Khmers uneasy

Press, 29 August 1977, Page 8

Khmers uneasy

NZPA Bangkok Cambodian Radio, monitored in Bangkok, has called on revolutionary’ troops to continue to defeat any enemy, whether arriving by land, air,' or sea. In the third such Sunday editorial, the radio exhorted Khmer Troops to unconditionally serve the ruling angkar (organisation) to courageously defend the country’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and maritime boundaries. while co-operating with the peasants to develop agriculture throughout Cambodia. According to refugees who have come from Vietnam in

recent weeks, incidents have occurred between Vietnamese and Cambodian forces all along the border between the two countries, both this year and last year. According to diplomatic circles in Bangkok, relations between Hanoi and Phnom Penh ane said to be cold if not tense. On several occa-

sions, Cambodian diplomats have boycotted official Vietnamese ceremonies, in par ticular during the visit of the Vietnamese Prime Minister (Mr Pham Van Dong) and party leader (Mr Le Duan) to Laos last month. Cambodian Radio mentioned the Peam Rau and Lomphat districts, located in Prey Veng and Rattanakiri provinces, where incidents have been reported by refugees and especially wellinformed diplomatic sources. Other than border incidents with Vietnam and Thailand, clashes of unknown scope reportedly took place last April in the provinces of north-west Cambodia.

Refugees arriving in Thailand have mentioned the execution of four province chiefs and their replacement by unknowns from Phnom Penh, as well as a revolt on the construction site of the Kompong Khmar dam, where one eye witness said some Khmer Rouge sided with the pro testers.