Sihanouk Without News Of Reporters

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32303, 22 May 1970, Page 13

Sihanouk Without News Of Reporters

(N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) PARIS, May 20.

Prince Norodom Sihanouk, the deposed Cambodian Chief of State, has told France he knows nothing about 12 journalists missing in eastern Cambodia and thought to have fallen into the hands of Comumnist troops. In a message to the Foreign Minister (Mr Maurice Schumann) published today in “Le Monde,” Prince Sihanouk said that he was replying to an initiative taken by the French Foreign Ministry to determine the fate of the journalists. “I have the honour of informing you of the following,” PYrince Sihanouk said. “The Royal Government and 1 have firmly recommended to our people’s army of national liberation to try to find the missing Western journalists, to treat them well, if found, and to free them as soon as the occasion presents itself.”

“But up until now no news

from the Khmer (Cambodian) maquis (resistance) has come to us concerning the journalists,” he said. Prince Sihanouk added: “It must be noted that the massive invasion and intensive bombing of Cambodia by the Americans and Saigon forces are hardly helping the search efforts.” “Le Monde” commented that Prince Sihanouk’s reply was “all the more disquieting” because several of the correspondents have been mising since well before the United States intervention in Cambodia.

Several attempts by journalists have been made to get information from the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese representatives to the peace talks.

Last week Mr Nguyen Thanh Le, a spokesman for Hanoi, turned aside queries with the remark:

“It’s the responsibility of the employers.” The Viet Cong have also disclaimed all knowledge of the missing correspondents’ whereabouts.