A single line often inverts meaning once you see what it
answers, so neighbouring messages are always shown.
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Oct. 9, 2005 - Arrive Bangkok via Tokyo on commercial flight. Met by Ambassador Ralph (Skip) Boyce and Health Attaché Jordan Tappero. Skip was terrific and we hit it off very well during the trip. He knows Jim Huskey from prior DoS activities. He was in Beijing with Jim during the Tianman Square incident. Stayed at Conrad Hotel. Settled in at hotel. Extremely hot and muggy. This was just at end of rainy season and we expected rain, but got very little throughout the trip. However, I can remember the heat. Visited with deputy Prime Minister in the ornate, but beautiful Government House. Of note, the Deputy PM mentioned how happy he was that Thailand offered assistance to USA during the Katrina Hurricane disaster. Also met with Health Minister Suchai Charoenratanakul and Prat Boonyawongvirat Acting permanent Secretary. Our CDC is not entirely satisfied with the performance of the health ministry. The Thais seemed to be fixated on whether and how much Tamiflu the USA will give them for their stockpile. We celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the Thai MOPH - US HHS/CDC (TUC) Collaboration. Had multiple meetings and luncheons with United Nations reps and NGOs. Here and elsewhere, we had numerous Press Conferences. Suzy DeFrancis (Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs) clearly did not want Julie or I in the spotlight (see above comments). She literally kept the press away from us so that they would concentrate on the Secretary. The Secretary was cool about everything; Suzy was the problem. Had a great reception at Skip Boyce's house. Typical Ambassador's house and party.
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Oct. 11, 2005 - Next day we toured a typical commercial poultry farm - Charoen Pokphand Foods PCL.. Much press. We all suited up with protective gear (booties, caps, gowns, etc.). The commercial farms are very careful about bird flu and are meticulous in preventing infections. There was no history of infection in these flocks - all infections in backyard and small farm flocks. We visited a small poultry farm and saw the differences between commercial and small farms. Had lunch at airport restaurant and took off for Phnom Penh, Cambodia Arrived at Cambodia and checked into Raffles Hotel in Phnom Penh. Got a "Country Briefing" from U.S. Ambassador Joseph Adamo Mussomeli. He is a very good guy - relaxed and friendly, but very competent. That afternoon and evening we met with the Cambodian Minister of Health - Nuth Sokhom and signed a memorandum of understanding. Had a reception at the Raffles Hotel and then to bed.
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Oct. 12, 2005 - Series of meetings with officials. Met first with Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. It was clear that Cambodia was far less well-prepared than Thailand for a bird and/or human pandemic. Met with Deputy Prime Minister and Amb Mussomeli had a firm exchange with the Deputy Prime minister in which Joe objected to the fact that the Cambodians had arrested a Cambodian Journalist for writing a story negative to the regime. Next visited the Institut Pasteur in Phnom Penh. The Institut Pasteur has 29 foreign satellite institutes throughout the world. Cambodian institute began in 1935, but was wiped out by the civil war and then by Khmer Rouge. It was re-established in 1995. Sirenda Vong is a young scientists at the Institut Pasteur who made a very nice presentation about their work. He is a rising star in my mind.. Lasted only part of a day. Met with King Norodom Sihamoni and toured the Imperial Palace. The King is an exballet dancer. He is single. Visited the Genocide Museum. The story is horrible. 1.2 million people (10% of the population) were murdered, usually following torture over a 5 year period. After the Khmer Rouge took over, they evacuated Phnom Penh and literally murdered anyone who was middle class and/or educated. They murdered people merely if they wore eyeglasses. They had this genocide maniac mentality (similar to the Nazis) of documenting everything that they did. The walls of the museum showed thousands of photos of people who were put into the prison (now museum) which was originally a high school. They would photograph them, document their arrest, torture them and then kill them. Either they died of the torture, starvation, etc. or they sent them to the killing fields to be hacked or bludgeoned to death. They kept meticulous medical records of the dying and deaths of the prisoners. We then visited with a group of NGOs who explained to us the problem of trafficking in Cambodia. It is a complex problem since the people who are trafficked are usually sold by their family because of poverty. That afternoon, we flew to Vientiane, Laos and check into Lao Plaza Hotel. Bill Steiger and I had a terrific evening run (right as the sun set) in the National Stadium where the Lao National Track Team was practicing. donesia. Stay at Had a reception-dinner that night at the home of Amb. Patricia Haslach.
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Oct. 13, 2005 - Spent day in Vientiane meeting with a variety of Ministers. Met with Minister of Public Health Dr. Ponemek Daraloy. He is a good person, well-regarded in health circles in SE Asia. He is an old Pathet Lao. Visited Mahoset Hospital and then visited the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs.. Signed MOU. Met with Dr. Siene Saphangthong and then in mid-afternoon flew from Wattaya International airport to Hanoi, Viet Nam.. Arrived at Hanoi Noi Bai Airport. Motorcade from airport to downtown Hanoi was fascinating as we passed a bustling suburb with extremely interesting "vertical" architecture of homes and offices. Checked into the Hanoi Hilton Opera Hotel.
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2005-10-14 00:00
Anthony S. Fauci
Oct. 14, 2005 - Met with Minister of Health Tran Thi Tring Chien. Then went to National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology and met with its Director Dr. Nguyen Tran Hien. He is a terrific person and I sent him a signed copy of Harrison's after I returned home. Also met with the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat. Also, met with Prime Minister Phan Van Khai in a very elaborate Government Palace at 1 Bach Thao Street, Ba Dinh District with an enormous bust of Ho Chi Minh. The Prime Minister was extremely impressive. He spoke on all of the issues without notes. He was well-versed and clearly knowledgeable about specific issues. Had dinner hosted by the MOH.
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Oct. 15, 2005 - Great experience. Visited the "wet markets" in Hanoi and got an great feel for the bustling nature of this vibrant city. Drove 2 hours 15 minutes to Haiphong and visited Provincial Health Department. We had lunch at Van Tue Restaurant for Government Officials and then went to Viet Tiep Hospital to visit their Clinics. It was in this region that the cluster of cases occurred. MOL visited with the family who got sick and who were featured on CNN a few weeks ago. Big difference between Haiphong and Hanoi in that Haiphong is clearly more dreary and less vibrant.
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Oct. 16, 2005 - Flew to Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Jakarta, Indonesia. Stay at Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta.
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Oct. 17, 2005 - Visited NAMRU-2. Was apparently a problem in that the Indonesian government was threatening to cut off dealings with NAMRU-2 because they thought that NAMRU-2 was being critical of them. We finally sorted it out and at the end of the day got the president of Indonesia to endorse NAMRU-2. We met with Coordinating Minister of people's Welfare and Coordinating Minister of the Economy. There are issues in Indonesia of difficulty in transparency related to the diffuseness of the country. 17,000 islands with a population of 220 million (4th largest country by population). Met with President Yudhoyono. He was very impressive and knowledgeable. Flew from Jakarta to Tokyo on PM of Oct. 17 and arrived in Tokyo on Oct. 18 ) Dulles Airport.
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Oct. 18, 2005 - Flew Tokyo to Dulles Airport.