751G.00/3–1451: Telegram
The Minister at Saigon (Heath) to the Secretary of State
1621. All dailies March 13 carried brief item according to which regular Chinese Communist army contingent March 12 crossed frontier at Ban Nam Cuong approximately four kilometers from Lao Kay in pursuit of some 50 fleeing Nationalist guerrillas. Chinese Communists were stated as having retreated across border same day while guerrillas were disarmed and provisionally interned at Phong Tho.
Comment: Chief Chinese Affairs Bureau ComRep has informed Legation that Chinese Communist force first crossed border March 9 in attempt to capture retreating guerrillas and, in course of this operation, raided Ban Nam Cuong post, causing no damage but making prisoner one Thai border guard. On March 11 second and larger force appeard on IC territory, causing Ban Nam Cuong garrison to withdraw without resistance and capturing 22 Thais and one French officer. Invading force similarly retreated across border before nightfall. French believe prisoners were removed to China, for purposes intelligence interrogation. Per informant, French plan no protest Peking, preferring to treat incident as of scant significance. Guerrilla internees will shortly be amalgamated with those presently Phu Quoc Island.
It thus appears evident French policy of refusing acknowledge Peking’s acts of aggressive animosity along IC border continues uninterrupted.
Sent Department 1621; repeated information Paris 704, Taipei, Hong Kong 163, Hanoi unnumbered.