Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, Volume XXIII, Southeast Asia

110. Memorandum From Michael V. Forrestal of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)⁰

Washington, October 28, 1963.

SUBJECT

• Presidential Message to Prince Sihanouk and Marshal Sarit

I attach a memorandum from State¹ containing both a personal message and a governmental message to Prince Sihanouk on the occasion of his birthday and Cambodia’s Independence Day, October 31st and November 9th, respectively.

I talked with Cambodia’s best friend in Washington² and have, as you no doubt foresaw, been convinced that the President should send a private message. Since the State Department’s draft was a little limp, I have added a sentence which I don’t think would get us in great trouble with Sarit.³ I imagine we care less about Diem.

I also attach a proposed message to Marshal Sarit of which I heartily approve.⁴ In view of the excellent speech he made on Thai TV and radio and in view of Otto Passman’s hopeless remarks,⁵ this is the least we can do.

MVF

Attachment⁶

Washington, October 25, 1963.

Memorandum From the Department of State Executive Secretary (Read) to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)

SUBJECT

• Proposed Presidential Messages to Prince Sihanouk of Cambodia

Attached for approval are drafts of two proposed Presidential messages for Prince Sihanouk, Cambodian Chief of State. The first is a greeting to the Prince for his birthday, October 31. The second is a message of congratulations on Cambodia’s Independence Day, November 9.

In past years, Presidential messages have not been sent for Prince Sihanouk’s birthday, and felicitations on Cambodia’s Independence Day have been brief and routine. A birthday message and an Independence Day message somewhat longer than normal are recommended this year.

The purpose of this special attention is to reassure the Prince regarding the United States attitude toward Cambodia. Recently Sihanouk has been severely agitated by propaganda activity carried on by the “Khmer Serei” (Free Cambodia) movement based in Thailand and Viet-Nam. He was particularly incensed by a demonstration of loyalty to the Diem regime on the part of ethnic Cambodians living in Viet-Nam. In the course of condemning the Khmer Serei he has gone beyond to accuse the United States of supporting these activities in Thailand and Viet-Nam. He has said that the United States opposes him because it cannot tolerate Cambodia’s foreign neutral policy.

The two attached messages are based upon recommendations by the Embassy in Phnom Penh and have been drafted carefully to emphasize United States support for Cambodian independence and neutrality and at the same time to minimize any possibility of giving offense to either the Thai or Vietnamese governments.⁷

Marion Babelsky⁸

Attachment

1. Proposed Birthday Greeting

It gives me great pleasure to extend greetings to Your Royal Highness on the occasion of your birthday and to wish you many more years of good health and happiness in the service of the people of Cambodia. I want to assure you of my continuing regard for the leadership which you have given your country.

Attachment

2. Proposed Independence Day Message

On the occasion of this tenth anniversary of the recovery of Cambodia’s independence, I have the honor on behalf of the American people and the Government of the United States to convey congratulations and best wishes to Your Royal Highness and the Cambodian people and government.

The people of the United States of America well recall the early years of their own struggle to build a nation and maintain their independence. Against this background of historic memory the American people have watched with sympathy and respect the efforts of the people of Cambodia, under Your Royal Highness’ determined leadership, to build a foundation for internal peace and prosperity for their country. The record of United States assistance through the years to Cambodia’s national development attests unmistakably to the desire of the American people, with fullest respect for Cambodia’s foreign policy of non-alignment, to see Cambodia grow strong in freedom and advance the well-being of its people.

Please accept, Your Royal Highness, my personal felicitations on this occasion and assurances of my high personal regard and respect.

0. Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Cambodia, 9/12/63–11/7/63. Confidential.
1. Not attached to the source text, but a copy of the memorandum from Department of State files is printed below.
2. Apparent reference to former Secretary of State Dean Acheson, who represented the Government of Cambodia in its dispute with Thailand at the International Court of Justice over control of the Temple of Preah Vihear. The decision of the Court on June 15, 1962, was in favor of Cambodia.
3. The last sentence of the birthday message was added by Forrestal.
4. Not printed. A copy is in the Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Thailand, Vol. V, 8/63–11/63. The message was sent in telegram 684 to Bangkok, October 30. (Department of State, Central Files, AID (US) 4 THAI)
5. Reference is to remarks by Congressman Otto Passman during hearings on Foreign Operations Appropriation for 1964. An undated transcript is in the Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Thailand, Vol. V, 8/63–11/63)
6. Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 17–4 CAMB-US. Confidential. Drafted by Hannah and John B. Dexter of SEA and cleared by Hannah, Laurence G. Pickering, and Morgan L. Breckon of SEA, by Rice and by Frank P. Lockhart of FE/P, and by James E. Bowers of the Office of Chief of Protocol.
7. A cable combining both these messages was approved by Bundy and sent to Phnom Penh on October 30.
8. Babelsky signed for Read above Read’s typed signature.