The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, March 01, 1971, Page Page 5, Image 5
A news analy
Cambo
BY MARGARET SWENDSEID
Cultural Editor
This is the second article on
Indochina: the history of Cam
bodia up to 1954.
Cambodia, a larger country than
Laos with six million people, is the
remains of a once powerful Khmer
empire.
Its early history was affected
deeply by "Indian practices and
ideas relating to royalty, law and
religious mythology, with the
concept of a god-king and the state
as a manifestation of the universe,
and its capitol as an earthly
symbol of heaven. However in the
13th century the vast empire
delined: the king made heavy
demands on forced labor; a
sophisticated hydraulic system
was neglected; and a new religious
doctrine was introdueed.
-As with Laos, Canbodia was
subject to internal dynastic
rivalries as well as Siamese and
Vietnamese intrusions. It main
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tained its independence, howev4
at the cost of its northern frontif
King seeks help
in the 1850s Cambodia's kir
asked France to help in defeatin
the Siamese and Annames
France intervened to protect i
missionaries and established
strong commerical hold in I
dochina - along with Laos. Tk
Cambodians were highly resistai
to France's motives of protectir
its "investment" against th
English and Siamese, and a sel
proclaimed Prince Pukoumb
initiated rebellions which w er
put down by Franco-Cambodia
'roops.
Colonial Cambodia was now rt
stirictly by the Frenc
"residentfs' ;" their high:
bureaucratic administration wi
not "worthy" of Cambodiar
whom they considered incapable
serving in top-priority capacit
Roger Smith reports: "The Frenc
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OWI' rjvt#o peR.
once pa
%r, did little to train Cambodians to fill
*r. positions of responsibility and
trust. A School of Administration,
created in 1917, graduated several
1g score of Cambodian ad
Ig ministrators, but it was not until
e after 1936 that they were used at
ts any but the lowest levels of
a government. Education was not
3 otherwise encouraged. It did not
ie suit the French purpose to have an
it educated elite which might
demand government reform, or
worse, independence."
o The French saw to a system of
le townships which had restricted
n popular elections for ruling
councils. The monarchy was
i manipulated by the French, who
h inadvertently named the
ly monarchy's successor. Prince
Sihanouk came to the thone in 1941.
ks and was considered a weak and
3 gullible leader. Events later
proved him quite the opposite.
h Guerilla bases established
Meanwhile guerilla bases were
established as more and more
farmers and mountain people
.joined the resistance in 1946, a
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occaeion. Wrlit for wu wholese
Commons F
for studentu
On a large campus such as
u'S(' students often want a
place to sit down and have an 4n
tormal discussion about some
topic.
'To provide a place where
students can ask questions to those
in authority." is one answer
provided for students, according to
-Joe Huddleston. chairman of the
Commons Room committee.
Visits by four Richland County
representatives: discussions with
Harold Brunton. vice president for
Husiness Affairs: and a week's
discussion with law enforcement
officials of different levels have
been this year's events.
The future schedule calls for a
visited by Paul Dietzel and
werful
pioneering major offensive took
place in Siem Reap city. in which
an entire French garrison was
captured and arms stock emptied.
Giving more impetus to the
resistance, a Khmer National
Liberation Committee, or Khmer
Provisional government and
Central Executive committee by
which provincial and village
government could be unified. The
French colonialists. feeling doom
about their Cambodian investment
which would also be used against
the Pathet Lao and Vietnamese.
sent reinforcement troops into
Cambodia. The Khmer Issarak.
the major guerilla force, mounted
its activities and the French
defensibely reduced themselves to
"pacification" troops. Wilfred
Burchett: "Sihanouk used this
situation, plus the mounting ac
tivities of the Khmer Issarak
movement, to pressure on the
French for more and more con
cessions. Essentially the main
bone of contention between the
French and Sihanouk by 1953. was
the question of Cambodia's
0
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Loom place
questions
possibly a visit by Cleveland
Amory. a noted columnist.
*"The flexibility of our schedule
is an important factor." Hud
deston said. "For instance, if we
hear of someone visiting Carolina,
then our schedule will allow us to
contact him and have him come on
short notice.
*The Commons Room is glad to
work with outer organizations on
campus." he said.
"We try Io coincide with speakers
from other committees. That way.
if someone is giving a speech or
lecture. we give him a chance to
have a discussion in an informal
atmosphere."
The Commons Room is a com
mittee of the University Union. It
is open from 9 to 5 every weekday.
Coffee is served at 10 and 2.
empire
adhension to the French Union and
the French demand to continue to
use Cambodia as a base for
operations in Vietnam and Laos
respectively..."
Sihanouk was a nationalist and
Cambodia's independence, he
believed. could be achieved
through diplomacy and non
violence. He was therefore initially
disenchanted with the Khmer
Issarek over their terror tactics.
Khmer Issrak and royal troops
clashed: both did not appreciate
each other's struggles in
patriotism or for independence.
Inevitable "showdown"
The "Showdown" with the
French was inevitable. The
French centered their troops
around Phnompenh. the capital
city. and for the time used the
Sihanouk-Issarak rivalry to
maintain its stronghold. Mean
while France was attempting to
crush the resistance forces in
Vietnam and Laos. and the result
of those efforts would greatly
determine Cambodia's in
dependence. 65 pecent of all ex
ports 'Frencb from Indochina
were taken ontt of Cambodia. and
the French had been draining the
country's rich food reserves to feed
their forces in other places. If it
had not been for the resistance and
guerilla fighters. attacking French
communications systems and
supply lines, the war .would have
dragged on.
fut in July. 1953. Sihanouk,
refused to accept France's
provisional terms. demandea a
transfer of powers. including
police and military command. by
Sept bemer I. 3953. Four days after
his note. the French ambassador
stated that France was now ready
to transfer all powers, and in
August.- negotiations began.
f)uring the process of in
dependence, Sihanouk instructed
an appeal to be sent out to Issarak,
Khmerx Vietminh. and Vietminh
to now enter the "national comn
munity." Resistance fighters
would be "welcomed with open
arms by the government," and
amnest y was promised. "Althought
we are not communist, we do not
oppose communism as long as the
latter is not to be imposed on ow'
people by force trom outside..."