Cambodian friends

Nowhere was the intent of the Khmer Rouge made more obvious than during recent negotiations in Tokyo that were designed to shape Cambodia’s government. Despite what its leaders say, the Khmer Rouge has no interest in sharing power with anyone, and its philosophy has not changed since the 1970s, when it murdered perhaps a million fellow citizens.

At the Tokyo meeting, representatives of the Khmer Rouge boycotted further talks when it became clear that they would not have a leading role in the negotiations. Invited as delegates of a faction led by deposed Prince Norodom Sihanouk, members of the Khmer Rouge immediately pushed for greater power and protested when that power wasn’t given.

Japanese officials correctly limited the role of the Khmer Rouge, recognizing that there is no place in a future Cambodian government for the murderous oppressors, but U.S. policy continues to support Sihanouk, whose coalition openly cooperates with the Khmer Rouge. Through support of arms from China, the Khmer Rouge, Sihanouk’s faction and a group led by former Prime Minister Son Sann have destabilized the government of Prime Minister Hun Sen, backed by Vietnam and the Soviet Union.

If progress can be made during negotiations among the Cambodian factions and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council — Britain, the United States, France, the Soviet Union and China — then open elections in Cambodia are possible. The United States should distance itself from Sihanouk now, so that it does not support a Khmer Rouge front later.