Cambodian-Communist Troop Clash Reported

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32251, 20 March 1970, Page 15

Cambodian-Communist Troop Clash Reported

N Z P.A.-Reuter—Copyright*

SAIGON, March 19.

Royal Cambodian forces clashed with Vietnamese Communist troops only a few hours before the Cambodian Head of State (Prince Norodom Sihanouk) was deposed yesterday, according to diplomatic sources in Saigon.

Prince Sihanouk was removed from power yesterday by the Cambodian Parliament. which blamed him for the rising tensions in Cambodia over the presence of 40.000 North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops in border areas with South Vietnam.

The fighting is understood to have taken place near the Mimot rubber plantation in the province of Kimpong Cham, on the other side of the border from the South Vietnam province of Tay Ninh. There had been well-sub-' stantiated reports of fighting

■ between the Cambodian Army and the Communist troops in Cambodian territory only a few miles from the border with South Vietnam, .he sources say. It has long been an important base area and supply corridor for North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops taking sanctuary from South Vietnam. The palace and other key buildings such as the National

Assembly, in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh were still ringed by troops and armoured cars today. Diplomatic reports from there say that the Government appears to be in full command of the situation, but that there is always the possibility of counter-action, either in support of Prince Sihanouk or by the Communists. Cambodia’s international airports at Phnom Penh and Siem Reap are still closed to air traffic, and commercial telex, telegraph and telephone links with the outside world remain closed. Policy Broadcast Radio Phnom Penh reported today that the new Head of State, the chairman of the National Assembly (Mr Cheng Heng) had announced that his country would continue to follow a policy of "independence, neutrality and territorial integrity.” Cambodia would also recognise and respect all treaties which had been concluded formally, the radio added. The English ■ language broadcast, monitored in Saigon. provided no new details of the political upheaval in Cambodia, but it reported messages of support from some provinces for what it called “The Government of Salvation.”

In Hong Kong soon after the broadcast, a spokesman for the Cambodian Consulate said that the consulate had been asked to inform the Hong Kong Government of Cambodia’s undertaking to respect its trade and diplomatic agreements with all other countries. A similar statement has aparently been sent to all [Cambodian diplomatic missions abroad.

It was the first communication received by the consulate in Hong Kong from Phnom Penh since the bloodless coup.