Cablegate: Views of Hor Namhong, Cambodian Ambassador to France

R 110926Z JAN 95
FM AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 0125
INFO USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI
AMEMBASSY PARIS
AMEMBASSY BANGKOK

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PHNOM PENH 000152

E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR
TAGS: PREL PGOV CB FR TH
SUBJECT: VIEWS OF HOR NAMHONG, CAMBODIAN AMBASSADOR TO FRANCE

1. C - ENTIRE TEXT.

2. FORMER SOC FOREIGN MINISTER AND PRESENT RCG AMBASSADOR TO PARIS HOR NAMHONG EXCHANGED VIEWS WITH THE AMBASSADOR JANUARY 11 DURING A VISIT TO PHNOM PENH. ALTHOUGH THEORETICALLY NEUTRAL POLITICALLY, HOR NAMHONG WITH HIS IMTIMATE INVOLVEMENT WITH THE MEMBERS OF THE FORMER REGIME HERE AND A WIDE RANGE OF CONTACTS HAS CONSIDERABLE INFORMATION AT HAND OF INTEREST. HE BEGAN BY PRAISING THE EXCELLENT RELATIONS HE ENJOYS WITH AMBASSADOR HARRIMAN IN PARIS.

3. THE KING. DESPITE CPP FEARS THAT THE KING WOULD SEEK TO GRAB POWER, HOR NAMHONG FOUND HIM DURING A RECENT MEETING TO BE VERY RELAXED. SIHANOUK PRAISED THE GOVERNMENT, PARTICULARLY FOR ITS HANDLING OF THE KHMER ROUGE, OBSERVING THAT THEY ARE EVERYWHERE ON THE RUN. HE SAID THAT PEOPLE LIKE SON SANN, NHEK TIOULONG, AND SAUMURA TIOULONG HAVE URGED HIM TO TAKE POWER, BUT HE INSISTED THAT HE HAS SWORN LOYALTY TO THE CONSTITUTION AND HAS NO INTENTION OF CHANGING THE SITUATION. THE KING SAID HE INTENDS TO BE A TRUE CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCH

4. EARLY ELECTIONS. HOR NAMHONG SAID HE HAS BEEN HEARING SOME PEOPLE SPEAK IN FAVOR OF EARLY ELECTIONS. FOR SOME, IT WOULD BE A WAY TO OPEN THE DOOR TO NATIONAL RECONCILIATION WITH THE KR, SOMETHING HE FINDS PERSONALLY TO BE COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY. SOME WITHIN FUNCINPEC BELIEVE AN EARLY ELECTION WOULD ENABLE THEIR PARTY TO BE THE SOLE PARTY IN CHARGE, A FALSE VIEW WHEN IT IS HARDLY CERTAIN THAT FUNCINPEC WOULD WIN.

5. THE SITUATION. IN RESPONSE TO NAMHONG'S QUESTION ABOUT THE SITUATION, THE AMBASSADOR SAID IT SEEMS BASICALLY ALL RIGHT. BOTH STABILITY AND DEMOCRACY ARE IMPORTANT, AND THE GOVERNMENT'S SUCCESS AGAINST THE DECLINING KR HAS BEEN IMPRESSIVE. NAMHONG SAID HE IS PLEASED WITH THAT THE TWO PRIME MINISTERS ARE WORKING TOGETHER SO WELL. AMBASSADOR TWINING POINTED OUT THAT, WHILE WE SUPPORT THE LEGITIMATE GOVERNMENT AND THE CONSTITUTION PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THE ELECTIONS, STATEMENTS ALLUDING TO "ENEMIES" AMONG MP'S AND OTHERS WHO "OPPOSE" THE GOVERNMENT ARE DISTURBING. A DEMOCRACY ALLOWS FOR THE FREE EXPRESSION OF OPINION, INCLUDING IN THE PRESS AND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, AND NEGATIVE ALLUSIONS TO THOSE WITH DIFFERING VIEWS IS NOT HELPFUL TO WHAT THE NEW CAMBODIA STANDS FOR. HOR NAMHONG SAID HE AGREED FULLY. THE PRESS NEEDS TO BE RESPONSIBLE, AND A PRESS LAW PROVIDING FOR CIVIL PENALTIES SHOULD BE USEFUL IN THIS REGARD. AS FOR THE ASSEMBLY, DEPUTIES SHOULD BE FREE TO SAY WHAT THEY WISH. AMBASSADOR TWINING EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT THIS CAN BE EMPHASIZED.

6. THE JULY 2 COUP ATTEMPT. HOR NAMHONG SAID THAT THE DEGREE OF HIGHER CPP SUPPORT REMAINS UNCLEAR. CHEA SIM ASKED NAMHONG QUIETLY LATE LAST SUMMER TO REQUEST HUN SEN NOT TO PURSUE PENALTIES FOR THE COUP PLOTTERS, A MESSAGE HOR NAMHONG DID NOT DELIVER. SIN SONG AND PRINCE CHAKRAPONG PROBABLY MADE THEIR COUP ATTEMPT DUE TO PIQUE THAT THEY HAD NOT BEEN READMITTED TO THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, MORE THAN FOR ANY OTHER REASON, A RIDICULOUS REASON TO EJECT THE NEW GOVERNMENT ACHIEVED AT GREAT COST TO THE WORLD COMMUNITY. HUN SEN TOLD HIM THAT THAI FOREIGN MINISTER THAKSIN REQUESTED A PRIVATE MEETING DURING HIS DECEMBER 21 VISIT TO EXPRESS HIS PERSONAL APPRECIATION FOR HUN SEN'S STATEMENT EXONERATING THAKSIN FROM INVOLVEMENT IN THE COUP ATTEMPT. HUN SEN HAD BRIEFED SIHANOUK AT GREAT LENGTH IN DETAIL LAST SEPTEMBER ABOUT THE COUP ATTEMPT, BUT THE KING'S DESIRE TO PARDON THOSE INVOLVED SEEMS TO INDICATE THAT HE DID NOT BELIEVE ALL THAT HUN SEN TOLD HIM. HUN SEN FEELS HE CAN BE HELPFUL IN SHORING UP SUPPORT OF THE THAI BUSINESS COMMUNITY FOR INVESTMENT IN CAMBODIA DURING HIS UPCOMING TRIP TO BANGKOK.

7. TAKING THE KR TO COURT. HOR NAMHONG WAS PLEASED THAT WE SEEM TO HAVE GOTTEN THE "GENOCIDE INVESTIGATION" UNDERWAY. OUR INFORMATION WILL BE HELPFUL WHEN A COURT BEGINS TO DEAL WITH THE ISSUE, SOMETHING IT IS CAMBODIA'S RESPONSIBILITY TO INSTIGATE. IT IS INDEED NECESSARY FOR TOP KR LEADERS TO BE PERSONALLY PUT ON THE STAND. FOR THAT, CAMBODIA WILL NEED TO ASK THAILAND FOR HELP IN ASCERTAINING THE WHEREABOUTS OF THE KR LEADERS SO THEY CAN BE TAKEN. U.S. ASSISTANCE IN SUPPORTING THE CAMBODIAN REQUEST WOULD BE APPRECIATED. HE HAS SUGGESTED TO RCAF CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF KE KIMYAN THAT HE PREPARE THE GROUND FOR THIS WHEN HE NEXT MEETS WITH THAI MILITARY LEADERS.

8. CAMBODIAN-FRENCH RELATIONS. THE FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER MADE A BIG MISTAKE IN CANCELLING HIS PROPOSED VISIT TO CAMBODIA LAST MONTH. "FRANCE CANNOT BASE ITS RELATIONSHIP TOWARD CAMBODIA ON THE DEATH OF ONE FRENCHMAN," I.E, IN LAST YEAR'S HOSTAGE SITUATION. HE WAS ALSO WRONG WHEN HE STATED IN VIETNAM THAT THAT COUNTRY IS THE FOCAL POINT FOR FRENCH POLICY TOWARD THE THREE COUNTRIES OF THE SUB-REGION. REGARDING MILITARY RELATIONSHIPS, HOR NAMHONG SAID HE HAS URGED THE FRENCH TO COORDINATE THEIR AID WITH THE U.S. AND AUSTRALIA. HE IS ALSO PLEASED THAT THE FRENCH ARE FINALLY INVITING KE KIMRAN TO MAKE AN OFFICIAL VISIT IN APRIL, FOLLOWING HIS VISITS TO THE U.S. AND AUSTRALIA.

9. ICORC. HOR NAMHONG'S PERSONAL VIEW IS THAT, FOLLOWING THE PARIS MEETING IN MARCH IN WHICH BOTH PRIME MINISTERS WILL BE PARTICIPATING, THERE SHOULD BE ONLY ONE MORE SUCH HIGH-LEVEL MEETING, HELD IN PHNOM PENH, AFTER WHICH ICORC SHOULD BE CONVERTED INTO A CONSULTATIVE GROUP. HE INTENDS TO DISCUSS THIS WITH PRINCE RANARIDDH DURING A JANUARY 12 MEETING.

10. THE KR IN FRANCE. THE KR, LED BY FORMER KR ENVOY TO UNESCO OK SAKUN (A FRENCH CITIZEN), ARE ACTIVE IN PROPAGANDIZING AMONG CAMBODIAN IN FRANCE. WHILE THERE ARE NOT MANY WHO ACTUALLY SUPPORT THE KR, A MUCH GREATER NUMBER SYMPATHIZES WITH KR ARGUMENTS REGARDING THE "ROTTEN" GOVERNMENT, ETC. HOR NAMHONG DESCRIBED THIS AS PART OF THE FRENCH AND FRENCH-CAMBODIAN WAY OF INTELLECTUALIZING THINGS WITHOUT TAKING ACCOUNT OF REALITY.

11. COMMENT. THE DISCUSSION WAS A USEFUL ONE. HOR NAMHONG WILL BE SEEING HUN SEN BEFORE HE LEAVES AND IS LIKELY TO REPORT TO HIM ON OUR CONVERSATION, INCLUDING OUR CONCERN REGARDING PEOPLE WHO TAKE A POSITION AT VARIANCE WITH THE RCG VIEW AS BEING AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT. THIS CAN BE HELPFUL.

TWINING

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