Echo from the past - KI-Media is providing below a translated transcript of Prince Sihanouk message dated from 23 March 1970 which could be of interest to some of our readers.
23 March Message from Cambodian Prince Sihanouk to Her Majesty the Queen, the Khmer bonzes, and people—recorded
They have not only overthrown – in violation of the Constitution – their own Euv but also have insulted, humiliated, and discredited me to an unprecedented degree. In addition, they have condemned me as a traitor to the nation, as a man who has sold out his country, and condemned me like they would an animal to slaughter. My personal indignation cannot be compared with the magnitude of my indignation and concern for the sad fate of our country, which has been voluntarily enslaved by these traitors.
These traitors have trampled on the Constitution and turned the country – which has a good reputation in the world as an island of peace and stability, and as an exemplary country – one among the number of anarchic nations, and thrown it into the furnace of the war of the Americans. At present, the freedom, democracy, progress, unity, and solidarity of the nation have been completely destroyed. The armed forces have been turned against those fellow countrymen who dare to oppose the new fascist power which serves the U.S. imperialists’ interests.
This is not a personal accusation but a worldwide judgement. The Lon Nol-Sirik Matak-Cheng Heng clique have also severely condemned and accused me of being a traitor, a man who has sold out and humiliated his country—after all I have done to win a good reputation for our country on the international scene and prevent it from falling victim to a great danger [words indistinct] like Vietnam or the giant Americans [words indistinct]. My loyalty to the nation has been condemned as treason. But such accusations by these ungrateful, ambitious, power-and-money hungry, cowardly traitors, who have not hesitated to stab Sihanouk in the back, are unimportant to me.
This group of persons cannot deter me from defending the highest interests and national freedom of the motherland. Millions of our fellow countrymen who are now in the country and thousands others outside the country will certainly rise up to liquidate the reactionary group of Lon Nol, Sirik Matak, Cheng Heng, and their American masters.
And they will build—after final victory—a new Kampuchea with the power vested in the people's hands [words indistinct] and pure progressive spirit which will enable the people to build a nation with maximum prosperity, social justice, and equality. The evil acts of the reactionaries have opened my eyes and restored my perspicacity. I have been ignorant and mindless in believing that these high personages in the government and the parliament—who have just staged the coup d'état—could bring prosperity, freedom, democracy, and security to the country.
The great danger that I have just experienced is an unforgettable lesson for me. Therefore I swear that I will never assume the post of Chief of State when our people have won (?complete) victory over this reactionary and traitorous clique and their imperialist American masters, and will let the progressive youth and people [words indistinct] assume responsibility and take measures in total freedom to build and defend the nation. At present my mission has not been accomplished yet. I formally refuse to let the reactionary traitors destroy and trample on our ideals, rights, and basic national principles by using American dollars or bayonets.
In this regard, I want to solemnly declare that: (1) in my capacity as legal Chief of State, a title the Khmer people have conferred en me, I want to assure that I work to resolutely dissolve the Lon Nol government and the two houses which have betrayed their oath and the constitution; (2) I beg my fellow countrymen and foreign peoples’ resolutely not to recognize and respect their announcements, decrees, measures, circulars, judgements, or decisions, which are the evil works of the Lon Nol-Sirik Matak-Cheng Heng clique and their lackeys; (3) my children must set up a new government of national unity and a provisional parliamentary council composed of representatives from various circles including bonzes, farmers, workers, tradesmen, industrialists, military men, policemen, provincial guards, youths, intellectuals, functionaries, and women, and so forth; and (4) a national liberation army must be formed.
And (5) All Khmers both inside and outside the country—including the faithful, religious people, military men, civilians, and men and women who cherish the ideals of independence, democracy, neutrality, progressism, socialism, Buddhism, nationalism, territorial integrity, and anti-imperialism—must unite to form the National United Front of Kampuchea. The mission of this front is: (A) to liberate our country from the enslavement of the reactionary fascists led by Lon Nol, Sirik Matak, and Cheng Heng; (B) to struggle against the American imperialists—who are the aggressors against Indochina and who have brought about injustice, wars, destruction, [word indistinct], disunity, and all kinds of misfortune to the Khmer, the Vietnamese, and the Laotian peoples—by cooperating with, and with formal support from, the socialist, progressive, and anti-imperialist countries throughout the world; (C) to rebuild the country after the victory over the enemy, which will entail building the country in solidarity and national unity during difficult times [sentence as heard].
I am thinking of my venerable mother constantly, of all the bonzes—who are my benevolent teachers, of all my children, and of the country because [words indistinct]. If I do not die in the struggle—which is indispensable for the nation, for its future and its prosperity—I am certain that I shall return to kiss my mother's feet and my children. But at present it is necessary for me to serve the nation from outside the country.
I call on all children, both military men and civilians who cannot stand to remain under the traitors' power, or who are courageous and out of love and concern for the nation are determined to liberate the fatherland, to seek all means and possibilities to take refuge in jungles to fight our enemy. If the children have already got weapons, I will take measures to bring them ammunition and even new weapons to strengthen them. If the children have not got weapons yet and want to undergo training courses for national liberation, I will take measures to help you flee to the military school of the National United Front of Kampuchea which will be set up deep in a forest to avoid enemy detection.
For those children who are in Europe or the neighboring countries of Europe, and who wish to come to serve the nation within the framework of the liberation army or the national front, I would like to ask you to come to Moscow or Peking to see me.
Long live Cambodia!
Source: The Vietnam Center and Archive, Texas Tech University, USA
Item Number: 2430122001 (Record #: 288563)
Document Title: Wire Story - Sihanouk Message To Queen Kossamak - March 23, 1970
23 March Message from Cambodian Prince Sihanouk to Her Majesty the Queen, the Khmer bonzes, and people—recorded
"I swear that I will never assume the post of Chief of State when our people have won (?complete) victory over this reactionary and traitorous clique and their imperialist American masters" - Prince Norodom Sihanouk on 23 March 1970[Text] I, Norodom Sihanouk, chief of state of Cambodia, respectfully salute Her Majesty the Queen, the two major religious orders, the venerables, my fellow countrymen, young and old, men and women, military men and civilians: I would like to express to you my best and eternal regards. I am an unlucky man with a bad destiny, the victim of a group of reactionary high personages who owe their distinction and honor to the Sangkum Reastr Niyum and, its president. At this moment, after receiving all kinds of power and favors from the Throne and the Sangkum, they have showed their gratitude by committing very serious acts.
They have not only overthrown – in violation of the Constitution – their own Euv but also have insulted, humiliated, and discredited me to an unprecedented degree. In addition, they have condemned me as a traitor to the nation, as a man who has sold out his country, and condemned me like they would an animal to slaughter. My personal indignation cannot be compared with the magnitude of my indignation and concern for the sad fate of our country, which has been voluntarily enslaved by these traitors.
These traitors have trampled on the Constitution and turned the country – which has a good reputation in the world as an island of peace and stability, and as an exemplary country – one among the number of anarchic nations, and thrown it into the furnace of the war of the Americans. At present, the freedom, democracy, progress, unity, and solidarity of the nation have been completely destroyed. The armed forces have been turned against those fellow countrymen who dare to oppose the new fascist power which serves the U.S. imperialists’ interests.
This is not a personal accusation but a worldwide judgement. The Lon Nol-Sirik Matak-Cheng Heng clique have also severely condemned and accused me of being a traitor, a man who has sold out and humiliated his country—after all I have done to win a good reputation for our country on the international scene and prevent it from falling victim to a great danger [words indistinct] like Vietnam or the giant Americans [words indistinct]. My loyalty to the nation has been condemned as treason. But such accusations by these ungrateful, ambitious, power-and-money hungry, cowardly traitors, who have not hesitated to stab Sihanouk in the back, are unimportant to me.
This group of persons cannot deter me from defending the highest interests and national freedom of the motherland. Millions of our fellow countrymen who are now in the country and thousands others outside the country will certainly rise up to liquidate the reactionary group of Lon Nol, Sirik Matak, Cheng Heng, and their American masters.
And they will build—after final victory—a new Kampuchea with the power vested in the people's hands [words indistinct] and pure progressive spirit which will enable the people to build a nation with maximum prosperity, social justice, and equality. The evil acts of the reactionaries have opened my eyes and restored my perspicacity. I have been ignorant and mindless in believing that these high personages in the government and the parliament—who have just staged the coup d'état—could bring prosperity, freedom, democracy, and security to the country.
The great danger that I have just experienced is an unforgettable lesson for me. Therefore I swear that I will never assume the post of Chief of State when our people have won (?complete) victory over this reactionary and traitorous clique and their imperialist American masters, and will let the progressive youth and people [words indistinct] assume responsibility and take measures in total freedom to build and defend the nation. At present my mission has not been accomplished yet. I formally refuse to let the reactionary traitors destroy and trample on our ideals, rights, and basic national principles by using American dollars or bayonets.
In this regard, I want to solemnly declare that: (1) in my capacity as legal Chief of State, a title the Khmer people have conferred en me, I want to assure that I work to resolutely dissolve the Lon Nol government and the two houses which have betrayed their oath and the constitution; (2) I beg my fellow countrymen and foreign peoples’ resolutely not to recognize and respect their announcements, decrees, measures, circulars, judgements, or decisions, which are the evil works of the Lon Nol-Sirik Matak-Cheng Heng clique and their lackeys; (3) my children must set up a new government of national unity and a provisional parliamentary council composed of representatives from various circles including bonzes, farmers, workers, tradesmen, industrialists, military men, policemen, provincial guards, youths, intellectuals, functionaries, and women, and so forth; and (4) a national liberation army must be formed.
And (5) All Khmers both inside and outside the country—including the faithful, religious people, military men, civilians, and men and women who cherish the ideals of independence, democracy, neutrality, progressism, socialism, Buddhism, nationalism, territorial integrity, and anti-imperialism—must unite to form the National United Front of Kampuchea. The mission of this front is: (A) to liberate our country from the enslavement of the reactionary fascists led by Lon Nol, Sirik Matak, and Cheng Heng; (B) to struggle against the American imperialists—who are the aggressors against Indochina and who have brought about injustice, wars, destruction, [word indistinct], disunity, and all kinds of misfortune to the Khmer, the Vietnamese, and the Laotian peoples—by cooperating with, and with formal support from, the socialist, progressive, and anti-imperialist countries throughout the world; (C) to rebuild the country after the victory over the enemy, which will entail building the country in solidarity and national unity during difficult times [sentence as heard].
I am thinking of my venerable mother constantly, of all the bonzes—who are my benevolent teachers, of all my children, and of the country because [words indistinct]. If I do not die in the struggle—which is indispensable for the nation, for its future and its prosperity—I am certain that I shall return to kiss my mother's feet and my children. But at present it is necessary for me to serve the nation from outside the country.
I call on all children, both military men and civilians who cannot stand to remain under the traitors' power, or who are courageous and out of love and concern for the nation are determined to liberate the fatherland, to seek all means and possibilities to take refuge in jungles to fight our enemy. If the children have already got weapons, I will take measures to bring them ammunition and even new weapons to strengthen them. If the children have not got weapons yet and want to undergo training courses for national liberation, I will take measures to help you flee to the military school of the National United Front of Kampuchea which will be set up deep in a forest to avoid enemy detection.
For those children who are in Europe or the neighboring countries of Europe, and who wish to come to serve the nation within the framework of the liberation army or the national front, I would like to ask you to come to Moscow or Peking to see me.
Long live Cambodia!
Source: The Vietnam Center and Archive, Texas Tech University, USA
Item Number: 2430122001 (Record #: 288563)
Document Title: Wire Story - Sihanouk Message To Queen Kossamak - March 23, 1970
