99. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Cambodia 0
393. Following is text of letter from the President to Sihanouk which you should deliver to Kanthol. In doing so request you make clear its confidential nature and that we do not expect its contents will be divulged or alluded to publicly.
“Your Royal Highness:
I have received Your Royal Highness’s letter of November 21, 1962, conveying to me certain proposals designed to ensure the independence, neutrality, and territorial integrity of Cambodia.1 This is a matter of high importance and one that deserves the most careful study by all the governments addressed by Your Royal Highness. I assure you that my Government and I will give these documents our urgent attention in order that the views of the United States may be communicated to the Royal Government of Cambodia as promptly as possible.
As your letter indicates, your proposals follow closely the agreements reached last July at Geneva on the neutrality of Laos. In this connection, I believe it pertinent to remark that in Cambodia the stability and unity achieved under the leadership of Your Royal Highness have produced a situation radically different from that which necessitated the type of international agreement achieved to settle the Lao problem. Moreover, with respect to the Lao Agreements, I have in mind that we have just witnessed flagrant aggression against neutral India by one of the parties to these agreements, which raises the question of how much reliance should be placed on the word of this party to respect the independence, neutrality and territorial integrity of any country.
The United States fully understands and supports the desire of Your Royal Highness that the Cambodian people may live in peace with all nations. I shall therefore give my personal attention to your proposals [Page 225] and direct the energies of my Government to attain this common objective.2
Please accept, Your Royal Highness, the assurances of my highest consideration and personal regard.”
- Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Cambodia, 12/5/62–12/13/62. Confidential; Priority. Drafted by Koren and cleared by Arzac, Rice, Forrestal and in draft by Harriman and Czyzak. Repeated to London, Paris, Bangkok, New Delhi, Saigon, Ottawa, Vientiane, USUN, and CINCPAC POLAD.↩
- Text of Sihanouk’s letter is attached to a memorandum from Brubeck to McGeorge Bundy, November 30. Attached to Sihanouk’s letter was a “Draft Declaration of Neutrality by the Royal Cambodian Government.” (Department of State, Central Files, 751H.00/11–3062)↩
- In telegram 474 from Phnom Penh, November 30, the Embassy concurred with the idea of an interim reply that would give the United States time for consultation with friendly governments and would not give the impression of U.S. footdragging. The only problem the Embassy foresaw was that the second paragraph of the letter might be considered by Sihanouk as portending rejection and bring about an immediate riposte by him. (Ibid., 651H.00/11-3062)↩