Office of the Historian

216. Editorial Note

On July 23, the International Commission for Supervision and Control (ICC) in Cambodia unanimously adopted the following resolution:

  • “1. 23 May 1955 Royal Government of Cambodia informed International Commission for Supervision and Control that it had on 16 May 1955 concluded agreement with US for direct military aid for [Page 473] that country. Commission very carefully examined new agreement to determine its compatibility or otherwise with Geneva Agreement.
  • “2. Objections are raised in Commission that certain clauses of military aid agreement, as specified later in our letter of July 5, were not strictly in conformity with Geneva Agreement. Commission therefore asked Royal Government of Cambodia for certain clarifications. Implications of these clauses were also discussed between Royal Government and International Commission May 30 when Prime Minister of Cambodia gave his government’s interpretation and understanding of military aid agreement. [Text of Cambodian statement before ICC, May 30, in Great Britain, Third Interim Report of the ICC in Cambodia, April 1–July 28, 1955, No. 3 (1955), Cmd. 9579, page 10.]
  • “3. June 17 Commission received request from Royal Government of Cambodia to examine provisions of new military aid agreement vis-à-vis Geneva Agreement. [Text in telegram 1229 from Phnom Penh, June 17; Department of State, Central Files, 751H.00/6–1755.] June 21 the International Commission received protest from Democratic Republic Vietnam stating that new agreement violated provisions of Geneva Agreement relating to Cambodia. [Text of DRV protest in telegram 88 from Phnom Penh, July 22; ibid., 751H.5–MSP/7–2255.]
  • “4. With view to having formal record of the Cambodian Government’s understanding of military aid agreement, Commission addressed Royal Government July 5th embodying his understanding in their letter of that date. July 13th Royal Government confirmed that its understanding and position were exactly as stated in Commission’s letter of July 5th.
  • “5. International Commission welcomes clarifications given by Royal Government and its assurance that it will scrupulously and always respect the terms of the Geneva Agreement. It takes note of the assurance of the Royal Government that it will follow a policy of neutrality.
  • “6. International Commission is confident that Royal Government will honour all assurances it has given and will give full cooperation to International Commission supervising implementation of military aid agreement in terms of Article 7 and Article 13 (c) of Geneva Agreement.
  • “7. Objections are still expressed in Commission that some of clauses of new agreement go beyond limitations imposed by Geneva Agreement. However, in view assurances given by Cambodian Government, Commission is confident that in practice the receiving of aid under new military aid agreement will be in conformity with terms of Geneva Accord.”

Text of the ICC resolution was transmitted in telegram 58 from Phnom Penh, July 15 and modified by telegram 90 from Phnom Penh, July 23. (Ibid., 751G.00/7–1555 and 751H.5–MSP/7–2355, respectively)