Nevertheless after the statement, Ambassador, Soviet Embassy Ambassador said that Colonel Strygin instead of promising us to change his attitude to work and improve work of his office, was making party meeting hysterical behaved like a women, and that it is not proper action. Three hours after that party meeting Strygin tried to commit suicide by swallowing overdose of sleeping pills. He was admitted to Rangoon Hospital where he was followed by two Russian attendants. When he returned to consciousness he started shouting in English, asking medical personnel to summon representative of Burmese Army and Burmese intelligence. He accused his Russian attendants of being traitors, that they want to kill him. Burmese personnel, medical personnel thought that Strygin was mad, with some sort of nervous breakdown, and they even ignored his demand to invite the Chief of Burmese Intelligence although Strygin told them the phone number of the Chief of Burmese Intelligence. Approximately at midnight, Strygin pretended to be calm and his Russian attendants went to sleep or lost consciounsness. They were not so attentive. Suddenly he jumped from his bed and sprang from window and ran to place where there were Burmese guards in hospital. Nevertheless he was followed by Burmese personnel and returned back to Soviets. He was sent to his home where he was kept under 24-hour guard, and then he was sent forcibly by plane to China. Mr. SOURWINE. The Soviets sent him? Mr. KASNAKHEYEV. Yes; by Chinese Communist plane. It was very big operation of sending Strygin away. Soviet Embassy, Soviet intelligence anticipated that Burmese and the American, would try to help Strygin to defect, so Soviet Embassy sent approximately 30 men to airport to guard Strygin from car to plane. There also was fighting, fight between these Russians, and Burmese correspondents. All this operation was arranged in very close contact with the Chinese Embassy. A special Chinese plane was chartered, and Strygin was accompanied on the plane to China by the Chinese military attaché. Mr. SOURWINE. What happened to him after he got to Red China; do you know? Mr. KASNAKHEYEV. I know he was followed to China from Burma by Consul Dityatev, and Embassy Doctor Komarova. He was also followed by his assistant Samokhin. He didn't return to Burma but the others returned after 1 week. They looked quite happy and I saw them just immediately after their arrival. I couldn't trace any indication that they had some trouble. I don't know what exactly happened to Strygin. Mr. SOURWINE. Within the Soviet Embassy what sort of relations existed between the personnel of the Embassy and their wives and supervisors? Mr. KASNAKHEYEV. I think it will be interesting to say what relations are between intelligence group I worked in and Ambassador. Mr. SOURWINE. Go ahead. Mr. KASNAKHEYEV. These relations are very far from being good and cooperative. For instance, I was prohibited to tell Ambassador about my intelligence assignment. Ambassador doesn't know about work of intelligence group. He is not admitted to documents obtained and material obtained by this group. Practically, Ambassador is considered by this intelligence group as some sort of next level under them. In several instances it happened that Ambassador invited me to his office and humbly asked me to sometimes show documents and translate for this group. I know that reports are regularly sent on behavior of Ambassador and his deeds and so on by this intelligence group. Several times Ambassador asked me, officially I was his employee, he was my official chief, he ordered, not asked but ordered me to meet this or that man or to do some work, to visit some organization, to transfer them official letter from Moscow and to write report after that. But I was from the very beginning ordered by intelligence group to report my talk to Ambassador to my intelligence chief, and any order Ambassador gave to me. Approximately 90 percent of orders of Ambassador were liquidated by my intelligence chief. He told "Don't do this, tell that you couldn't meet them, let him work himself." Mr. SOURWINE. What is the Communist National United Front in Burma? Mr. KASNAKHEYEV. Communist National United Front is leftist organization or legal representative of underground Communist Parties. National United Front consists-is not so united as the name says. It consists of several factions. But all these factions are very close, and they can be considered as legal Communist Parties. They are controlled and subsidized as I already told by Soviet and Chinese Embassy. Mr. SOURWINE. Is it a fair statement that the two best tools of the Communists in Burma is the Communist National United Front? Mr. KASNAKHEYEV. Yes; nowadays all Communist forces in Burma. plus Soviet and Chinese Communists put all efforts in support of the NUF. Mr. SOURWINE. Do you consider that there is an imminent danger of a Communist take over in Burma? Mr. KASNAKHEYEV. I think that this danger is very great. If the Communists come to power in Burma it will be very great harm to cause of free world. It will be very harmful in all because it will threaten truly neutral governments in the whole area. The first threat will be to India, Cambodia, Ceylon, and Indonesia. Mr. SOURWINE. Mr. Chairman, I have no further questions of this witness. We are of course grateful to you for coming to talk to us. Mr. SOURWINE. Yes, we appreciate what you have done very much. X |