132. Editorial Note
On December 9, the Phnom Penh Domestic Radio Service, a government agency, broadcast a communiqué in Cambodian. The U.S. Foreign [Page 281] Broadcast Radio Service attributed the statement to the Ministry of Information and translated it as follows:
“Thanks to divine protection for our Kampuchea, all the enemies of Cambodia suffer complete destruction. Ngo Dinh Diem and Ngo Dinh Nhu were killed by bullets. Their friend Sarit Thanarat, who mistreated Cambodia incessantly, has just met with sudden death. Moreover, the great boss of these aggressors shared the same fate. So we have seen that those who want to mistreat Cambodia and who despise our venerated Samdech Aou will not be able to live long and will certainly be destroyed. As for traitors Son Ngoc Thanh and Sam Sary, they will certainly die a sudden death like dogs within 15 days.
“The people from all walks of society and all circles throughout the country feel elated, not out of enmity but simply at the end of persons who mistreated us. This joy reigns among the Khmers in all corners of the country as they are informed of the country’s victory.
“In view of this, it is necessary for all citizens to unite more closely as one behind Samdech Aou, our Chief of State. We Khmers must unite, more than ever before, behind the throne and Samdech Aou. Unity is more valuable now than ever before.
“We beg to ask our dear compatriots who want to celebrate this occasion to come to the Men Square where orchestras will play at night beginning tonight and where the national radio will record the celebration and broadcast it immediately.
“We beg to inform the compatriots that during the past few days, our venerated, our dear, our man in whom we place our confidence has sworn to the children that if Sarit Thanarat, who mistreated us, dies, civil servants throughout the kingdom will be given a one-week leave. But because our country is busy achieving economic reforms, this leave is cancelled.
“However, Samdech Aou authorizes all government services and civil servants throughout the kingdom to have two-hour leave everyday. That is, work hours will be from 0900 hours beginning Monday this week for a period of two weeks so as to permit the children to dance and amuse themselves. Beginning tonight, and every night, there will be musical programs in the Men Square, and the celebration will be recorded and broadcast by the national radio.” (Text in Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Cambodia, Vol. I)
On December 9, Prince Sihanouk gave a speech that was subsequently broadcast on December 10. The Foreign Broadcast Service translated an excerpt of Sihanouk’s remarks as follows:
“Now our people, especially our youth, are delighted over the death of Sarit Thanarat, baneful Premier of the Thai Government and our No. 1 enemy. Sarit’s death is a thing that shows the Divine Power, the power of our ancient kings, who protect our Kampuchea [Cambodia]. We can see [Page 282] that the power of our ancient kings is most efficacious: that is why, in only a month and a half—once every two weeks—the people who headed those countries which are enemies of our independent, neutral Cambodia have been destroyed, dead one after another, even while they were displeased with us, were mistreating us, and were constantly making us unhappy.
“Those who headed these three countries—some are truly wicked, others a little wicked or wicked enough—are gone to the other world. We had only three enemies, and the leaders of these three countries all died and went to hell, all three, in a period of a month and a half. They are meeting there in a conference of the Free World’s SEATO. If the Free World does not believe and continues mistreating us, we are convinced that the Divine Power will render justice to the good people and punish the wicked ones.” (Text enclosed in airgram A–339 from Phnom Penh, December 19; Department of State, Central Files, POL 15–1 CAMB. The brackets are in the source text.)