The “Weaknesses” and the fatal Errors of the SRN, mostly those of its President

Translated from French by Luc Sâr

Cambodian Studies

The “Weaknesses” and the fatal Errors of the SRN, mostly those of its President
By N. Sihanouk

Beijing, January 17, 2007

1- Under the SRN, as time passes by, I was more and more “possessed” by socialism, certainly always Buddhist, but also, alas! More and more “Marxist” – up to a point that some US and Western reporters and others ended up calling me the “Red Prince.”

Import and export was nationalized. The banking sector was nationalized. Other pro-people nationalizations, but [they were] handicapping further and further the “Oknhas”- capitalists and the large land owners, including Oknhas who were very royalists, very Sihanoukists, very (sincerely) devoted to the SRN which they powerfully helped to mechanize the popular agriculture (provincial airports, industry-factories, school buildings, universities). Fighting capitalism through fighting corruption (for example, the “Affair of Songsakd Kitchpanich,” the great friend and money provider to Sirik Matak) this detached from me, from the SRN, and even from the Monarchy, an increasing number of Personalities from the financial and economic sectors, not counting members of the Royal Family (Sisowath Sirik Matak, Sisowath Monissara, etc…).

2- To my anti-colonialism, I added, in my actions, my words and my policy, an anti-neo-colonialism and most of all, a very vigorous anti-US-Imperialism.

As Khmer, I am “the exception which confirms the rule.”

Almost the total number of Khmer men and women –including Compatriots who are very Sihanoukist and royalist– in the past, in the present, and undoubtedly, in the future, have towards the USA, loving passion, an unlimited admiration, a spontaneous dedication as well as indestructible. With the exception of the Sihanoukists who must fight for their Samdech Euv.

On March 18, 1969, exactly one year prior to the Putsch by Lon Nol-Sirik Matak-Cheng Heng, Washington’s Pentagon ordered its US Air Force to bomb, machine gun, destroy “my Cambodia,” and kill the Sihanoukist SRN People, and this [was done] day and night, up to my fall [from power] (March 18, 1970), and the “total defeat” of my FUNC-GRUNC-FAPLNC – a defeat which turned into a total defeat for the USA, and their Lonnolian Khmer and blue South Vietnamese lackeys, in front of … the Khmer Rouge, on April 17, 1975.

In April 1955, i.e. 20-year prior to “this [event],” in the name of the Kingdom of Cambodia, I subscribed, in Bandung (Indonesia) to the joint Declaration of Heads of State and Government Chiefs of African and Asian Countries, a historical declaration in which States that are already independent (and that was the case of “my” Cambodia since November 9, 1953), must help to the maximum of their respective means and capacities Countries and brotherhood People not yet independent, not yet unified (and that was the case of Brother-Vietnam and Brother-Laos, in spite of the 1954 Geneva International Conference), to free themselves completely, to unite themselves in total independence and complete sovereignty.

And it was thus that I decided to help Vietnamese Patriots, in many ways, to free South Vietnam and to realize their national reunification (North, Central, and South Vietnam).

My rejection of the US Aid in 1963 and the breaking of diplomatic relations between “my” Cambodia and the USA was “the last drop of water” which made the Lon Nol-Sirik Matak-Cheng Heng-Sim Var-In tam-Trinh Hoanh and Co. “vase” spilled over on one hand, and Uncle Sam’s (Nixon) “vase” [spilled over] on the other hand.

It turned out that the legal recognition, in 1969, of the “current” land and maritime “borders” of the 1st Kindom of Cambodia by the USA, was only a ploy with the aim of re-introducing all over the Khmer country, the CIA which was in charge of helping the future perpetrators of the March 18, 1970 Putsch, to mount against me and the Khmer Kingdom, the (tragic and ultra-catastrophic) Putsch of March 18, 1970, thanks the “legal” return of the Americans in Cambodia ([with the] restoration of their embassy in Phnom Penh and their consulates).

My “fatal Errors”: the rejection of the multiform aid (most of all, the aid for the FARK) by the USA; the breaking of diplomatic ties with Washington, and … my total solidarity with (and my multiform aids to) the “Vietcong” and North-Vietnamese in the accomplishment of their sacred Duty: the liberation of South Vietnam.

Since I was not a child, I should have known that the US multiform aids to the FARK (Royal Armed Forces of Kampuchea – alias Cambodia), even though they came “with strings attached” and they are “humiliating,” they were in fact Oxygen to our military officers, [which is needed] for the survival of Mankind.

After the Putsch, H.E. Marshall Kim Il Sung, President of the DPR of Korea [North Korea], made it good to confirm to me that a National Leader could not remain one for long without a national army which is faithful and devoted to him in body and in soul. I should have known also that the Oxygen for so many Khmer men and women was the USA, their GOD, thanks to whom, they can “earn a lot” and enjoy life.

As for the Vietcong and North Vietnamese, they had a lot of money (given by the PR China) to buy at high price our rice, fishes, etc… that were sold by Lon Nol and Co., and also to fatly pay these Lon Nol, FARK, Sirik Matak, Trinh Hoanh, and Co. who were in charge of transporting for these (red) Vietnamese Patriots armaments and other material [which were given in] aid from the PRC, for their struggle for the liberation of South Vietnam.

In all these issues, I behaved myself like a blind man and an idiot.

But, one cannot repeat History.

(Signed) Norodom Sihanouk