12/09/2007
Radio Australia
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Cambodia's former king says he'll refuse to testify at the UN-backed Khmer Rouge war crimes tribunal and has requested a meeting with officials on his conduct under the rule of the Khmer Rouge between 1975 and 1979.
Presenter - Sen Lam Speaker - Milton Osborne, visiting fellow, Lowy Institute, Sydney
OSBORNE: I don't think it will have any significant impact. He's still an important figure because of his historical importance, but he has very little political impact in the present day.
LAM: And of course King Sihanouk, the former king, there were reports implicating him I suppose during the rule of Khmer Rouge that he collaborated. What do we know about Norodom Sihanouk's role during the years of the Killing Fields because I understand that he stayed in Cambodia during all that time?
OSBORNE: Well, not quite all that time. In fact, after the victory of the Khmer Rouge in April 1975, it wasn't until the latter part of the year, around September, that he actually returned to live in Phnom Penh. And although initially he was given the honorific title of chief of state, that was taken away from him fairly early on in 1976. And I think it's correct to say, and fair to say, that during the entire time he was living in Cambodia, in Phnom Penh, during the Khmer Rouge rule, he was effectively under house arrest.
LAM: He did, however, led a relatively comfortable life.
OSBORNE: Oh, yes, yes he did. He lived in air conditioned circumstances. He was allowed interestingly enough to listen to international radio, to shortwave radio, and he was given priority treatment in terms of the sort of food he was allowed to eat.
LAM: Indeed, and yet there were times when he feared for his life, but in the end, the Khmer Rouge left him alone. Why do you think that was so?
OSBORNE: No one is absolutely sure. One possibility is that against all of their other brutal actions during that period they did think that it was important to keep him as some sort of bargaining chip for the future if things went wrong. Probably, and we can't be certain of this because there's no documentation, but probably he was also allowed to remain in the position he held there as a prisoner under house arrest because the Chinese government, which had very considerable influence over the Khmer Rouge rulership, they didn't want him to be harmed.
LAM: And Milton Osborne, there were allegations questioning Sihanouk's allegiances at the time of the Khmer Rouge regime. Did he play an active role? I mean, surely he wasn't totally oblivious to what was happening around him. So do you think he was really more guilty of inaction, of not speaking out?
OSBORNE: I don't think he was in a position after 1975 and while he was under house arrest effectively in Phnom Penh to speak out. I think he had good reasons to be fearful about his life. Some of his close associates were taken away and presumably killed. We don't have all of the details of that. But I don't think he really was in a position to make his concerns public.
LAM: Well, Norodom Sihanouk himself lost five children I understand during that time.
OSBORNE: Well, he lost 14 relatives in addition to children directly of his own.
LAM: Right, at the hands of the Khmer Rouge. And yet he has criticised the UN backed tribunal in the past. What do you think are his misgivings about these trials?
OSBORNE: I think the misgivings so far, as his own personal position is concerned, is that he sees no reason why he should have to be brought before the tribunal. He has said in various earlier communications that he relies on the immunity he was granted under the 1993 Cambodian constitution, and he sees no reason why he should shed that immunity. And I believe his own Armour propre is engaged that he feels that as a former king, he should not be called before a tribunal established by the United Nations.
Presenter - Sen Lam Speaker - Milton Osborne, visiting fellow, Lowy Institute, Sydney
OSBORNE: I don't think it will have any significant impact. He's still an important figure because of his historical importance, but he has very little political impact in the present day.
LAM: And of course King Sihanouk, the former king, there were reports implicating him I suppose during the rule of Khmer Rouge that he collaborated. What do we know about Norodom Sihanouk's role during the years of the Killing Fields because I understand that he stayed in Cambodia during all that time?
OSBORNE: Well, not quite all that time. In fact, after the victory of the Khmer Rouge in April 1975, it wasn't until the latter part of the year, around September, that he actually returned to live in Phnom Penh. And although initially he was given the honorific title of chief of state, that was taken away from him fairly early on in 1976. And I think it's correct to say, and fair to say, that during the entire time he was living in Cambodia, in Phnom Penh, during the Khmer Rouge rule, he was effectively under house arrest.
LAM: He did, however, led a relatively comfortable life.
OSBORNE: Oh, yes, yes he did. He lived in air conditioned circumstances. He was allowed interestingly enough to listen to international radio, to shortwave radio, and he was given priority treatment in terms of the sort of food he was allowed to eat.
LAM: Indeed, and yet there were times when he feared for his life, but in the end, the Khmer Rouge left him alone. Why do you think that was so?
OSBORNE: No one is absolutely sure. One possibility is that against all of their other brutal actions during that period they did think that it was important to keep him as some sort of bargaining chip for the future if things went wrong. Probably, and we can't be certain of this because there's no documentation, but probably he was also allowed to remain in the position he held there as a prisoner under house arrest because the Chinese government, which had very considerable influence over the Khmer Rouge rulership, they didn't want him to be harmed.
LAM: And Milton Osborne, there were allegations questioning Sihanouk's allegiances at the time of the Khmer Rouge regime. Did he play an active role? I mean, surely he wasn't totally oblivious to what was happening around him. So do you think he was really more guilty of inaction, of not speaking out?
OSBORNE: I don't think he was in a position after 1975 and while he was under house arrest effectively in Phnom Penh to speak out. I think he had good reasons to be fearful about his life. Some of his close associates were taken away and presumably killed. We don't have all of the details of that. But I don't think he really was in a position to make his concerns public.
LAM: Well, Norodom Sihanouk himself lost five children I understand during that time.
OSBORNE: Well, he lost 14 relatives in addition to children directly of his own.
LAM: Right, at the hands of the Khmer Rouge. And yet he has criticised the UN backed tribunal in the past. What do you think are his misgivings about these trials?
OSBORNE: I think the misgivings so far, as his own personal position is concerned, is that he sees no reason why he should have to be brought before the tribunal. He has said in various earlier communications that he relies on the immunity he was granted under the 1993 Cambodian constitution, and he sees no reason why he should shed that immunity. And I believe his own Armour propre is engaged that he feels that as a former king, he should not be called before a tribunal established by the United Nations.
10 comments:
Politics as usual. Rainsy and Osborne are smart politician. They won't dare to cross China. Only the stronger will survive.
Thank you for your insight Mr. Milton Osborne! I agree with you all the way!
Without Red China King Sihanouk would be a death meat because China remembered some goodness of King Sihanouk had done for China such helping China to be part of United Nations when Uncle SAM didn’t want to deal with China!
According to communist doctrine the King and Queen is not a working class and they deserve to be exterminated!
Can somebody tell me what happen to King and Queen of Russia when the Russian communist (Bolshevik) came to power in Russia? The answer is the Russian communist massacre the entire King and Queen family of Russian monarchy!
Milton Osbone your study and perspective it is dead wrong you are a full of shit,do not waste your time if you don't know from your ass to your face.
Thank you if you learn how to shut your F up.
Dr.Osborne,
Thanks for the book.love and still confer it.You nearly hit all the nails that Sihanouk possessed during his so called house arrest with $8000 pension.
Whilst 10-15 people ate rationed 20g of rice per meal and worked 16 hour days in days out.The monkey King sat and enjoyed his news from abroad and ado much nothing all day.That must be a miserable torture,I say.
We recognized Chou En Lai family influenced much of Khmer Rouge affair and engineered Khmer Rouge leadership legitimate passports for traveling and sovereign immunity .Ieng Sary has one of those made in China passports then.
You sound much more realist than the other guy,Julio.
FYI,another of his so called sons had escaped to US under disguise of commoner alias and former Khmer Republic Army Officer Lieut.Colonel stationed in Au Chrao frontier town before 17 April 75. But unfortunately he suffered too much emotionally due to have heard folks condemning his illegitimate father,Sihanouk.His immediate widower female cousin from Sisowath branch with two sons used to live with him in Florida. Presently they all live in Long Beach since early 90's. He had committed suicide not long ago with a commoner identity to his grave.
This man survived 7 offsprings 5 in Wichita ,KS from his ex-wife who left him for a white American church man and 2 in Florida from his second marriage. All of his 5 children and ex wife are bearing legal identity as commoner from Maung Russei.
This man wished not to have anything to do with Sihanouk althgough he inherited Sihanouk traits and gene.You've got to see his photo to believe and see how much Sihanouk resemblance in him.He was fearful for his look and life all along during resistance movement.
Thought you might like to know this missing piece.
Dr.Osborne,
Correction,actually 5 children 3 boys from first and 2 girls from second marriage.All are grown now.
Is it not how politics supposed to be in this real world? Why do these people complain about?
The strongest will survive and the weakest will die, just like you see in the jungle of the animal kingdom. Get use to it.
The Genocide in Cambodia created by Vietnamese and Chinese Communist.
It could be a turning point for the Cambodian kingdom wether it is worth to existence or just dissolve altogether.
Cambodia always exists for using as a pawn or a transit, or it will be dissolved to be part of the ASEAN Nations. Because China said so not Vietnamese. Without China Cambodia would have been gone already.
China attempts to take Vietnam to be part of ONE China, because the Vietnamese were all Chinese from Southern of China. But the US is now coming in the middle. The war between the superpower nations continues. But this war added more problems we all have to face, Economics and Religion. Islam crusade is also coming and don't take it lightly. The muslim troops are in every where around the world, and we don't know who they are.
Russia just tested her new bomb, and Russia will again join with China to fight the US.
My prediction: Vietnam will try to change their languages to 100% different from China called Reform Language. This greatest war will kill most humans on this planet.
So what the fuck they fight their war so we fight our war! We will give much trouble the our enemy as long as we still alive1
we wiil refuse to be slave we Khmere are free men!!!!! stupid head!
12;45am. You sound like a gangster.
You don;t have a clue what you are talking about. Who're we?
Refuse or not, the strongest will win, and the weakest will lose.
Cambodia does not have troops to protect her own territory, but she has only a few generals and soldiers that rob the nation, so every foreigner troops can invade her whether or not you want it or not.
Khmers are free?? Just who defrocked the Khmer monk to sit in jail of Viet Communist in Vietnam?
Are you sure you are Khmer or just atrouble maker like the gangster who shot each others?
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