[120022Z.OH 06/16/96]

ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE

ROUTINE

R 120022Z OCT 93 ZYB PSN 784170P27

FM CDR JTF-FA HONOLULU HI//J2//

TO SECDEF WASHINGTON DC//USDP: RSA//

INFO WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASH DC
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHINGTON DC//CA/EAP/VLC/CCS/OCS//
JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC//J5/J
USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI//J2/J3/J30-M//
USCINCPAC LO WASHINGTON DC
CIA WASHINGTON DC//DEA/SEA/IB/DDO/EA/ICOG//
DIA WASHINGTON DC
CDRUSACILHI HICKAM AFB HI//TAPC-PED-H//
RUEHBT/USDAO BANGKOK TH//PW-MIA//
RUEHBT/CJTFFA DET ONE BANGKOK TH

UNCLAS //N03460//

MSGID/GENADNIN/CDR JTF-FA/J223//

SUBJ/INTERVIEW OF REQUESTED SOURCE,  LUU VAN LOI//

REF/A/FAX/CJTFFA DET ONE/08OCT93//
THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS A VERBATIM TRANSCRIPTION OF AN ORAL
HISTORY PROJECT FIELD REPORT//

RMKS/1. BACKGROUND. ON 5 OCTOBER 1993,  A JOINT U.S./VIETNAM
ORAL HISTORY PROGRAM INTERVIEW TEAM INTERVIEWED LUU VAN LOI,  AN
80 YOA HANOI RESIDENT. MR. LOI IS CURRENTLY AN ADVISOR TO THE
CONTINENTAL SHELF COMMITTEE OF THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS OF
VIETNAM. HE WAS FORMERLY A LAWYER AND FOREIGN SERVICE OFFICER
WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE PARIS PEACE ACCORDS. THE JOINT TEAM MET
AT THE GOVERNMENT GUEST HOUSE. NUMBER 2 LE THACH STREET, HANOI,

TO INTERVIEW MR. LOI,  LISTED IN REF AS A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF
INFORMATION CONCERNING U.S. PERSONNEL MISSING IN ACTION (MIA) IN
VIETNAM. THE U.S CONTINGENT CONSISTED OF MR. [XXXX][XXXX][XXXX], DET
2 CASUALTY RESOLUTION SPECIALIST; AND TSGT [XXXX][XXXX][XXXX],
ORAL HISTORY PROGRAM COORDINATOR THE VIETNAMESE CENTRAL
GOVERNMENT CONTINENT CONSISTED OF COLONEL LE KY,  MINISTRY
OF DEFENSE; AND MR. NGUYEN VAN THANG LOI, MINISTRY OF INTERIOR.

2. SUMMARY. THE SOURCE, LUU VAN LOI,  PROVIDED AN OUTLINE AN

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OUTLINE OF HIS CAREER FROM THE MID 1940'S  THROUGH THE SIGNING OF

THE PARIS PEACE ACCORDS IN JANUARY 1973.  HE CLAIMED NO KNOWLEDGE
CONCERNING THE DISPOSITION OF ANY U.S. PERSONNEL MIA IN SOUTHEAST
ASIA OR DOCUMENTS RELATED TO THE PW/MIA PROBLEM. HE ALSO KNEW
NOTHING CONCERNING U.S. PERSONNEL LIVING FREELY OR AGAINST THEIR
WILL IN VIETNAM SINCE 1973.

3. DETAILS. AFTER INTRODUCTORY STATEMENTS BY THE JOINT TEAM, THE
SOURCE,  LUU VAN LOI (LWU VAWN LOWIJ), PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING
INFORMATION:
    A. MR. LOI BEGAN HIS PROFESSIONAL CAREER IN 1945  WORKING WITH
TWO FRENCH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPERS,  LE REPUBLIC AND LE POST. IN
HANOI. AFTER THE START OF THE FRENCH WAR, HE JOINED THE MILITARY IN
EARLY 1947  AS THE HEAD OF VIETNAM'S FIRST ENEMY PROSELYTING
OFFICE. RESPONSIBLE FOR PROPAGANDA AGAINST FRENCH TROOPS AND
PRISONERS OF WAR (PW), HE CLAIMED THAT HE,  BETTER THAN ANYONE.
UNDERSTOOD THE SPIRIT AND INTENT OF VIETNAM'S OFFICIAL PW POLICY. AT
THE END OF THE FRENCH WAR,  HE WAS AMONG  THE FIRST VIETNAMESE
OFFICERS TO NEGOTIATE WITH FRENCH COUNTERPARTS AT AN INTERMEDIARY
CONFERENCE PRIOR TO THE GENEVA CONVENTION. HE HELPED CARRY OUT
PW REPATRIATION AFTER THE GENEVA ACCORDS,  AT WHICH TIME HE
CLAIMED VIETNAM RETURNED ALL FRENCH PRISONERS. HE SAID, HOWEVER,
THAT THE FRENCH DID NOT RESPOND IN KIND, MAINTAINING A NUMBER OF
VIETNAMESE CIVILIAN PRISONERS.
   B. IN 1960,  MR. LOI WENT OVERSEAS AS A FOREIGN SERVICES
OFFICER. BEGINNING IN 1968, HE PARTICIPATED IN U.S./DEMOCRATIC
REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM (DRV) PEACE NEGOTIATIONS AND WAS INVOLVED
THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS, CONSTANTLY REASSESSING THE SITUATION AND
HELPING FORMULATE A SETTLEMENT. HE WAS IN PARIS IN OCTOBER 1972 FOR
DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN LE DUC THO AND DR. HENRY KISSINGER
CONCERNING,  AMONG OTHER SUBJECTS, PW REPATRIATION. ALSO INVOLVED
IN THESE NEGOTIATIONS, MR. LOI RECALLED, WERE MR. WINSTON LORD,
MR. SULLIVAN,  MR. WOODWARD, AND MR. NEGROPORTE. THE PW ISSUE WAS A
CAREFULLY DELIBERATED ONE, BUT FINALLY BOTH SIDES APPROVED AND. AT
1130 HRS ON 27 JANUARY 1973, THE ACCORDS WERE SIGNED.
    C. THE DRV ATTACHED GREAT IMPORTANCE TO CARRYING OUT PARIS
PEACE ACCORDS MANDATES AND SO,  IN ORDER TO MANAGE THE PROCEEDINGS
PROPERLY,  SENT A MILITARY DELEGATION TO SAIGON. ON THE SOME DAY
AND HOUR THE PARIS PEACE ACCORDS WERE SIGNED, LUU VAN LOI LEFT
PARIS TO SERVE WITH THE FOUR PARTY JOINT MILITARY COMMISSION
(FPJMC) AS DEPUTY HEAD OF THE DRV'S MILITARY DELEGATION TO THE
REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM (RVN) IN SAIGON
    D. THE DELEGATION'S TWO MAIN TASKS WERE TO ARRANGE FOR U.S.
TROOP WITHDRAWAL AND FOR U.S. REPATRIATION. THE FPJMC ACCOMPLISHED
BOTH UNDERTAKINGS,  MR. LOI SAID,  TO INCLUDE REPATRIATING U.S.
PRISONERS CAPTURED BY THE PROVISIONAL REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENT IN
THE SOUTH.
    E. ALTHOUGH HE WAS AWARE OF A U.S. PW "DIED IN CAPTIVITY
LIST"  PRESENTED IN PARIS,  MR. LOI WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE

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SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IN DRAFTING THAT DOCUMENT. HE
SUGGESTED THAT MR. NGOC DUNG (NGOCJ ZUNG), A FORMER LIEUTENANT
COLONEL (LTC) WHO WAS DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THE U.S. PW
REPATRIATION PROCESS FOR THE PROVISIONAL REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENT
(PRO) MIGHT PROVIDE USEFUL INFORMATION ON THIS SUBJECT. (SEE
PARA. 5.A., BELOW).
   F. MR. LOI CLAIMED THAT CONCERNING SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ON
U.S. PW TREATMENT, INCARCERATION, TRANSFER, AND RECORDS, HE COULD
PROVIDE NO INFORMATION. HE SPENT APPROXIMATELY 25 YEARS WITH THE
VIETNAM'S FOREIGN MISSION BEGINNING IN 1960, AND HAD NO DIRECT
DEALING WITH U.S. PW'S OR OTHER AMERICANS EXCEPT IN CONJUNCTION
WITH THE PARIS PEACE ACCORDS. HE COULD PROVIDE NO INFORMATION TO
HELP SOLVE ANY PW/MIA CASE. HE CLAIMED NO KNOWLEDGE OF JOINT
SOVIET/VIETNAM PW EXPLOITATION, PAVN EFFORTS TO RECOVER U.S.
REMAINS, OR GENERAL POLITICAL DIRECTORATE RECORDS RELATED TO U.S.
PW'S. HE CLAIMED NO KNOWLEDGE OF U.S. PERSONNEL,  LIVING FREELY
OR AGAINST THEIR WILL, IN VIETNAM SINCE 1973.

4. CORRELATIONS TO EXISTING PW/MIA CASES NONE.

5. POTENTIAL LEADS. THE SOURCE, LUU VAN LOI, IDENTIFIED THE
FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS AS POSSIBLY HAVING USEFUL INFORMATION:
    A. MR. NGOC DUNG. FORMER LTC - DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN U.S. PW
REPATRIATION FOR  THE PRG. CURRENTLY DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE
VIETNAM FATHERLAND FRONT IN HO CHI MINH (HCMC). LIVES ON HAI BA
TRUNG STREET IN HCMC AND CAN BE CONTACTED THROUGH THE VIETNAM
FATHERLAND FRONT OFFICE, 212 DIEN BIEN PHU STREET,  DISTRICT 3,
HCMC.
    B. LIEUTENANT GENERAL LE QUANG HOA (LEE QUANG HOAF) - FORMER
HEAD OF THE DRV MILITARY DELEGATION TO SOUTH VIETNAM AFTER THE
PARIS ACCORDS. CURRENT WHEREABOUTS UNKNOWN.
    C. QUANG HOA (QUANG HOA) - SECOND DEPUTY OF THE DRV MILITARY
DELEGATION TO SOUTH VIETNAM AFTER THE PARIS ACCORDS. MR. LOI
SAID THAT. THOUGH HOA MAY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME USEFUL
INFORMATION. HE IS EXTREMELY WEAK AND SICK. CURRENTLY RESIDES IN
HCMC.
    D. SENIOR LIEUTENANT GENERAL TRAN VAN TRA (TRAANF VAWN TRAF)
//

MSGID/GENADMIN/CDR JTF-FA/J223//

SUBJ/INTERVIEW OF REQUESTED SOURCE,  LUU VAN LOI//

RMKS/
- FORMER HEAD OF THE PROVISIONAL REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENT IN
SAIGON AFTER THE PARIS ACCORDS. CURRENT WHEREABOUTS UNKNOWN
    E. DANG  VAN THU (DAWNGF VAWN THU) - DEPUTY HEAD OF THE PRG IN
SAIGON AFTER THE PARIS ACCORDS. CURRENT WHEREABOUTS UNKNOWN
    F. VO DANG GIANG (VOX DAWNGF GIANG) - SECOND DEPUTY OF THE

                              Page 3

PRG IN SAIGON AFTER THE PARIS ACCORDS, RETIRED, CURRENT
WHEREABOUTS UNKNOWN.

6.  MATERIAL EVIDENCE. NONE.

7. COMMENTS.
    A. DESPITE HIS ADVANCE AGE (80 YOA), THE SOURCE, LUU VAN LOI,
WAS EXTREMELY LUCID AND ANIMATED DURING THE INTERVIEW. HE EXPRESSED
HIS PLEASURE AT PARTICIPATING IN ORAL HISTORY PROGRAM AFTER HAVING
BEEN SOMEWHAT INVOLVED IN THE U.S. PW ISSUE DURING THE PARIS PEACE
ACCORDS. HE WAS SURPRISED, HE SAID, THAT THE PW/MIA PROBLEM REMAINS
AN ISSUE, SINCE VIETNAM CERTAINLY RETURNED ALL U.S. PRISONERS IN
1973. HE VOICED HOPE, HOWEVER, THAT JOINT U-S./VIETNAM
PARTICIPATION IN PW/MIA SEARCH EFFORTS WOULD RESULT IN GREATER
UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE COUNTRIES,  ENGENDERING CLOSER BILATERAL
RELATIONS.
     B. REQUEST THE VNOSMP MAKE MR. LUU VAN LOI AVAILABLE FOR
INTERVIEW IF NECESSARY.//

BT

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J2(1)INFO FOR USCINCPAC HONOLULU H(13)
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