DOCUMENT 4 A declassified cable dated September 3 1985 from the US Embassy in Bangkok to the Secretary of State in Washington DC subject heading “Alleged atrocity in Laos ” in CBW Box 1 Cables Southeast Asia National Security Archive Poem “A Daub of Tree Swallows as Aerial Ash” on page 25 of book YELLOW RAIN Page 1 ' J f Uu· · Depart111e11t of State t ·· ·- t · ••• • • ·C-- ----lEGW - - i J •• -• - _ - ·- - · • • • 0 ••• • • • • • •• • •• •• ••• •• • • • • • •• r-t J fO I CONFIDENTIAL AN 08 0 2 i-o J CONFIDENTIAL BANGICO 52SSJ OJ090SZ PAGE OI ACTION EIIP-00 INR-10 EUR-00 SS-00 INFO LOG-00 COPY-01 AOS-00 AIO•OO HA-08 NSC-01 NSAE-00 SY-06 CIAE-00 DOOE-00 H-01 ACOA - 12 0118-01 NCT-OJ PA-01 PN-10 TRSE-00 L-OJ W 10 2 SNP-01 PRS-01 S 0-01 USIE-00 SP-02 ISi OJl22 Z 7 7 ---------- --------1 R OJ0858Z SEP 85 '· 6 J C' ••- t Flf NfF fSASS Y BANGKOK TO SECSTATE' '1fSHOC 19 1 O N F I D E N T I A L BANGKOK S2SSJ E O 1235 DECL DADR TAGS PREF SHUN NOPS LA TH C SUBJECT REF Al 1 £ iCO ATROCITY IN LAOS STATE 22981 HAS REY IEWEO COPY O UL Y s 1985 0 MR THOMAS CTOR ENVIRONMENTAL AN LIFE SCIENCES 'J '1---P 'JI R DASHIELL ANO RESURCH DEFENSE OF OFFICE OF UNDER SECRETARY ENGINEEJllNG AT THE PENTAGON IN LETTER 1 ' REPORTS ON SEVERAL INCIDENTS ABOUT WHICH SHE t i JJ j lJWAS SRftFEO CBY LAO CONTACTS CONCERNING ALLEGED VIETNAMESE OR SOVIET USE OF caw WE'APONRY IN LAOS THESE REPORTS COVER PERIOD NOV 1 8 -FES 85 LETTER'S Of NOST SERIOUS CHARGE HOWEVER RELATES TO REPORT -APPROXIMASSACRE C01111ITTEO ON NAY 15 1985 IN WHICHCAVE AT MATELY 5 000 CIVILIANS WERE ORDERED INTO A U G JJ2 820 ANO WERE 'GASSED '• THESE CIVILIANS REPORTEOtY WERE CAPTURED ·AT u G JJ2 soJ· ON NAY FOLLOWING A NAY IJ BATTLE IN WHICH RESISTANCE FIGHTERS SUFFERED HEAYY CASUALTIES AT HANDS OF VIETNAMESE ANO PATHET LAO SOLDIERS ACCORDING TO LETTER DECISION TO GAS S 000 CIVILIANS WAS NAOE SY LAO •PRINE MINISTER CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL B 1 CB E - •jJ 'ftta ETTER SENT 8 f PAGE 02 SANGICQ 54$Sl OJJ o • i J riU• ii 511b1 •j r ONE· ·wHO REPORT iJ s Tio COHFIDENTl L 13 Page 2 COHFlDEHTIAt POISON CANHISTER lT SHOULD BE DONE W TH N 2 HOURS • SOHE 25 lHTEHDED YICTIHS RV ORTEDLY ESCAPED BE NG ORIYEH Ni O CAYE ANO AAAIVEO • N I S Vf REA ON HAY 19 1985 • IHClDENTS 2 81tX 8W TEAH 1S LOOKIHG INTO SEVERAL ED WILL CITED ANO WHEN ns REVIEW HAS BEEH COHPLET VELY ON AEPQRT FlNOlNGS THlS HESSAGE FOCUSES EXCLUS t f NOT 00 DATE ALLEGED HAY IS HASSACRE OUR EFFORTS TO ED r L EN E US TO CONFI ANY DETA LS OF INCIDENT DESCRIB _ JJLETTER lN'-- ·•1N AUG If caw TEAH PHYSlCIAN NET WlTHr N THAILAHO HNONG LEADER AT CH ANG KHAN CAlfP H NOlTHER D ASSERTE HE RE HE HAO NO KNOWLEDGE OF ALLEGED HASSAC S N ARO HAD THAT APPROX HATEL Y 20 RES I STANCE FIGHTER PAST OYER 81 EN EXPOSED TO SUSPECTED OiEHICAt AGEHTS Y l W YEARS BUT HONE HAD BEEN SO EXPOSED RECEHTL AT A PERSONS THESE IEW lNTERY TO TEAii WAS lNY lTED LIITf l OAT Cr -•TEAii PHYSlClAN YlSlTED BAN YlNA REFUGEE II CHORTHEAIT RN TH 'ILANO AUG 21 HNONG LEAOE HA OO F HO lNl CIRNTlON llf GNIDING IITTACKI ·uStNG THE a- I I- ni lr slr tTs5 rc k¥ lTT LEADERS ••TElllt H115 lf EN IN TOUCH WITH HNONG CONNUN IN BAHGICOK IIHtJ IILL SOURCE 1Nf01111ATIOH -T NIIISSYI HOWfY ll HONE HAS BEENT IIBLE TO PROVIDE ANY u - I ON IIIOUT IILLEGEO INCIDEN ACTION REQUESTED l CONF IDENTIIIL POISQHAI COHTIICTS J I CONl'IDEltTIM l'Mir Ol BIINGICO 52553 OJ0905Z 1 ro --TNIIT OEPIIATNENT COHT A r NNtES o EYE-w lT SES Mf0 FURTHER DE'rltL TNIIT _ IE IIVIULIIII E TO HERi 11rusr lt 1 'I 1 ••TNIIT OEl'Mn ENT IIOWISE IF CIIYES LARGE EN01 11 II' 1· ' · 1' 'I' J-'2 l'IGPLE 1111 1CNCN1 TO EXIST IIT U i t • • ••• •• • ••• • ••• •• FJ · •· · • - ·• n •hA• · • lwtilfM ' · 4 · I 14