Delivered: March 19, 1972
Source: Peking Review Vol 15, No. 12, March 24, 1972 from a larger article entitled "Government of People's Republic of China Gives Grand Banquet"
Transcribed/HTML Markup: Mike B. for MIA, November 2006
Public Domain: Marxists Internet Archive (2005). You may freely copy, distribute, display and perform this work; as well as make derivative and commercial works. Please credit “Marxists Internet Archive” as your source.
Original foreword from Peking Review:
The Government of the People's Republic of China gave a grand banquet on the evening of March 19 at the banquet hail of the Great Hall of the People to warmly celebrate the second anniversary of the coming to China of Samdech Norodom Sihanouk, Head of State and Chairman of the National United Front of Cambodia, and Madame Sihanouk, and Samdech Penn Nouth, Prime Minister of the Royal Government of National Union of Cambodia and Chairman of the Political Bureau of the N.U.F.C. Central Committee, and Madame Penn Nouth, and the second anniversary of the founding of the National United Front of Cambodia and the People's Armed Forces of National Liberation of Cambodia. Premier Chou En-lai and Samdech Sihanouk spoke at the banquet.
Attending the banquet on invitation were Ieng Sary, Special Envoy of the Interior Part of Cambodia; Sarin Chhak, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the R.G.N.U.C., and Madame Sarin Chhak; and all the other distinguished Cambodian guests in Peking.
Attending the banquet on invitation were Nguyen Van Quang, Ambassador of the Republic of South Viet Nam to China; Ngo Thuyen, Ambassador of the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam to China; and Hyun Jun Keuk, Ambassador of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to China, and Madame Hyun Jun Keuk.
Present were Chinese Party and government leaders and leading members of departments concerned, including Chiang Ching, Yeh Chien-ying, Chang Chun- chiao, Yao Wen-yuan, Li Hsien-nien, Chi Teng-kuei, Li Ten-sheng, Wang Tung-hsing. Kuo Mo-jo, Hsu Hsiang- chien, Nieh Jung-chen, Chi Feng-fei, Wu Teh, Chang Tsai-chien, Teng Ying-chao, Chang Hsi-jo, Wang Kuo-chuan, Lin Chia-mei, Yu Li-chun and Hsu Han-ping.
The banquet was permeated with a warm atmosphere of unity and friendship between the peoples of China and Cambodia.
Respected Samdech Norodom Sihanouk, Head of State of Cambodia and Chairman of the National United Front of Cambodia, and Madame Sihanouk,
Respected Samdech Penn Nouth, Chairman of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the National United Front of Cambodia and Prime Minister of the Royal Government of National Union of Cambodia, and Madame Penn Nouth,
Respected Special Envoy Ieng Sary,
Distinguished Guests from Cambodia,
Comrades and Friends,
Two years ago today, Samdech Norodom Sihanouk, Head of State of Cambodia and the Chinese people's closest friend, and Madame Sihanouk, and Samdech Penn Nouth and Madame Penn Nouth came to China and were accorded a warm welcome by the Chinese Government and people. That was the time when foreign aggressive forces had instigated their lackey, the Lon Nol-Sirik Matak traitorous clique, to stage a reactionary coup d'etat, and a critical juncture when the national existence of Cambodia was in peril. Arriving in Peking, Samdech Norodom Sihanouk resolutely and determinedly held aloft the glorious banner of defending national independence and plunged himself into the great struggle against the U.S. aggressors and their lackeys; he issued his sublime five-point declaration, founded the National United Front and the People's Armed Forces of National Liberation of Cambodia, established the Royal Government of National Union and called upon the Cambodian people to take up arms and unfold a vigorous war against U.S. aggression and for national salvation, thus advancing the Cambodian people's anti-imperialist revolutionary struggle to a new historical stage. Meanwhile, Samdech Norodom Sihanouk initiated the convocation of the Summit Conference of the Indochinese Peoples, which issued a joint declaration of great historic significance, and a solid united front of the three Indochinese peoples against U.S. aggression was formed. Samdech Norodom Sihanouk has not only performed great deeds for the Cambodian people, but also made outstanding contributions to the three Indochinese peoples' cause of unity against U.S. aggression. On this memorable occasion, we are particularly glad to gather here joyously to celebrate together the great victories of the Cambodian and other Indochinese peoples and the 2nd anniversary of the founding of the National United Front and the People's Armed Forces of National Liberation of Cambodia.
Please allow me to take this opportunity to extend, on behalf of the Chinese people's great leader Chairman Mao and the Chinese Government and people, warm congratulations and high respects to Samdech Norodom Sihanouk and Madame Sihanouk, to Samdech Penn Nouth and Madame Penn Nouth, to Special Envoy Ieng Sary, to the National United Front and the Royal Government of National Union of Cambodia, and to the People's Armed Forces of National Liberation of Cambodia and the fraternal Cambodian people, who are fighting in the forefront of struggle against U.S. aggression.
The past two years are most uncommon years in the history of Cambodia. In these two years, the Cambodian people, under the brilliant leadership of Samdech Norodom Sihanouk and the National United Front of Cambodia, have persisted in a people's war, fought heroically and staunchly against the U.S. aggressors and their lackeys and won great and splendid victories.
In the past two years, the Peoples Armed Forces of National Liberation of Cambodia have continued to expand and grow stronger through fighting, and have become indestructible people's armed forces worthy of their name. The liberated areas in Cambodia have been increasingly consolidated and expanded, and the Royal Government of National Union of Cambodia is exercising highly effective leadership over eight-tenths of the territory and seven-tenths of the population. Internationally, Cambodia's struggle against U.S. aggression and for national salvation has won extensive sympathy and support among the people of all countries, and the prestige of Cambodia has increasingly grown. The Lon Nol-Sirik Matak traitorous clique, which was rigged up two years ago by U.S. imperialism with the help of bayonets, is beset with contradictions and fallen into chaos, with its members scrambling for power and gains. The practice of Cambodia over the past two years is another eloquent proof that U.S. imperialism is nothing to be afraid of and that so long as the people of a small country unite and persist in struggle, they can certainly grow from weak to strong, defeat aggression by a big country and win complete victory.
At present, the three Indochinese peoples' war against U.S. aggression and for national salvation is developing vigorously and winning continuous victories. However, U.S. imperialism is not reconciled to its defeats and is stepping up its programmes of "Khmerization," "Laotianization" and "Vienamization" to prolong and intensify its war of aggression in Indochina. In the meantime, it has dished up its so-called "eight- point peace proposal" in a political scheme to dupe the people of the world and attain its criminal aim of forcibly occupying Indochina. What calls for special attention is that at the present time certain powers are creating a so-called "Khmer third force" to carry out activities for a compromise in a vain attempt to split the National United Front of Cambodia and undermine the militant unity of the Cambodian people and the Indochinese peoples. But this is no longer the time of Munich, and these splitting activities will certainly meet with the firm opposition of the Cambodian people. In their appeal of February 12 this year, Samdech Norodom Sihanouk and Samdech Penn Nouth solemnly declared that the Cambodian people are determined to carry on the "resolute struggle without compromise or retreat until final victory." This is a forceful reply to all conspirators. We believe that the three Indochinese peoples, long tempered in revolution, are invincible and that no military threats or political schemes can divert them from the road of struggle against U.S. aggression and for national salvation. Victory surely belongs to the three Indochinese peoples who are united in fighting.
It is the bounden internationalist duty of the Chinese people to render all-out support and assistance to the Cambodian and other Indochinese peoples in their war against U.S. aggression and for national salvation. We have been doing so in the past and we will continue to do so in the future. This stand of ours is firm and unshakable. Following Chairman Mao's teachings, the Chinese people resolutely support the National United Front and the Royal Government of National Union of Cambodia under the leadership of Samdech Norodom Sihanouk. We are firmly opposed to any international plot to split the Cambodian and Indochinese peoples and sabotage their war against U.S. aggression and for national salvation. The Chinese people resolutely support the three Indochinese peoples in carrying their war against U.S. aggression and for national salvation through to the end. Whatever forms the war of aggression may assume, so long as the just war of the Indochinese peoples goes on, we will render it our support. The Chinese people will always unite together, fight together and win victory together with the Cambodian, Vietnamese and Lao peoples.
Now, please raise your glasses and drink a toast
to the great victories of the Cambodian and Indochinese peoples in their war against U.S. aggression and for national salvation,
to the independence, peace, democracy, neutrality, territorial integrity and national prosperity of Cambodia,
to the great friendship and militant unity of the peoples of China and Cambodia,
to the health and long life of Samdech Norodom Sihanouk, Head of State and Chairman of the National United Front of Cambodia, and Madame Sihanouk,
to the health of Samdech Penn Nouth, Chairman of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the National United Front and Prime Minister of the Royal Government of National Union of Cambodia, Madame Penn Nouth,
to the health of Special Envoy Ieng Sary,
to the health of all the distinguished guests Cambodia,
to the health of Comrade Ambassador Nguyen Van Quang,
to the health of Comrade Ambassador Ngo Thuyen,
to the health of Comrade Ambassador Hyun Keuk, and Madame Hyun Jun Keuk,
to the health of the heads of diplomatic missions and their wives present, and
to the health of our friends and comrades present here!
[A] The Wade-Giles spelling of Chinese names, etc. was used in the original translation of this article and as such, this transliteration is maintained in the MIA transcription.