Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968, Volume XXVII, Mainland Southeast Asia; Regional Affairs

168. Memorandum From Senator Mike Mansfield to President Johnson¹

Washington, December 18, 1965.

SUBJECT

• Brief Impressions, listed country-by-country²

[Here follows impressions on countries other than Cambodia.]

Phnom Penh

1. Phnom Penh extended the warmest welcome to the mission of any on the trip.

2. Prince Sihanouk is the most able, hardworking and effective non-Communist leader in Southeast Asia. He works continuously at leading his people and is fully supported by them.

3. Cambodia is the most peaceful and, in many ways, the most progressive nation in the region; still gives us credit for our economic aid in the past and has used it well.

4. Sihanoukʼs only concern is Cambodia. He doesnʼt care what happens elsewhere so long as Cambodia is left alone.

5. He is afraid of the Thais and the Vietnamese (north and south) in particular, and of the United States, to the extent that we are tied to the Thais and Vietnamese.

6. Sihanouk stated that he did not care what the U.S. did in South Vietnam so long as his borders were respected and there were no border incidents. He further stated that Cambodian independence would be endangered should U.S. influence leave Southeast Asia.

7. He wants present borders (the old French administrative borders) acknowledged. But he has been unable to get an acknowledgment from any nation—from the United States, or the Communist nations or other nations in the region.

8. Sihanouk has legitimate grievances as well as some that are not so valid. He is thin-skinned and emotional (which he acknowledges) and he has been regarded and treated with disrespect by American officials in the past. The Thais and South Vietnamese, moreover, are sponsoring and supporting a trivial Cambodian dissident movement (Serai Khmer) which has plotted against his life in the past and is still operating. Suggest all support of Serai Khmer movement by Thailand, South Vietnam and U.S. be withdrawn.

9. Sihanouk wants to keep contact with the United States, short of regular diplomatic relations. He suggested, however, that friendly American visitors would always be welcome in Cambodia. Eugene Black would be an ideal visitor because of his demeanor and because Sihanouk is for the Mekong project.

10. No sense restoring diplomatic relations, as the British have recently done, unless (1) we are prepared to renounce the Cambodian plotters in Thailand and Viet Nam and press the Thais and Vietnamese to do the same; (2) unless we can find an Ambassador of exceptional astuteness and tact to send; and (3) unless we and the Vietnamese can be a lot more careful about border incidents.

11. There is a lot of sense in keeping contact with Cambodia short of full diplomatic relations. We certainly ought to accept in good faith his request that I.C.C. investigate the charges that Sihanoukville is used as supply source for the Viet Cong because we are associated with the raising of these charges in the first place.

[Here follow impressions on other countries.]

1. Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, International Meetings and Travel, Mansfield Trip to Southeast Asia, November 1965. No classification marking. There is an indication on the source text that the President saw it.
2. From November 18 to December 19 Senators Mike Mansfield and George Aiken visited 16 countries and territories including the Southeast Asian nations of Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, South Vietnam, and the Philippines. On January 11, 1966, Mansfield and Aiken briefed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on their trip. The transcript of that briefing is printed in U.S. Senate, Executive Sessions of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (Historical Series), Vol. XVIII, 89th Congress, 2nd session, 1966, pp. 3–38.