Socialist Republic of Vietnam

A US officer who heads a POW/MIA mission recently praised Vietnam's commitment as well as its efforts to help the US account for Americans missing in action (MIA) after the war.

Lieutenant Lenfort Mitchell, Commander of the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, Detachment Two in Vietnam, made these remarks in an interview with Vietnam News Agency on the celebration of 10 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Although Vietnam and the US are celebrating the 10th anniversary of diplomatic relations, the US MIA Office's relationship with Vietnam started well before then, he recalled.

The US mission was in Vietnam more than 13 years ago, before any agreements or diplomatic relations were established between the two countries, according to him.

“That says a lot about the commitment of both sides and both governments" on this humanitarian issue, he stressed.

Further progress has been made recently as Vietnam allowed the US mission to meet with high ranking officials or access POW/MIA-related documents.

“The two sides have reached a high level of cooperation, and the Vietnamese people do go out of their way to support the mission," he commented.

The cooperation between the two countries in this area will be “status quo,” the officers said, stressing that both sides are “committed to that regardless of any other issues."

“I think we have at least 7 to 10 years worth of work to do in Vietnam, and I think the Vietnamese government will support us staying here until the work is completed,” Mitchell added.

Information exchange

Vietnam and the US have also shared technology and information for the remains of Vietnamese soldiers who are still regarded as unaccounted for, according to Mitchell.

Groups of US veterans have come to Vietnam two or three times a year to exchange information, the lieutenant said.

“From a scientific standpoint we have a combined, both US and Vietnamese, joint forensic review. After we find remains, we turn them over to this board and scientists on both sides to verify or re-verify the remains associated with the case we've been working on. We share a lot of DNA and odontological technology giving the Vietnamese scientists forensic knowledge that we have," Mitchell elaborated.

“Well beyond”

The POW/MIA issue has been the leverage behind establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries, according to him.

“Because of the importance of this [humanitarian] issue, it brought both sides to the table,” Mitchell said.

But, the two sides have now moved well beyond that point, with not only the normalization of relations but also the bilateral trade agreement, he stressed.

“There are other doors that are opening up, that are starting to bring the two countries closer together,” he added.

Mitchell said what has impressed him the most is the steadfastness and the mindset of the local people of different walks of life everywhere he went to.

"We do have our differences in culture, sometimes we do have our differences in values, but when we sit down and talk, and communicate, we find out that we have a lot in common," he concluded.

(Source: Vietnam News Agency)
Story from Thanh Nien News
Published: 10 June, 2005, 21:17:37 (GMT+7)
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