not identify persons in tho camp. A
The camp is located in the northwestarge cleared of i. in eh and bum activity, what appears toow fence is present at the tree line' around part of the clearing. Tha cam consists of aa outer area and an inner area) each of which ia enclosedence.
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outer for.ee and tha inner fence, there are guard forcetrench, an automatic weapons position, two observationcrops, and what appears co be the numbern thelocated between the two fencestream with twoused to impound water, 'probably for the row crops. towers appear to be positioned for cfeaervingcompound. The cowers are thatch-roofed and each hasground. The only
entrance through the outec frn'ic ir, ut the southwestrail leads from this entrance toeters to the west. The trail is wide enough for vehicles, but there was no evidence of vehicular traffic.
what appears to be the nusfeer S3 is en the ground in the row crop area between the inner compound and the stream on the east side of tbe camp- Each mineraleters wideeters high. The two numerals appear to be shallow depressions, possibly with low vegetation along some of the outer edgce. If the numerals had been formed by vegetation, growth over time would^have enhanced their shape.
is such that theykeiy cannot be seen from either of the two observation cowers because of trees located in the line of sight.
The inner eonpound is located near tha center of theccesj>ound encompasses an area otquare metersenclosedruThe
nain entries to thin compound is near the southwest corner with aentrance near the northwest corner. Tne inner compound
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five buildings, several sheds, and various unidentified structures/objecta located roostly along the compound perimeter. The two largest buildings appear to be barracks. Tha inner compound searned to be occupied in Two parallel fenced corridors extend from the southeast corner of the inner cvanpoundluster of trees.
a gently sloped, nearly square, oleared area ofquare meters is located about AO meters east of the camp. ree wasan ding in one corner of the areaossible automatic weapons position wae recently dug ia another comer. This cleared area's function is unknown. hird earthen dam is located outside tha fenced camp oa the stream that flows through the east side of the caap. ew buildings, which could have some relation to the camp, are located in the forest south of the slash and bum area around tha camp.
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B,arrow foot trail passed throughheavy? forest now containing the camp. Byhetructures had been constructed but the camp did not eppeaV complete.
Analysis of
Our analysis of8 information focused on several unusual inarfcinge--the letters USA and what3 Air Force escape and evasion symbol knownalking Kilo (essentially thesed toownedthe ground vest of Sam Mean, Laos, tfe are uncertain as to who eey hdve made tbeae nartings, but recently completed analysis givesetter understanding of how the narkinga were made, how longmarkings may have been present, aad what activity may have been going on concurrently in the surrounding region.
We obtained earlyndnformation on the Sam Wcua area, but the marking* ware not present as imS.
analysis enabled us to more confidently determine that thereelative age difference between the OSA letter* and the possible Walking Kilo. It also enabled us to make en assessment aa to the method used to create the markings. Our analysis suggests the following i
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Tab OSA letterswr by not nor.ew
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than the possible Walking Kilo.-.
Tne osa markings! were aunmade. Because of the apparent decay of. the poasible walking Kilo, it could not be determined if it was manaade. although that possibility cannot be ruled out.
Wo other markings-or symbols were identified in the Sam Ncua area.
The aarkinqs appear to have been createdraing depressions ia the ground--either stanped, or more likelywere then filled with water. Tha area surrounding the letters may indicate recently dug soil, and tbe narrow portions otay indicate that the water was drying up. The markings do not appear to be formed from msnmade material or trom vegetation.
tbe markings were constructedice paddy, it is likely that the OSA was formed after the harvest season, which ends in December, and would have been obliterated by the oeginning of the rainy seasons in Kay, when rice shoots arc transplanted into the flooded
paddies.
xih related analysis, our study indicates that the markings may have bean visibleortion ofust to tha northeast. The letters were positioned so that an individual traveling alongrom the northeast to southwest could have seen then, in addition, the markings would have been
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clearly visible to an aircraft or hclieopter taking off from the airfield at Sam Weua, whichm to che west northwest, if that aircraft took off frost east to west into the prevailing winds and flew in tbe direction of Vientiane or Xiartgkhoeng.
finally, we studied other interaction to assess activity in Bus Pnan Province in general and tbe San. Veua area ia particular. He reached the Collowing conclusions:
An historical precedent exists for suggesting the presence of American PONs in the 3am Neua area.
- Photographs takeneconnaissance aircraft in
9 show what stay be as saury ason-Asians
. accompanied by Pa that Lao guards near cavesan Hafcay Teu.m east of the Sam Scua markings. Sam
I Neua at that timeajor racket Leo Btronghold.
Thereubscaatial amount ef reported sightings
of American PONs in this region following the discovery of the Sam Reua markings, indicating that DIA'sot ions probably presented locals to offer information after the markings were found. However, in no caso did further analysis confirm any of these reports.
t Reports indicate that there wasa, and continues to be to thisertain amount of insurgency. best described an low-levelthe vicinity of Sam Veua. This in turn prompted someoperations by Lao government forces, and rayfor some reports of unusual activity.
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rr. ie very likelymall niUDber ot soviet personnel {mainly pilots) occasionally visited Sea Ncua as late ndeed number of other Westerners similarly traveled to the town, sometimes upast the site of the Sam Ncua partings -
na lye is ef surface markings Wear musng ram, lavad
Our analysis of1 also focused on what appeared to be ground markings resembling possible numbers and letters in rice paddies SOO maters south of. the village of Kuang Tan, abouta southeast of Xieny Khouang provincial town, oahose markings resembled (depending on tbe,, or iSY in one rice paddy, end in the other paddy eitherr LQ. j
determining whether or not thesean be attributedossible American POW/HTA presence.
When the USA merking was detected near Sam Keua, Laos, we reeaqnsined other areas inand discovered the possible Barkings near Kuang Tan. We obtained8 and9 Informationha Kuang Tan area, but tha markings were net precent as in
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Our review indicates that the possible BsaxJeinos moat likely were associated with the rehabilitation of terraced rice paddy dikes.
e compared the8 information with later
andtalignem-nt of the rice paddy contain-in the possible Barkingslo. arking actually was the resulthadow cast by the rising sun on an angularthe time--disconnected section of terraced dike. ompleted dike withhaped angle was incorporatedonger terrace. quare with rounded corners) had disappeared, hut one side of this
round-cornered square had been, incorporatedew terrace dike. This shape routinely occurs
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throughout rice paddies in this region, and maymail diked area employed in the growing, harvesting, or processing of rice.
comparative analysis of tha terraced rice paddy In which the possibleSY marking was noted indicated that portions of the,adere also part of an effort to rehabilitate and realign the dike. However,ortion pf the possible amrkings can readily be attributed to shadow caused by the buildup in heightectloo of dike
" well. The remainder may result from shadows incaused by excavation o* soil to rebuild the dike.
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uch of the6 square aster psddy area
containing the possible markings was being rehabilitatedB The repair and rehabilitation of terraced paddiesoutine occurrence insia. This work generally occurs in the dryMoTsssier throughfter the riee harvest.
We also assessed other activity in the Xieng Khousng area in
here were sone reports regarding sightings or lack, of sightings of possible American POwg in xieng Khoung Province. Evidence cited, ia many of these reports is Inconclusive and often contradictory.
X few soviet, military advisors were" least in the earliera long-tea effort beginning5 to upgrade the Xieng Xhoung (aha Thong Bai Kin) Airfield, some probably were still ia the area
Ths Lao resistance was active in Xieng. although the snail siso of the insurgency limited it to hit-and-run attacks against government outposts in the countryolde. This may account for some reports of unusual activity.
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Original document.
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