Office of the Historian

456. Memorandum From the President’s Deputy Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kaysen) to President Kennedy0

Washington, July 12, 1962.

You will be seeing the Ambassador of Thailand at 11 this morning. Attached are the State Department papers on the subject.1 The important points that you will want to make are two.

1.
You wish to welcome the Thai acceptance of the International Court of Justice decision on the temple in dispute between Thailand and Cambodia. The court awarded the temple to Cambodia.2 Attached at Tab 1 of the first paper is a proposed press release to be issued following the Ambassador’s call.3
2.
You will want to praise him for the cooperation of the Thai delegation at Geneva (which, in fact, has been somewhat uncertain). It is important to mention that the agreements on Lao neutrality will be signed on the 23rd in Geneva, that Secretary Rusk will be there and that you know Secretary Rusk looks forward to seeing Foreign Minister Thanat. It is still not certain whether Thanat will come. We want him to very much and your mentioning it to the Ambassador will help.

At Tab 2 of the first paper is the letter which the Ambassador will deliver to you.4 The State Department does not think it needs an answer.

CK
  1. Source: Kennedy Library, President’s Office File, Countries, Thailand Security. Confidential↩
  2. The briefing papers, July 8, were attached. Copies are in Department of State, Central Files, 611.92/7–862.↩
  3. When the International Court of Justice ruled on June 15 that the disputed Temple of Preah Vihear was in Cambodian rather than Thai territory, the reaction in Thailand was strong and emotional. Prime Minister Sarit sent reinforcements into the area and placed the border police on alert. Thailand also initially boycotted SEATO and Geneva Laos Conference meetings. Extensive documentation on the case is ibid., 751H.022.↩
  4. Issued as a White House Press Release on July 12.↩
  5. The letter, transmitted by the Thai Embassy on July 6, is in the Kennedy Library, President’s Office Files, Thailand Security.↩