CODEL RANGEL MEETINGS WITH THE PRESS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90B01370R000300470012-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 17, 2008
• Sequence Number: 12
• Publication Date: January 16, 1984
• Content Type: CABLE

Approved For Release 2008/11/17: CIA-RDP90B01370R000300470012-5
UNCLASSIFIED
OLL/LD
RR RUEAIIB
ZNR UUUUU ZOC STATE ZZH
UTS7619
RR RUEHC
DE RUMTBK #2224/01 0161054
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 161053Z JAN 84
FM AMEMBASSY BANGKOK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHOC 6452
RUEHIA/USIA WASHOC 3769
INFO RUMJFS/AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE 6792
RUMJRV/AMEMBASSY RANGOON 5333
BT
UNCLAS BANGKOK 02224
EO 12356: N/A
SUBJ: CODEL RANGEL MEETINGS WITH THE PRESS
MEMBERS OF A VISITING CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION HEADED
BY REPRESENTATIVE CHARLES RANGEL MET WITH THAI
REPORTERS AND BANGKOK-BASED AMERICAN CORRESPONDENTS
ON TWO OCCASIONS. IN ADDITION TO WIRE SERVICE
REPORTS, THERE WERE A NUMBER OF REPORTS IN LOCAL
ENGLISH-LANGUAGE NEWSPAPERS QUOTING CONGRESSMEN
RANGEL AND BENJAMIN GILMAN. THE CODEL DISCUSSED MIAS
IN LIGHT OF LAOTIAN DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER SUBAN
SARITTHIRAJ'S STATEMENT LAST WEEK, AND U.S. AID TO
OPIUM-PRODUCING COUNTRIES FOR ERADICATION PROGRAMS.
EXCERPTS FOLLOW.
1. BANGKOK WORLD "U.S. HOPES LAOS WON'T 'BARGAIN'
OVER MIAS".
- THE U.S. GOVERNMENT HOPES THAT LAOS WILL TREAT
THE ISSUE OF AMERICAN SERVICEMEN MISSING IN ACTION
(MIAS) FROM THE INDOCHINA WAR AS A HUMANITARIAN ISSUE
AND NOT AS ONE REQUIRING AMERICAN RECIPROCITY, A U.S.
CONGRESSMAN SAID IN BANGKOK YESTERDAY.
- "BEN GILMAN, A NEW YORK REPUBLICAN WHO HAS BEEN
GATHERING INFORMATION ON MIAS DURING A TRIP WITH A
CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION HERE, WAS ASKED HIS REACTION
TO LAOTIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER SUBAN
SARITTHIRAJ'S REPORTED CALL LAST WEEK FOR A
'RECIPROCAL ACT' FROM WASHINGTON FOR ALLOWING AN
AMERICAN MIA TEAM INTO LAOS LAST MONTH.
- "AT A NEWS CONFERENCE, GILMAN SAID ALTHOUGH HE WAS
'NOT IRRITATED' BY SUBAN'S CALL, 'WE HOPE IT (THE MIA
ISSUE) WILL BE TREATED AS A HUMANITARIAN ISSUE,' NOT
AS ONE REQUIRING A 'QUID PRO QUO.'
- "SUBAN CALLED ON THE UNITED STATES TO RECIPROCATE
IN AN INTERVIEW IN VIENTIANE WITH THAI JOURNALISTS.
- "WE'RE HOPING WE'LL BE ABLE TO TAKE SOME STEPS TO
BUILD SOME BRIDGES (WITH LAOS) TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE,"
GILMAN SAID.
UNCLASSIFIED
Approved For Release 2008/11/17: CIA-RDP90B01370R000300470012-5
 Approved For Release 2008/11/17: CIA-RDP90B01370R000300470012-5
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TOR: 161608Z JAN 84
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- "GILMAN ALSO SAID THAT TWO REFUGEES AT THE PHANAT
NIKHOM REFUGEE TRANSIT CENTER HAD YESTERDAY GIVEN HIM
'SOME INFORMATION... ON REMAINS AND LOCATIONS OF
REMAINS' OF MIAS, BUT REFUSED TO GO INTO DETAILS.
ONE REFUGEE WAS LAOTIAN AND THE OTHER VIETNAMESE, HE
SAID.
- "RANGEL SAID AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE THAT SOME 22
PER CENT OF THE HEROIN REACHING AMERICAN STREETS NOW
COMES FROM SOUTHEAST ASIA, AN INCREASE OVER RECENT
YEARS. HE SAID HE APPRECIATED THAILAND'S EFFORTS TO
COMBAT DRUG PRODUCTION AND TRAFFICKING, AND ITS
CROP-SUBSTITUTION PROGRAM IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE
COUNTRY.
- "RANGEL SAID THE TRADITIONALLY DRUG-PRODUCING
COUNTRIES WERE NOW GETTING WORRIED AS THEY FOUND
THEMSELVES SADDLED WITH LARGE ADDICT POPULATIONS OF
THEIR OWN.
- HE SAID HE SUPPORTED NEW U.S. LEGISLATION LINKING
U.S. FOREIGN AID WITH A COUNTRY'S ANTI-DRUG CAMPAIGNS
BECAUSE OLD LEGISLATION HAD TOO MANY LOOPHOLES, BUT
CONCEDED THAT CUTTING OFF AID TO NON-COOPERATIVE
COUNTRIES MAY MAKE THEM EVEN MORE DEPENDENT ON
DRUG-DERIVED REVENUES."
2. NATION REVIEW U.S. READY TO GIVE MORE AID TO
FIGHT AGAINST DRUGS IF...."
- "THE U.S. GOVERNMENT IS WILLING TO EXTEND MORE
FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO THAILAND IF THERE IS A
LONG-RANGE PLAN TO FIGHT AGAINST NARCOTICS HERE, A
LEADING U.S. CONGRESSMAN SAID YESTERDAY.
"CHARLES RANGEL (NEW YORK, DEMOCRAT) SAID THAT
THAILAND SHOULD DRAW UP A SPECIFIC PLAN FOR
INCREASING AID.
- HE SAID THAILAND HAS SET A GOOD EXAMPLE FOR
OTHERS IN FIGHTING AGAINST DRUGS. 'I WOULD NOT
HESITATE TO RECOMMEND THAILAND FOR MORE MONEY,' HE
ADDED.
ED 12356: N/A
SUBJ: CODEL RANGEL MEETINGS WITH THE PRESS
- "HE SAID: 'WE WANT TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO
SUPPORT THE GOVERNMENT OF THAILAND'S EFFORT TO FIGHT
THE INCREASED OUTPUT OF OPIUM.'
- "A GROUP OF VISITING U.S. CONGRESSMEN SAID
YESTERDAY THEY WERE IMPRESSED BY THE THAI
ANTI-NARCOTICS AGENCY'S 10-YEAR PROGRAM TO WIPE OUT
OPIUM PRODUCTION.
- "THE U.S. CONGRESSIONAL TEAM HOWEVER EXPRESSED
DISAPPOINTMENT AT THE LACK OF COOPERATION BETWEEN THE
THAI AND BURMESE GOVERNMENTS IN TACKLING OPIUM
GRCWING AND DRUG SMUGGLING.
- THEY SAID THEY HOPED THE TWO GOVERNMENTS WOULD
SIT DOWN AND TALK TO ONE ANOTHER AND COOPERATE MORE
TO ERADICATING OPIUM CULTIVATION IN THEIR RESPECTIVE
COUNTRIES." MORTON
UNCLASSIFIED
Approved For Release 2008/11/17: CIA-RDP90B01370R000300470012-5
 Approved For Release 2008/11/17: CIA-RDP90B01370R000300470012-5
Approved For Release 2008/11/17: CIA-RDP90B01370R000300470012-5