70. Telegram 16007 From the Embassy in the Khmer Republic to the Department of State, December 3, 1974, 1055Z.1 2
TELEGRAM
Department of State
PHNOM PENH 16007
P R 031055Z DEC 74
FM AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8474
INFO
AMEMBASSY BANGKOK
AMCONSUL BIEN HOA
AMCONSUL CAN
THO
AMEMBASSY CANBERRA
AMCONSUL HONG KONG
AMEMBASSY
JAKARTA
AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR
AMEMBASSY MANILA
AMEMBASSY
MONTEVIDEO
AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI
AMEMBASSY
PARIS
USLO PEKING
AMEMBASSY SAIGON
AMEMBASSY
SEOUL
AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE
AMEMBASSY TAIPEI
AMEMBASSY
TOKYO
AMCONSUL UDORN
USIA WASHDC
USMISSION USUN
AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE
AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON
AMEMBASSY
COTONOU
AMEMBASSY LONDON
AMEMBASSY
RANGOON
CGFMFPAC
CGUSARSUPTHAI
CINCPAC
CINCPACAF
CINCPACFLT
CINCUSARPAC
CNO
COMNAVINTCOM
COMSEVENTHFLT
COMUSMACTHAI
COMUSSAG
CTG
SEVEN NINE PT FOUR
DIA WASHDC
III MAF
7/13 AF
E.O. 11652: GDS
TAGS: PINT PINS PFOR MOPS ECON CB
SUBJECT: KHMER REPORT--DECEMBER 3, 1974
GENERAL
1. THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY, BY A NARROW TWO VOTE MARGIN IN EACH CASE, FIRST VOTED THE FRIENDLY RESOLUTION PRIORITY OVER THE PRO-GRUNK VERSION AND THEN APPROVED THE FORMER. THE RESOLUTION, IN ITS FINAL FORM, URGES NATIONS HAVING INFLUENCE IN CAMBODIA TO ATTEMPT TO BRING THE CONTENDING PARTIES TOGETHER, DIRECTS THE SECRETARY GENERAL TO USE HIS GOOD OFFICES FOR THE SAME END AND TO REPORT TO THE UNGA SESSION NEXT YEAR, AND STIPULATES THAT NO FURTHER UN ACTION BE TAKEN ON THE KHMER QUESTION UNTIL THE MEMBERS HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO EXAMINE THE SECRETARY-GENERAL’S REPORT. THE FAVORABLE RESULT WAS GREETED IN CAMBODIA BY RELIEF AND MIXED EXPECTATIONS FOR THE FUTURE; PRESIDENT LON NOL QUICKLY FOLLOWED UP BY PRAISING THE UN DECISION, REITERATING THE GKR OFFER TO NEGOTIATE WITHOUT CONDITIONS, AND EXTENDING AN INVITATION TO UNSYG WALDHEIM TO VISIT PHNOM PENH. SIHANOUK IN PEKING BRUSQUELY TURNED DOWN THE RESOLUTION, IN-COUNTRY FUNK PROPAGANDA CONTINUED TO RULE OUT NEGOTIATIONS OR COMPROMISE, AND GRUNK’S ASIAN ALLIES, INCLUDING THE PRC, CHIPPED IN WITH THEIR VERBAL SUPPORT. IN PHNOM PENH, MARKET PRICES REACTED FAVORABLY TO THE NEWS FROM NEW YORK, AND THE BLACK MARKET RATE FOR DOLLARS ALSO DECLINED. ON THE BATTLEFIELD, FANK INFLICTED HEAVY LOSSES ON KC TROOPS NORTHEAST OF PHNOM PENH, BUT THE OTHER SIDE CUT ROUTE 5 BETWEEN BATTAMBANG AND KOMPONG CHHNANG.
POLITICAL (EXTERNAL)
2. THE 29TH UNGA SESSION, AFTER SEVERAL DAYS OF OFTEN BITTER DEBATE AND PROCEDURAL HAGGLING, APPROVED, IN A SERIES OF CLOSELY CONTESTED VOTES, THE FRIENDLY RESOLUTION ON THE KHMER ISSUE. THE FINAL RESOLUTION, AS AMENDED BY SAUDI ARABIAN PERMREP BAROODY AND FURTHER REFINED IN DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN HIM AND THE FRIENDLY WORKING GROUP, POINTS OUT IN THE PREAMBLE THAT WHILE GRUNK “PRESIDED OVER” BY SIHANOUK EXERCISES AUTHORITY OVER A PORTION OF CAMBODIA, THE GKR CONTROLS A PREPONDERANT SHARE OF THE POPULATION. THE RESOLUTION APPEALS TO THE “POWERS” WITH INFLUENCE IN CAMBODIA TO USE THEIR GOOD OFFICES TO BRING ABOUT CONCILIATION BETWEEN THE TWO CONTENDING PARITIES; REQUESTS THE SECRETARY-GENERAL TO LEND APPROPRIATE ASSISTANCE TO THE TWO PARTIES AND TO REPORT ON THE RESULTS AT THE 30TH UNGA SESSION NEXT YEAR; AND RULES OUT FURTHER UN ACTION ON CAMBODIA UNTIL THE MEMBER STATES HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXAMINE THE SECRETARY GENERAL’S REPORT.
3. DURING THE COURSE OF THE NOVEMBER 26-29 DISCUSSION, SIX SEPARATE VOTES WERE TAKEN, AMONG WHICH TWO WERE CRITICAL; (A) FIRST, THE ASSEMBLY VOTED BY 58 TO 56 WITH 20 ABSTENTIONS AND 3 ABSENCES TO GIVE PRIORITY TO THE FRIENDLY RESOLUTION OVER THE PRO-GRUNK RESOLUTION, WHICH WOULD HAVE EXPELLED THE GKR FROM ITS UN SEAT AND GIVEN IT TO GRUNK; B) SECOND, IT APPROVED THE FRIENDLY RESOLUTION, AS AMENDED (SEE PRECEDING PARAGRAPH), BY 56 TO 54 WITH 24 ABSTENTIONS AND THREE ABSENCES. FOLLOWING THE FAVORABLE DECISION OF THE PLENARY, THE ONLY HURDLE NOW REMAINING FOR THE GKR IS THE CREDENTIALS COMMITTEE DELIBERATION AND REPORT. THE MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE HAS NOT YET BEEN SCHEDULED AND THEREFORE THE TIMING FOR SUBMISSION OF ITS REPORT TO THE PLENARY IS NOT YET KNOWN.
4. THE SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME OF THE VOTING WAS IN GREAT PART DUE TO THE GOOD ORGANIZATION, HARD WORK AND EFFECTIVE LOBBYING BY JAPAN AND THE ASEAN NATIONS, WITH THE UNITED STATES IN AL LESS PROMINENT SUPPORTIVE ROLE. THE GKR DELEGATION ALSO ACQUITTED ITSELF WELL, WITH PRIME MINISTER LONG BORET, FOREIGN MINISTER KEUKY LIM AND PERMREP CHHUT CHHOEUR BEING KEY FIGURES. THE FINAL VOTING BROUGHT SOME UNPLEASANT SURPRISES, WITH COUNTRIES EXPECTED TO BE IN THE GKR CAMP SUCH AS ECUADOR, GREECE AND PORTUGAL ABSTAINING. THESE DEFECTIONS, HOWEVER, WERE MORE THAN COUNTERBALANCED BY FAVORABLE VOTES FROM A NUMBER OF ARAB COUNTRIES INCLUDING MOROCCO AND TUNISIA, AND KEY ABSENCES BY EGYPT AND GHANA.
5. THE WORLD FOOD CONFERENCE IN ROME (SEE KHMER REPORT OF NOVEMBER 19, 1974) ULTIMATELY HANDLED CREDENTIALS MATTERS ROUTINELY, WITHOUT CONFLICT OVER THE KHMER QUESTION.
[Omitted here is the remainder of the telegram, which was signed by Deputy Chief of Mission Robert V. Keeley.]