Excerpt from Son Sann's Memoir

Hi All,

Just received this from someone who translated it for me. Wish to share with all of you.

This relates to a French Memo of Mr Son Sann I sent out last week.

Bora Touch
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Excerpt of Samdech Son-Sann Memoir

(Former PM) under the title “Memoir of a Cambodia servant ”

Issue on P. Vihear Temple

Temple Preah Vihear, situated on Khmer side on the border Khmer-Thai, had been occupied by Thailand since 1953, although it had been recognized as Khmer by the French-Siam Treaty of 1907 and confirmed by French-Siam Agreement of Washington on November 17, 1946.

In June, 1959, Thai Foreign Minister Thanat Khoman came to Phnom Penh to solicit through my intervention an audience with Samdech Norodom Sihanouk to get assurance that the issue on P. Vihear would be settled out of Court between Cambodia and Thailand. The truth was that Thailand wished to avoid having Cambodia bringing the issue on P. Vihear in front of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at La Haye before 1961.

In fact, before the UN formation, Thailand member of Society of the Nations (SDN) in Geneva, had accepted the mandate arbitration from La Haye International Court of Justice until June, 1961. HE Thanat Khoman, through promises to settle out of Court, attempted to drag this issue until 1961- making Thailand no longer obligated to accept the arbitration of this International Court of Justice. Since 1959, Cambodia, aware of Thailand’s idea, had been quietly trying to distance itself and discretely bringing this issue to La Haye Court.

There had been document due to prepare. Cambodia had proposed France a negotiation on economic issues. I presided a Cambodian Delegation and with HE Truong Cang, we must take this opportunity of our stay in France to look for the documents. Either at the National Library or in the Archives of Quai D’Orsay, Thai experts had already been there before us.

At the same time, I was National Bank of Cambodia President and, with my request, Bank of Indochina had wished to arrange an interview for HE Truong Cang with Colonel Bernard (then very old and not seeing anybody) who had delimited the border Khmer-Siam in 1907, having Prince Bovoradej as Representative of Siam.

HE Truong Cang and myself had paid a visit to Mr. Ratier, very drunk (?) and was then at his retirement house by Cote D’Azur. Three years later, from 1959 to 1961, Samdech Norodom Sihanouk had nominated me as Chief of Cambodian Delegation to the UN, something like Deputy to HE Norng Kimny , then Cambodian Amabassador to the US, with a special mission – to discretely prepare legal proceedings to the International Court of Justice at La Haye. Cambodia was neutral. The Communist Bloc Countries were in our favor and had promised us that their judges at La Haye will support us.

Through an American Banker friend, we also received a promise of support from a judge of yet another Asian Powerful Country. At the UN, there was an

election of a judge from the Far East. Japan had put itself as a candidate, and

Japanese Ambassador to the UN came to ask HE U Than (then Chief Delegation of Burma, our friend and neighbor at the UN) and myself to vote for Japan.

At the first round, there was a ballot and at the second round, Japan was sure it will be elected. I, thus, had promised to Japan Ambassador that we will vote for his Country, only opposite to the promise of being neutral (abstention) at the Court of La Haye. So, when that Court ruled its judgment, Japan did not only rest neutral but had voted for Cambodia.

Through his diplomacy, HE Nong Kimny had obtained the assurance from Mr. Dean Acheson to defend the cause of Cambodia. His plea, added to those from the French jurists who were in our favor (Mrs. Basdevant, daughter of my Law School professor at HEC – School of High Commercial Education, Mr. Pinto…) was determinant for the decision in our favor of the ICJ of La Haye.

But in the meantime, there was measures taken by HE Thnat Khoman to

dupe us under the promise of a settlement outside of Court. There were also negotiations thai-khmer during the transition/handover at the UN General Assembly under the good offices of HE Hammarjold, then General Secretary at the UN. The Thai Delegation was led by HE Sirikith (HE Anand Panyarachun, future Thailand PM, was also a young member of this Thai Delegation.)

I had the honor to lead an important Cambodian Delegation, comprised of, in particular, HE Truong Cang and General Lon Nol.

One morning, after some talks, the Chief of Thai Delegation requested to see me in particular. His first question was if I had a He-Kathen (procession at a pagoda to offer Buddhist Venerable Monks, what is necessary at the end of Vossa of the rainy season.) Upon my positive response, SE Sirikith told me the night before that he had seen in a dream that their Majesty King Mongkhut of Thailand and King Norodom of Cambodia had come to tell him to propose us to make a procession of He-Kathen together to offer Preah Vihear to both Buddhique Clergies of Thailand and Cambodia. I answered him that , for a He-Kathen, we can offer to the Monks only the stuff that belongs to the organizers of the procession. So I cannot accept to make the offer in the Ka-Then what that doesn’t belong to me.

My response was very much appreciated by Her Majesty Queen Kossomak of Cambodia.

The negotiations went on without any concrete result. At the closing led by HE Hammarjolt, SE Sirikith told me, in English, that he considered me as a friend and I had pressed him too hard during the talks; luckily he is very strong physically and could resist to my pressures. I told him that I am from a French background and the French have the habit to say: God protect me against my friends; but with my enemies, I take charge!

At the beginning of the UN Genereal Assembly, in my speech of general politic, I announced the decision of Cambodia to bring the issue of the Preah Vihear Temple to the ICJ at La Haye, right before Thailand would be free from its obligation to accept the arbitration from this international jurisdiction.

Just in the nick of time, Cambodia decision had provoked a violent reaction from the thai media, which treated Samdech Norodom Sihanouk with PHYA LONVEK (Longvek?) that, according to Thailand, a Khmer King residing in Longvek, was defeated by the Thais who had beheaded him whose blood spurt and was used to clean the feet of a Thai Monarch. I had the honor to be witnessed and called Phya Lovek # 2. Because of our advocates and our long meticulous preparation, the International Court of La Haye had confirmed the Cambodian sovereignty on Temple Preah Vihear by a ruling on June 15, 1960.

End-