Chronology of Cambodian History
ZHOU ENLAI AND PHAM VAN DONG
Beijing, 10 April 1967
[Other issues not relate to Cambodia]
Zhou Enlai: There is another front, namely Cambodia. Cambodia is as attached to France as Laos and South
Vietnam are to the US. France is determined not to abandon Cambodia. Sometimes Sihanouk curses us out of his anger,
which is understandable. We have to win his sympathy, but at the same time,
we have to understand his nature. The connections are like this: because
France will not abandon Cambodia, the latter will not
abandon us either. If Cambodia does so, it will be at
odds with the coalition government in South Vietnam in which the pro-French
faction will be invited to take part. And if Cambodia worsens its relations
with China, the French influence in the Far East will be further reduced,
thus weakening the French leverage in relations with the US. The possibility
for the US to open another front in Cambodia is not great. So exerting
pressure on Cambodia can make it agreeable to
our policies. Recently, the Australian prime minister [Harold Holt] visited Cambodia. He asked Sihanouk whether Cambodia helped the NLF. Sihanouk did not totally deny
[this], saying that he helped a little in matters of transportation. I have
known Sihanouk for more than 10 years and see that he is wiser than Sukarno.1
Perhaps Sukarno was afraid of the people's movement, but Sihanouk is not that
afraid.
The possibility of winning Sihanouk's sympathy is quite good. At the same
time, however, we have to consider the possibility of a blockade. Therefore,
we think that transportation of materiel during this rainy season will not be
only for this year, but should cover next year's needs. We should always
exploit the chances when they are available.
Vo Nguyen Giap: At present, the US wants to use the pro-US faction in Cambodia to conduct sabotage and coup d'etats. Do you have
any opinion on that matter?
Zhou Enlai: We should not rule out the possibility of a coup d'etat. Sihanouk
is similar to Sukarno to the extent that he is mastering all contradictions
in order to hold power. Yet, he is unlike Ne Win2 who controls the
armed forces. Ne Win is, at the same time, increasingly critical of many
factions in Burma, and therefore becomes more and more unpopular. I have
talked with him several times on the strategy to govern, advising him to
limit his number of opponents. What I know of him through U Thant3
is that he is receptive to the Americans, but also to the British and French,
to a lesser extent. He maintains relations with China and the Soviet Union as
well.
Pham Van Dong: What about the state of civil war in Burma?
Zhou Enlai: The revolutionary movement over there is not developing fast and
there have been some changes in the policy of the Party. Conditions and situations
there have been good, but I do not know why revolution did not develop.
Pham Van Dong: What do you think about Lon Nol? 4
Zhou Enlai: He is not trustworthy.
Pham Van Dong: He used beautiful words to talk about China with us.
Zhou Enlai: He did the same with us. He also said that he had Chinese blood.
Phoumi Nousavan5 is also said to have Chinese blood. But their
blood is feudal, capitalistic.
Chen Yi: Lon Nol is pro-American. Sihanouk also knows about this.
Zhou Enlai: Lon Nol once visited China and he made some impression. If we
spend money on him, he can be exploited for some time. Sihanouk's mother is
also doing politics, the way some Chinese empresses did. The mother and the
son are at odds with each other. But they are also exploiting each other.
Sihanouk's disadvantage is that he, unlike Ne Win, does not control the armed
forces.
[Other
issues not relate to Cambodia]
Notes:
1. Sukarno (1901-70), president of the Republic of Indonesia 1945-67. Lost
power to General Suharto during a military coup in October 1965.
2. Ne Win (1911- ), Burmese general, head of state in Burma (now Myanmar)
1962-81.
3. U Thant (1909-74), Secretary General of the UN 1962-71.
4. Lon Nol (1913-1985), Cambodian Army General, Prime Minister from 1966 to
April 1967. Returned to the government in April 1968, first as defence
minister and then as acting premier. Appointed prime minister in August 1969.
Seized power in a coup on 18 March 1970, while Sihanouk was abroad. Lon Nol
was President of the Khmer Republic 1972-75.
5. Laotian general, right-wing strong-man in the government, 1960-1965.
________________________
Source:
Cold War International History Project
Woodrow
Wilson International Center for Scholars
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