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ORIGIN EA-06
INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 ARA-06 /013 R
66604
DRAFTED BY EA/VN:LMPETERS:BK
APPROVED BY ARA:HARYAN
EA:RHMILLER
--------------------- 025555
R 071641Z APR 75
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
INFO AMEMBASSY SAIGON 0604
S E C R E T STATE 077991
LIMDIS
NOFORN
FOLLOWING SENT SECSTATE WASHDC INFO USUN NEW YORK 03 APR 75:
QUOTE S E C R E T SANTIAGO 1989
LIMDIS
NOFORN
E.O. 11652: GDS
TAGS: PFOR, SHUM
SUBJECT: CHILE: REQUEST FOR USG VIEWS RE UNACTION ON VIETNAM
1. FONMIN CARVAJAL ASKED ME TO SEE HIM ON SHORT NOTICE
APRIL 3. SAID PRESIDENT PINOCHET WOULD BE RETURNING FROM
SOUTH THIS AFTERNOON APRIL 3 AND HAD TELEPHONED AHEAD
THAT HE WISHED TO DISCUSS WITH FONMIN THE POSSIBILITY OF
A CHILEAN MOVE IN THE UN TO DENOUNCE HUMAN RIGHTS
VIOLATIONS BY NVN AND VIET CONG, HAVING IN MIND STATUS
OF VIETNAM REFUGEES IN TERRITORY BEING LOST BY GVN.
FONMIN ASKED ME FOR MY VIEWS ON FEASIBILITY OF SUCH AN
OPERATION.
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2. I TOLD CARVAJAL THAT I HAD NO SPECIAL INFORMATION ON
SITUATION, APART FROM OUR NORMAL, UNCLASSIFIED SOURCES.
GAVE HIM VARIOUS WIRELESS FILE ARTICLES AND STATEMENTS
PRESENTING USG POINT OF VIEW ON VIOLATION OF PARIS
ACCORDS AND HUMANITARIAN ACTION ON BEHALF OF VIETNAM REFUGEES.
SAID THAT I WOULD OF COURSE HAVE TO SPEAK ON ENTIRELY
PERSONAL BASIS BEYOND THAT POINT.
3. CONTINUING, I SAID THAT IN HIS TALK WITH THE
PRESIDENT FONMIN MIGHT WISH TO BEAR TWO POINTS IN MIND.
FIRST, THE TREMENDOUS PRESS AND MEDIA PLAY REGARDING THE
FATE OF THE VIETNAM REFUGEES DEALT VERY LARGELY WITH A SITUATION
OCCURRING IN AREAS STILL UNDER GVN JURISDICTION. WHILE
COMMUNIST OFFENSIVE WAS CERTAINLY UNDERLYING CAUSE FOR
PANIC AND TREMENDOUS SUFFERING, COMMUNISTS COULD NOT TO THIS
EXTENT BE ACCUSED OF DIRECT COMPLICITY. BREAKDOWN HAD OCCURRED,
IN OTHER WORDS, IN GVN LOCAL ADMINISTRATION BEFORE
TERRITORIAL TAKE-OVER BY COMMUNISTS, AND THAT
WAS BASICALLY WHAT HAD BEEN PHOTOGRAPHED AND TELEVISED.
FATE OF REFUGEES ONCE COMMUNISTS HAD TAKEN OVER WOULD
NO DOUBT BE TERRIBLE, BUT I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE
DIFFICULT AT THIS EARLY STAGE, AND PROBABLY EVEN LATER,
TO OBTAIN THE KIND OF FACTUAL EVIDENCE SO FULLY
PROVIDED BY THE FREE PRESS WITHIN GVN-CONTROLLED
TERRITORY. SUCH EVIDENCE WOULD BE NEEDED TO MAKE A CASE IN THE UN.
4. SECOND POINT I MADE WAS THAT GOC SHOULD IN MY
OPINION BE VERY CAREFUL TO CONSIDER THE CONSEQUENCES
IF IT INTENDED ACTUALLY TO PROPOSE THAT A UN ORGAN
CONSIDER, AS A FORMAL AGENDA ITEM, HUMAN RIGHTS
VIOLATIONS IN VIETNAM. OUR EXPERIENCE OVER MANY YEARS
HAD SHOWN THAT THE UN WAS A MOST UNSATISFACOTRY AND
UNFAIR FORUM FOR DEALING WITH THE VIETNAM PROBLEM. PLAIN
FACT WAS THAT NEITHER CHILE NOR GVN COULD OBTAIN A
FAIR HEARING AT THE UN AT THIS TIME. ONE COULD PREDICT
THAT ANY UN INITIATIVE STARTED BY CHILEANS WOULD BE
TAKEN OVER BY ELEMENTS HOSTILE TO THE CASE CHILE WAS
PRESENTING AND WOULD THUS FAIL.
5. IN CONTRAST, I SAID, THE STATEMENT ISSUED BY
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CHILEAN FONOFF APRIL 2 (SEPTEL), WHICH I HAD GATHERED
WOULD BE CIRCULATED AT THE UN, SEEMED TO ME AN ADEQUATE
EXPRESSION OF THE CHILEAN POINT OF VIEW.
6. FONMIN EXPRESSED APPRECIATION AND AGREEMENT WITH
MY REMARKS. ASKED ME IF I COULD NOT GET A READING FROM
DEPARTMENT SOONEST, TO BE USED IN ONGOING INTERNAL
CHILEAN GOVERNMENT DISCUSSION.
7. COMMENT: I HAVE THE IMPRESSION THAT CARVAJAL IS
REACTING TO A HIGHLY CHARGED VISCERAL IMPULSE ON
THE PART OF THE PRESIDENT AND THE ADVISERS ACCOMPANYING
HIM IN THE SOUTH -- AN IMPULSE WHICH IF CARRIED THROUGH
COULD BACKFIRE BADLY FOR THE CHILEANS. THIS MAY BE AN
OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE THE CHILEANS SOME FRIENDLY AND
USEFUL ADVICE, AND TO HELP CARVAJAL OUT OF A DIFFICULT PERSONAL
SITUATION, AND I WOULD THEREFORE WELCOME AN EXPRESSION OF
DEPARTMENT'S VIEW AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, TO PASS BACK TO FONMIN.
POPPER UNQUOTE INGERSOLL
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