Someone once said: "The best recipe for a successful cocktail party is 'Shake

and stir'."

The crowd at the Vietnamese National Day celebration got just that when First PM

Prince Norodom Ranariddh spent about 30 minutes explaining to a gaggle of diplomats

his thinking on the Ieng Sary/Khmer Rouge question. The Prince - who said Ieng Sary

would receive an amnesty by the King upon the recommendation of the two PMs (although

this would pain the PM's conscience severely), after which he could re-enter politics

and start a new party, and that this would help draw away Son Sen and Khieu Samphan

from the hard liners - summed up his view on the situation with the Khmer expression

Chol stung tam bot (When in Rome do as the Romans do).

The diplomats were all very polite and noted regularly that is was up to the Khmers

to find a Khmer solution to the problem. After the discussions were over, three raced

to the bar and ordered very stiff doubles. Quipped one envoy "If I'd been sitting

down, I would have fallen off my chair." Added another,"This is the legitimization

of genocide." Moaned a third, "He's thrown the whole problem in our laps.

Now what do we do?" Shake and stir!

** Brother Benny, prepare thyself. Your job is not done yet. One journalist who

recently parachuted in from France - and has obviously spent much time reading and

thinking deeply about the Khmer Rouge - knows that the solution to the problem is

really quite simple. He asked rethorically: "Well, if the Khmer Rouge are still

out in the jungle, then why doesn't the UN just organize something to go out there

and take care of them?"

** For all you people who didn't know what the PPP's last lead headline meant

and failed to get out your dictionary, gambit means: "Chess. an opening in which

the player seeks by sacrificing a pawn or piece to obtain some advantage." Don't

feel bad. The person who thought it up had to look for himself.

** Quote of the week from a civil servant: "My salary will still be the

same no matter who wins the elections. I'm tired of politics."

** The definition of irony: A government official drinking heavily and chain

smoking while complaining that too many cigarette and booze ads on TV were effecting

his kids and making them spend all their free time running around town while drinking

heavily and chain smoking.