King-Father's documentary shooting: Monatio, an anti-Lon Nol film

MONATIO

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

MONATIO, short for Mouvement National (French for 'National Movement') was a short-lived, supposedly nationalist, political faction in Cambodia. The exact nature of the group is still obscure. On April 17, 1975, as the revolutionary forces came closer to the capital, this group took out a motor-cavalcade on the streets of Phnom Penh welcoming the arrival of guerrillas. According to François Ponchaud's eye-witness report, the group consisted of a handfull of soldiers, dressed in black uniforms, accompanied by a number of students. He claims the were led by Lon Non, brother of deposed Lon Nol.

A movie on the events of 1975, called MONATIO, has been made by Norodom Sihanouk. According to the movie, the communist forces were hardly pleased to be welcomed by MONATIO, and the MONATIO militias were captured and executed.

Film: "You are the dirty agents and lackeys of the US Imperialists. We shall rid our democratic Kampuchea ... of your contemptible presence"

October 2006
www.norodomsihanouk.info

KHEMARA PICTURES
presents

"MONATIO"

A film by NORODOM SIHANOUK

Scene I

View: The Independence Monument (Phnom Penh)

Three Jeeps each carrying a red pennant with this drawing (pictured) in the middle

(White with black lines)

Each jeep is transporting four men wearing a black uniform (black hat bearing a badge in white, with black lines).

One driver, one officer armed with a revolver in a leather case: on the back seat, two soldiers armed with rifles or machine guns.

The officer "in chief", a handsome dark-skinned man, seated near the driver, jumps out of the first jeep. He goes up the principal staircase of the Independence Monument, then turns round to face the citizens, most of them stop, flabbergasted; they cease walking, or driving around in motorbikes, cars or cycles.

The good looking "Commanding Officer" smiles and addresses the astounded men and women: "Dear Fellow Country Men and Women! Today, the 17th of April 1975, is the most glorious day of our beloved Kampuchea! We are pro-Khmer Rouges patriots who are fighting in Phnom Penh itself, but underground, in secrecy, against LON NOL and his Khmer Republic, Our national liberation movement is called "MONATIO", Those of you who do not have a bicycle, car or motorbike may get into our jeeps, if they wish. We are on our way to meet the heroic and victorious Khmers Rouges on the road to Pochentong to greet them!”

No sooner said than done!

Cheerfully, the pretty civilian girls and handsome boys, laughing, get into the three jeeps, which then start up. Cries of joy can be heard.

o O o

Scene II

The three jeeps stop along Pochentong motorway. Military trucks can be seen transporting several genuine Khmer Rouge soldiers and officers; they are coming from Pochentong. Their national flag - red with the three towers of Angkor Wat in the middle - which are not white but yellow.

Greeted enthusiastically by the "MONATIO" and the civilian men and women, the authentic Khmer Rouges do not laugh. On the contrary, they proceed to arrest the "Men in Black" of the "MONATIO".

o O o

Scene III

In a discreet place, in Phnom Penh itself.

A Khmer Rouge execution squad. Standing in front of the squad, the future victims (of the "MONATIO" but stripped of their black uniforms and fine boots) are about to be executed. These men of the "MONATIO" are almost naked, wearing only their underpants.

Before ordering the shooting, the chief of the Khmer Rouge firing squad delivers the last words they will hear: "You are the dirty agents and lackeys of the US Imperialists. We shall rid our democratic Kampuchea Moha Phlusvang, Mohalôt Phlâh, Moha Aschar, of your contemptible presence. Your bones will be used as fertiliser for our national agriculture. At least, dead you will serve a useful purpose."

“Fire!”

- End of the Film -