STATEMENT BY PRINCE SIHANOUK ON U. S. BORDER DECLARATION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-447-2-1-2
• Release Decision: RIFLIM
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: December 3, 2010
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: May 3, 1969
• Content Type: MEMO

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1. No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/12/06: LOC-HAK-447-2-1-2
11,
THE WHITE HOUSE Tim pBEsIDENT HAS
WASHINGTON
INFORMATION
May 3, 1969
DOS Review Completed.
TOP SE CR.
T/W,NSITIVE
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT
FROM: Henry A. Kissinger
SUBJECT: Statement by Prince Sihanouk on U.S. Border
Declaration
Prince Sihanouk, at an April 30 press conference,
has taken exception to the U.S. border declaration as useless,
valueless and deceptive, on the basis of interpretations of this
declaration in the New York Times and Washington Post,
Secretary Rogers has sent you the attached memorandum (Tab A)
based on early versions of the Sihanouk statement. Later versions
and a report from the Australian Ambassador :n Phn.orn Penh (Tab
B) would indicate that Sihanouk rejected our border declaration at
the press conferfnce.
Sihanoul:'s basic complaint is that we lave not accepted
Cambodia's bord,!.rs as defined by it in our bonier declaration.
However, in explaining the U.S. border decla:?ation to Sihanouk,
the Australian Arabassador made clear that thi 3 was not our
intention. Siha.ncuk has accepted border declarations by other
countries on this basis.
The Preach Ambassador in Phnom Pe.th has also inforn- d--
the Australian Ariba.ssador that Sihanouk rejec ed the idea of resurnE4
relations with the U.S. at the press conference. The French Ambassador,
considered a shrewd judge of Sihanouk, has cor.cluded that Sihanouk is
using the border ,leclaration as a pretext for nct resuming diplomatic
relations. He thinks that Sihanouk may have been influenced to change
his mind on relat: ons with the U.S. after seeing the extent of North
retna.mese contrD1 in the Northeast, in RatanaKix_i_LADe map at Tab C).
Sihanouk may have concluded that he was powerless to prevent North
Vietnamese infilt-ation and the only course opi?. to him was to seek
an understanding vith the Vietnamese Commun!sts. Sihanouk had just
returned on April 30 from a week's visit to the Notheast.
ON-FILE NSC RELEASE INSTRUCTIONS APPLY
TOP SECRET/SE \ISITIVe..,
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No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/12/06: LOC-HAK-447-2-1-2
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Washington, D.C. 20520
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT
April 30 1969
Subject: Cambodian Reactions to Press Commentary
on U.S. Border Declaration
Summary:
While continuing his verbal attacks on Communist use
of Cambodian territory, Prince Sihalouk has taken exception
to press comments about the U.S. declaration on Cambodia's
frontiers. He is reported to have :eacted to such press
comments by rejecting the declarati)n in a Cambodian-
language press conference April 30. We had anticipated
possible Cambodian reactions along these lines, and are
making no couhnent. We do not yet hive the full text of
Sihanouk's press conference, and do not yet know whether
it will represent a major obstacle :xi resumption of
relations.
Background:
Since our border declaration Ap:Al 16, Prince Sihanouk
and his controlled press have steppud up their attacks on
VC/NVA use of Cambodian territory. Sihanouk, for instance,
claimed he was unable to visit an outlying part of north-
eastern Cambodia which has fallen under Communist control,
and announced orders to the Cambodian Army to retake the
area.
On the other hand speaking Aprl 25 in Cambodian,
Sihanouk said, "Yesterday I received news from Washington
that the United States has indeed recognized our frontiers
SECRET
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and that a representative of the Washington administra-
tion had described U.S. recognition of the Khmer frontiers
as a normal gesture. However, he added that the U.S.
would have nothing to do with any disputes arising as a
result of Cambodia's neighbors . . . claiming certain
parts of Khmer territory, since the borders . . . are
almost undefined. If they (the Americans) have in fact
made such ambiguous statements, I will categorically
refuse to exchange diplomats and will consider U.S. recog-
nition of our frontiers null and void." In his April 30
press conference, of which we have only a summary and a
few brief excerpts, Sihanouk read articles from the
Washington Post and the New York Times, and remarked
that the U.S. declaration is useless, valueless and
deceptive because, according to the New York Times, the
recognition is vague and does not irdicate which frontiers
are in question. Sihanouk then declares, "That is why
as of today Cambodia rejects the declaration of frontier
recognition by the U.S. Government. . . . It accepted it
because it did not know (words indistinct). Now it knows
and it rejects it." He added that if any of the other
countries which have issued border eeclarations have
similar reservations, he will break relations with them.
As the press conference is in Cambodian, it may possibly
fall within Sihanouk's peculiar grotnd rules, which provide
that anything he says in Cambodian is for internal col,m
sumption only, and not for foreign ears. However, the
Cambodian rews agency carried an accurate summary in French
of his April 25 speech, and Radio Phnom Penh April 29
broadcast a French-language coumientary along similar lines.
Analysis:
We had anticipated that Sihanouk might react in this
way to any official explanation or commentary on the
border declaration, and have therefore been carefulto
avoid any such statements. His reaction to the press
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speculatior reflects his extreme sensitivity to press
coverage of Cambodia. (His UN Ambassador cables sum-
maries--not always entirely accurate ones--and excerpts
of relevant U.S. press reports.) Before issuing the
declaratior, we made sure that he understood its im-
plications, and also explained that we would not comment
on the declaration itself or on interpretations which
the Cambodian or other governments might place on it.
We are carefully noting his reactions, and we shall
continue to make no couullent either on the Cambodian state-
ments or on our own declaration. Your message acknowledg-
ing his thanks for the border declaration, and indicating
agreement that we should move toward normalization of
relations, was delivered April 28 to his private
secretariat, and its contents were reported April 29 by
Radio Phnom Penh.
We have asked the Australians to tell the Cambodians
that we are prepared to send Elden B. Erickson, FSO-3,
to Phnom Penh to begin making administrative arrangements
for the opening of a small U.S. Mission. Be will be ready
to leave May 7 if the Australians and Cambodians agree.
William P. Rogers
SECRET
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No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/12/06: LOC-HAK-447-2-1-2 e e
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UNITED STATE8001CAMBpDIAN RELATIONS. .
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THIS moRNING I:SAW FRENCH' AMBASSADOR DAtiGE wmo RETURNED ,
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MORESPONDENTS;
THERE HAD , BEEN THREE THEMES -
A.Y.IR)ButEb TO DE S3AuLLE0-8)HREjECTiON or yNITED .8 FATES BOOER,
OECLARATtONs..ON BASIS OF UNITED STATES RESERvAT1.ONS AS. TBEY-OADEEN.
..1-,.REFLECTEO(.1NNEWTY0RK TAMES' AND7;4ASHINOToN' pOsT:REp6RT&;; AND .
"REJECT IP!:,1. OF 1 DEA or RESuM NG REL AT oNs WITH UNITED STATES. ? AND
-sEiRlousmcs$ 0 7 SITUATION IN- RATANAK1RI FRN INCE
DALE 'SAID. THAT AT. ONE, STA& .DNE OF THE ;JOURNAL ISWPRESENT HAD
SUGGE'STEDTpsiiiiolgok THAT I r HE ,SUSPECTo THAT THE IUN1 TED sT ATES
HAD RESERVATIONS . ABOUT BORDER .DECLARATION hE SHOULD 'SEEk cLXR ItAT
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'FELT:;iuST AS FRENCH HAD DONE OVER 4SACE AND: LORRAINE%
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DA66E PLEASE PROTECT) TOOK S'IHANOUMS 'ANGER OVER'JOURNALIST'S
SuGGEST .1 ON AS INDICATING -THAT SI HANOUK S. At. LEGAT.1 ONS, OF U. S. RESERVES
BORDER- DECLARATIoN',,,JERE PR IMARL?:A' PRETEXT :FOR NOT PROCEEDING
TH RESUmPT ION or DIPLOMT.IC RELAT IONS DECLARAT ION AND
RESUMO.T, LON ALWAYS .1-1/0.1 I NG BEEN CLOSELY LINKED IN SI HANOUK, S
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No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/12/06: LOC-HAK-447-2-1-2
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No Objection to Declassification in 'Full 2010/12/06: LOC-HAK.:447-2-1-2
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HIS 141.. No, ON RELATIONS. : WITH ? ON t rEp .STATES . BY SEEING FOR HIMSELF
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PRE VENT. iy.i.g.:114AMEie NF: LTRAT I ONilS WITH CAMBODIA AND.1;HA1' !ONLY,
'COURSE OPEN ,TO-HIM .WAS. TO :SEEK SOME UNDCRSTNOINQ W I TH ?
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No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/12/06: LOC-HAK-447-2-1-2