Evening star., 1955-03-24
Roper

Roper
Continued From First Page)
upon his pledge not to engag,
in politics, but he took to tn,
bush, and now operates with al
unknown number of followers II
Northern Cambodia.
Nobody here is ready to say
Thanh is Communist, but his
role does help the Reds try tt
undermine the Cambodian gov
ernment. Thanh belongs to the
Democratic Party, which re-
Gently elected a number Of
Communists to its board of di-
rectors.
This poses a threat, because
the Democratic Party is the only
really organized political group
in Cambodia. And under the
Geneva agreements, Cambodia
was due to hold elections this
year.
Kings Scheme
Sihanouk, like a movie hero,
set to scheming. Last February
81. he conflded to his cabinet
that he proposed to ban activities
of political parties during the
ensuing elections, and bar as
candidates anyone who had not
lived in his constituency for three
years. AS Thanh's men had been
in the bush, none had the resi-
dence qualification to run for
office. And the Democratic Party
couldn't campaign for any can
didates.
The British protested this pro-
gram as a violation of the Geneva
agreement which provided that,
"all Cambodian citizens may
freely participate as electors or
candidates in general elections. I"
The International Control Com
mission-set up at Geneva to
watch how the agreements were
carried out-asked for an ap-
pointment with Sihanouk to pro-
test.
The appointment never was
held. On March 2, Sihanouk
went to his private quarters, got
out some of his film-making
equipment. and recorded on tape
an announcement of his abdica-
tion.
He sent the tape to the gov
ernment-controlled radio station
with orders to put it on the air.
The story is that even the radio
technicianS were astonished
when they got to the end of the
tape and heard Sihanouk an
nounce that he was quitting the
throne in favor Of his parents,
aging Prince Suramarit and ag-
gressive Princess Suramarit.-
Becomes Politician.
The 33-year-old ex-king swap
ped palaces with his parents
and became a politician. He
temporarily dropped his elec-
ton reform" program and had
ms parents order elections under
the old procedures that would
satisfy the International Control
Commission.
Now that young Sihanouk has
cast aside his royalty, he insists
on being called monsieur" This
is his way of being one of the
boys-of getting down to the
people.
He will hit the election trail
in late summer, pitting his per-
sonal popularity against the
political organization of the
Democratic Party and Son Ngoc
Thanh.
Neutral and American diplo-
mats here feel Sihanouk is the
only really outstanding popular
figure in Cambodia. Barring
some unforeseen villiny, he
should win the elections handilv
When he gets a sympathetic
national assembly, Sihanouk is
expected to have his parents
abdicate and-under the consti-
tution-name him as their Sue
cessor.
The father is weak. The
mother is strong. Sometimes
she seems to dominate even her
son. She is said to be the rea-
son why Sihanouk, her only
child. never has married. In
stead, he contented himself with
a series of concubines who have
borne him 10 children that he
legally recognizes.
Yet Sihanouk, with only the
title Of Monsieur" remains the
ruler of Cambodia. India had
invited Sihanouk, as the king.
to make an official visit to India.
Even after Sihanouk abdicated.
the invitation still stood, and
Monsieur" Sihanouk made the
trip.
Stars in Movie.
T
simultaneously, his govern
ment at home made clear to
foreign diplomats how things
stood. The diplomatic corps
plus a few foreign newspaper
men were invited to the royal
palace grounds for a motion
picture program for charity.
The guests filed into a great
gilded pavilion, dropped money
In a box marked for the hun
cry" and then sat down to a
tediously long documentary film
showing Sihanouk's recent tour
through Burma. Every few feet,
1t seemed, the crowd burst into
9 cheer for Sihanouk. The new
King and Queen OF Cambodia |
watched approvingly.
The documentary film was fol-
hvr A.~,- eNaN