Government of Suriname official visit to North Korea
F-2012-32749
1. (C – ENTIRE TEXT).
2. Summary: On Oct. 4 GOS sent high-ranking military delegation on five-day official visit to North Korea. Delegation is led by Maj. Horb, Deputy to Suriname’s Supreme Political Authority. Visit may have been arranged on short notice, and was not announced publicly until delegation departed. Delegation objectives are not known, but may center on DRK military assistance to GOS. End summary.
2. Suriname Government has dispatched official delegation to visit North Korea, led by Vice Chairman of Policy Center and Garrison Commander Maj. Roy Horb, and including Minister of Armed Forces and Police Capt. I.F. Graanoogst and Perm Sec of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, J.H. Kolader. Balance of delegation consists predominantly of military and security officers, but also includes Fonoff Protocol Officer and three Government Press Officers, for total of 17.
3. Delegation will travel via New York, Tokyo, Peking, and arrive in Pyongyang on or about Oct. 5 for stay of approximately five days. Party will return to Suriname by same route, though Horb may remain in Miami area on vacation for one week.
5. Visit to North Korea may have been arranged on short notice. North Korean Ambassador to Guyana is known to have arrived in Paramaribo early morning Oct. 1, and is rumored to have had meeting with Commander Bouterse. Evening of Oct. 1, protocol officer who is accompanying delegation told Ambassador that he had been recalled from vacation to undertake urgent travel, but he claimed not yet to know destination. Evening of Oct. 2, same officer telephoned DCM to request urgent issuance of US transit visas for official party traveling “to Asia”. List was provided to Embassy morning of Sunday, Oct. 3, when visas were issued for departure on Oct. 4.
6. South Korean Ambassador has informed Ambassador that, although he had gotten wind of presence in Paramaribo of North Korean Ambassador, first he knew of impending delegation visit was when Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Sankatsing summoned him afternoon of Sunday, Oct. 3 to inform him that delegation would depart next day. Sankatsing blandly explained that GOS wishes to have friendly relations with all non-aligned countries. Korean Ambassador expressed surprise and concern, since GOS (in person of Commander Bouterse) had previously informed him that GOS did not intend to have any relations with North Korea. Sankatsing would only repeat previous explanation, and made no further comment. (Comment: From ROK point of view, timing of departure could not be worse, since ROK Ambassador is hosting National Day reception on same day. End comment.)
7. Fonoff protocol officer, talking with DCM Oct. 4, gave impression that Maj. Horb was person taking initiative in this matter, and that Foreign Ministry, including Fonmin Naarendorp, were opposed to it. Protocol did not know what Bouterse thought. Protocol officer fumed about “military mind” (he considers Horb to be stubborn and naive) and expressed concern that visit by such high level delegation implied in itself some form of diplomatic recognition of North Korea. He thought that if South Korea reacts by breaking relations, Suriname would lose in the bargain. As for reason for visit, protocol officer speculated there may be something in it for the army, e.g. equipment or material.
Comment: Even if visit were arranged on short notice, GOS has been very careful to conceal decision until actual departure of delegation from Paramaribo, by which time there had still been no public announcement. Ranking officials who presumably knew of decision (including Kolader) said nothing during contacts with US and Korean Ambassadors during past three days. Ambassador had appointment with Kolader at 1300 on Oct. 1, which had to be rescheduled for 1500 because Kolader was summoned urgently by Commander Bouterse. In meeting Ambassador, Kolader mentioned (with request for close hold) that Horb planned to take vacation in Miami area beginning around Oct. 15, and that Ministry would be seeking US facilitative assistance when more detail could be provided.
Composition of delegation would support hypothesis that military assistance is primary objective. On other hand, involvement of Horb is puzzling because he reputedly has been senior official most critical of overtures to communist countries.
Visit to North Korea will not be well received by majority of Surinamers. Any GOS attempt to explain will appear feeble and far-fetched, if not ominous. Decision is, however, typical of quixotic fashion in which GOS conducts its foreign relations.
DUEMLING
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META DATA
UNCLASSIFIED U.S. Department of State Case No. F-2012-32749 Doc No. C05267156 Date: 01/03/2013
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 01 PARAMA 02044 01 OF 02 042047Z
ACTION ARA-16
INFO OCT-00 COPY-01 ADS-00 INR-10 EUR-12 SS-10 CIAE-00 EA-10 DODE-00 NSC-01 NSAE-00 PM-09 PA-01 SAL-01 USIE-00 SP-02 SPRS-02 /075 W
054770 042054Z/73
P 041745Z OCT 82
FM AMEMBASSY PARAMARIBO
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9058
INFO AMEMBASSY BEIJING
AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN
AMEMBASSY CARACAS
AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN
AMEMBASSY KINGSTON
AMEMBASSY SEOUL
AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE
AMEMBASSY TOKYO
USCINCSO QUARRY HEIGHTS PN
USINT HAVANA
RELEASED IN FULL
CONFIDENTIAL SECTION 01 OF 02 PARAMARIBO 2044
E.O. 12356: DECL: 10/04/02
TAGS: NS, KN, OVIP
SUBJ: GOS OFFICIAL VISIT TO NORTH KOREA
REF: PARAMARIBO 2038 (NOTAL)