Peace and prosperity: what Twining told the government

United States Embassy

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

June 3, 1994

His

Royal Highness Samdech Krom Preah Norodom

Ranariddh

First Prime

Minister

The Kingdom of Cambodia

Your Royal

Highness:

Please accept my appreciation for your briefing of the

diplomatic corps yesterday. We are all disappointed by Khmer Rouge obstinacy.

Nevertheless, His Majesty the King and the Royal Cambodian Government deserve

credit or making every effort to find peace.

I also want to express my

full agreement with your assessment that, contrary to the picture painted by the

press, the security situation in Cambodia is really quite good. In the last two

weeks, I travelled by car on Highway 5 to Battambang and north to Ampil, as well

south on Highway 4 to Sihanoukville. I saw that order has been restored in most

of Western of Cambodia and that common people are returning to their normal

lives. The security situation in tourist sites like Angkor is

excellent.

It is frustrating to read the often unjustly negative an

sensational press coverage of Cambodia. To my mind, Cambodia remains one of the

world's great success stories. Progress in many areas - the economy, human

rights, and maintenance of the coalition among former blood enemies - has been

most impressive. The steadfastness His Majesty the King, Your Royal Highness and

Second Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen in defending press freedoms is itself the

most eloquent testimony to the strength of the Royal Cambodian

Government.

I was heartened to learn of the Government's plans to tackle

corruption, both in the civil service and the military. I am particularly

encouraged that the Government is conducting meetings now to develop a policy on

reform of the military. The United States strongly supports these

efforts.

Tomorrow I will travel to Honolulu for a conference of US.

ambassadors chaired by Ambassador Winston Lord. The message I will carry is

that, despite daunting challenges, Your Royal Highness and Samdech Hun Sen are

leading the Kingdom to peace and prosperity.

Please accept, Your Royal

Highness, the assurance of my highest consideration.

Charles H. Twining,

Ambassador

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