46. Memorandum From Secretary of State Rusk to President Kennedy 0

SUBJECT

  • Proposed Reply to Prime Minister U Nu’s Letter

There are enclosed telegram No. 663 from Rangoon, containing the text of a letter addressed to you on March 2, 1961 by Prime Minister U Nu of Burma, together with a suggested reply to the Prime Minister.1

The letter from the Prime Minister is warm but very frank. It sets forth the Burmese view of the relationship of the United States to the problem of irregular Chinese troops in Burma. He requests that you “use your great personal authority and influence to bring to speedy end this intolerable situation which, while it lasts constitutes a standing grave threat to the cordial friendship which so far has subsisted between our two countries”.

The reply suggested is couched in friendly terms and expresses a desire to assist Burma with this problem. It explains quite frankly, however, that the Government of the United States is not responsible for the presence of the irregulars in Burma nor for the supply of arms to them. It also states specifically the results of our recent tough démarche to Chiang Kai-shek.2

I believe that such a reply, while setting the record straight with regard to our position, will be welcomed by U Nu because of its friendly personal address to him and its expression of determination to assist Burma in its problem. Moreover, the receipt by U Nu of such a letter from you at this time should serve to strengthen his own prestige in Burma. U Nu, in his own way, has been consistently anti-Communist, although he confines this practice largely to Burma’s internal affairs. Anything we can do to bolster U Nu’s position is especially useful at this time because there is increasing disunity in his ruling party and a trend toward neutralism in the Army’s foreign outlook which had previously been strongly anti-Communist.

[Page 98]

If you approve the proposed message, it will be transmitted telegraphically to our Embassy at Rangoon for delivery to U Nu by Ambassador Snow pending receipt of the signed letter.3

It is recommended that no publicity be given to your message.

Dean Rusk 4
  1. Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Burma, Vol. I, 1/61–3/61. Confidential. In a March 7 covering note to McGeorge Bundy, Bromley Smith noted that the President’s letter to U Nu promised “close personal attention” of the President in resolving the Chinese irregular problem. Bundy wrote the following marginal comment: “Right—but for now I think we can count on DR [Dean Rusk] to keep his eye on this one.”
  2. Telegram 663 is in Department of State, Central Files, 793.551/3–261. The suggested reply is not printed; see footnote 3 below.
  3. See footnote 6, Document 44.
  4. The reply was sent to Rangoon in telegram 542, March 6. The President informed U Nu that the United States had received “firm assurance” from the Republic of China that it would “withdraw to Taiwan all irregular troops responsive to its influence and will disassociate itself from and no longer supply those who do not respond to its orders.” (Ibid.) In a separate telegram, Parsons informed Snow that Rusk wanted the Burmese Government, and especially Barrington, to know that the decision of the Government of the Republic of China was a result of “most insistent representations.” Friendly relations were a “two-way street” and Burma should deal with the United States fairly and with good will in relation to captured U.S. equipment and discouragement of anti-American demonstrations. (Telegram 519 to Rangoon, February 26; ibid., 793.551/2–2661)
  5. Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.