Document IX-6

Communiqué Issued June 28, 19651

Fourteenth Ministerial Session of the ANZUS Council, Washington, June 28, 1965

The ANZUS Council held its annual meeting in Washington on June 28, 1965. The Right Honorable Keith J. Holyoake, Prime Minister and Minister for External Affairs, represented New Zealand; the Honorable Paul Hasluck, Minister for External Affairs, represented Australia; and the Honorable Dean Rusk, Secretary of State, represented the United States.

This annual meeting, like its predecessors, was the occasion for a full and candid exchange of views on world problems of direct concern to the ANZUS partners. This exchange further broadened and deepened the community of interests felt by the ANZUS Countries, which have fought side by side in two World Wars and in Korea, and once again in South Viet-Nam are comrades in arms in the defense of freedom.

The Council discussed the serious situation in Southeast Asia caused by the aggressive actions of North Viet-Nam, with the support of Communist China, in flagrant violation of basic obligations of international law and of the Geneva Accords of 1954 and 1962. It noted that the infiltration of arms and combat personnel from North Viet-Nam into South Viet-Nam has been substantially increased and that this infiltration includes units of the regular armed forces of North Viet-Nam.3

The Council noted that North Viet-Nam continues to flout the 1962 Geneva agreement by maintaining military forces and supplies in Laos and by moving armed men and weapons through Laos into South Viet

1 Department of State Bulletin, July 19, 1965, pp. 135-137.

2 Texts in American Foreign Policy, 1950-1955: Basic Documents, vol. I, pp. 750-788, and American Foreign Policy: Current Documents, 1962, pp. 1075-1083. * See post, docs. IX-87 et seq.

It was noted with regret that the Communist side had rejected many moves in the direction of such a settlement by negotiation. Such moves included those made by the United Kingdom as Co-Chairman of the Geneva Conferences, by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, by the President of India, by a group of seventeen non-aligned nations, and by President Johnson in his speech at Baltimore on 7 April." The Council nevertheless agreed that such efforts should continue, including the recent initiative of the Commonwealth Prime Ministers.

With the same objective in view, the Council also agreed that more intensive efforts should be made to promote the economic and social development of Southeast Asia as a means of helping to remove some of

4 Text of the communiqué of the Thirteenth ANZUS Council Meeting is printed in American Foreign Policy: Current Documents, 1964, pp. 839-841.

5 From an address by Tran Van Do, Foreign Minister of the Republic of VietNam, June 22, 1965; post, doc. IX-132. Post, docs. IX-110.

AUSTRALIA

Document IX-7

Toast of the President of the United States (Johnson) to the Prime Minister of Australia (Menzies) at a White House Luncheon, June 7, 19651

"The Purpose That Binds America and Australia Together ... [is] Peace and . . . the Friendship Between Our Peoples"

CAMBODIA

Document IX-8

Message From the Cambodian Foreign Minister (Koun Wick) to the Cochairmen of the 1954 Geneva Conference on Indochina (Stewart and Gromyko), March 15, 1965'

Cambodian Request for a Meeting of the Participants in the 1954 Geneva Conference on Indochina To Consider the Question of the Neutrality and Territorial Integrity of Cambodia

I have the honour to inform you that in its general resolution of 8 March, 1965, the Indo-Chinese Peoples' Conference" "considers that a new international conference on

1 Department of State Bulletin, June 28, 1965, pp. 1050-1051. Prime Minister Menzies visited the United States, June 6-9, 1965. 2 Recent Diplomatic Exchanges Concerning the Proposal for an International Conference on the Neutrality and Territorial Integrity of Cambodia. Cambodia No. 1 (1965). Cmnd. 2678, pp. 8-9. Texts of the 1954 agreements are printed in American Foreign Policy, 1950-1955: Basic Documents, vol. I, pp. 750-788.

Cambodia to afford her legitimate guarantees concerning her neutrality and territorial integrity and a new international conference on Laos to ensure the strict application of the Geneva Agreements of 1962 * may help to create a favourable atmosphere and facilitate the restoration of peace in Indo-China" and in a special resolution on Cambodia "calls on the countries which took part in the 1954 Geneva Conference on Indo-China, and on the United States of America in particular, to recognise and respect the neutrality and territorial integrity of Cambodia, to observe them in all respects and to refrain from any action incompatible with these principles, and for this purpose demands that a new Geneva Conference be convened with the least possible delay in order to afford the Kingdom of Cambodia legitimate guarantees concerning her neutrality and territorial integrity".5

The Royal Government of Cambodia once more addresses itself to Their Excellencies the Co-Chairmen of the 1954 Geneva Conference and requests them to respect this wish unanimously expressed by the IndoChinese peoples by urgently summoning the participants in the 1954 Conference to meet in Geneva or any other place. The Royal Government takes this opportunity to remind Your Excellency that the majority of the members of the Geneva Conference are entirely in favour of the legitimate demand by Cambodia who wishes to have recognised her right to live in peace and neutrality within

This conference is described in the source text (p. 3) as being attended "only by organisations committed or sympathetic to Communism"; a list of the organizations present is printed in the source text, pp. 6-8.

Text of the 1962 Geneva Agreement on Laos is printed in American Foreign Policy: Current Documents, 1962, pp. 10751083.

Concerning recent proposals for an international conference on Cambodia, see ibid., pp. 1002-1004; ibid., 1963, p. 742, footnote 14; ibid., 1964, pp. 846-847, 848-863, 864-866, 870.

her frontiers and to be accorded guarantees enabling her to do so. With the highest consideration.

Document IX-9

Statement Issued by the Secretary of State (Rusk), April 25, 1965*

United States Support for a Conference To Consider the Question of the Neutrality and Territorial Integrity of Cambodia

It has been proposed that an international conference composed of the governments of the countries which took part in the Geneva conference of 1954 be called to consider the question of the neutrality and territorial integrity of Cambodia."

After reviewing this proposal with the President last week, and at his direction, we have informed a number of interested governments that if such a conference is called we will gladly participate. The President would appoint Ambassador Averell Harriman as our representative to the discussions.

Cambodia desires independence and neutrality. Here, as elsewhere in Asia, the United States wholeheartedly supports the right of each nation to shape its own course. To support this right for Cambodia is fully consistent with the purpose of the United States to support the right of every nation in Southeast Asia to lead a free and independent existence.R

Department of State Bulletin, May 10, 1965, pp. 711-712.

Supra.

8 During April, agreement on the convening of an international conference on Cambodia reached a point where the United Kingdom and U.S.S.R. seemed prepared to issue invitations to the countries involved (Cmnd. 2678, pp. 12, 14). There was also considerable discussion of the possibility of such a conference providing a "back door" for talks on Viet-Nam (see The New York Times, Apr. 16, 1965). Then, on May 1 the Cambodian Government issued a statement listing certain conditions for the proposed conference, the most important of which were that it would neither accept the presence of the Republic of Viet-Nam, nor would it allow any discussions of the problems of VietNam or Laos at a conference on Cambodia (Cmnd. 2678, p. 15). This position was strongly endorsed by the Government of the "People's Republic of China" (ibid., pp. 15-17). On June 30 the Soviet Foreign Ministry indicated in an oral statement to the U.K. Ambassador that it supported the wishes of the Cambodian Government in not pressing for an international conference at that time (text in Soviet News, July 5, 1965). Ultimately, the proposals for an international conference on Cambodia were allowed to languish.

Document IX-10

Letter From the Secretary of State (Rusk) to the Cambodian Foreign Minister (Koun Wick), May 6, 1965'

Severance of Diplomatic
Relations Between the
United States and Cambodia

EXCELLENCY: I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of Your Excellency's message of May 4 in which you explain the Cambodian position on the maintenance of consular relations. I wish, on my side, to clarify the position of the United States.

The United States not only accepts but supports the safety, independence, neutrality and prosperity of Cambodia and of the Cambodian people. We have demonstrated that through the postwar period in many ways, including through substantial resources placed at the disposal of the Royal Cambodian Government. We have further, in response to the proposal of your government, indicated our readiness to attend a conference of the governments attending the 1954 Geneva Conference for the purpose of providing Cambodia further international assurances on these matters." Whether or not such a conference takes place, the United States will continue to respect the neutrality of Cambodia. We trust that the Royal Cambodian Government for its part accepts the responsibilities incumbent on this neutral status.

I know of no issues affecting Cambodia which cannot be resolved through the normal processes of diplomacy, whether bilaterally or through such a conference." We

Department of State Bulletin, May 31, 1965, pp. 853-854.

10 Not printed here. The Prince Head of State of Cambodia, Norodom Sihanouk, had announced his Government's decision, on May 3, to sever diplomatic relations with the United States because of an alleged attack on two Cambodian border villages, on Apr. 28, by planes of the forces of the Republic of Viet-Nam. In his May 4 note, the Cambodian Foreign Minister suggested maintenance of consular relations between Cambodia and the United States, contingent on whether violations of Cambodian territory continued (Department of State files).

11 Supra.

12 For background on issues affecting Cambodian-United States relations see American Foreign Policy: Current Documents, 1963, p. 742; ibid., 1964, pp. 845 f.

take note of the fact that the Royal Cambodian Government has not maintained diplomatic representation in Washington since April 1964 and that it has now moved to break relations, a step requiring the withdrawal of the American Embassy from Phnom Penh. The Royal Government of Cambodia must therefore accept the consequences of the disappearance of the normal bilateral diplomatic machinery through which states of the international community attempt to resolve their differences and increase the range of common interest and cooperation.

It seems quite clear that the maintenance of consular relations, subject to the unilateral conditions imposed by the Royal Government of Cambodia, is not consistent with general international practice. Nor would such an attitude on the part of the Royal Government of Cambodia serve such activities as tourism and trade, for the benefit of which the Cambodian Government has suggested that consular relations be maintained.

The United States Government, for its part, desires normal relations with the Royal Government of Cambodia, but it is manifest that such relations are not possible in the absence of mutuality and reciprocity. Since reciprocity unfortunately is not present, we have no alternative but to accept the conclusions of the Royal Cambodian Government and to withdraw all official representation from your country.

Let me conclude, Excellency, by saying that the Government of the United States is prepared at any time to consider with the Royal Cambodian Government the restoration of relations on a mutually acceptable basis."

Please accept, Excellency, assurances of my high consideration.

DEAN RUSK Secretary of State

13 On June 2, 1965, the Department of State announced that responsibility for protection of U.S. interests in Cambodia had been assumed by the Government of Australia (Department of State Bulletin, June 21, 1965, p. 1000).

The talks which proceeded in an extremely cordial and friendly atmosphere resulted in the two sides reaching an identity of views on all the questions discussed.

Bringing the profound friendship of the Cambodian people, His Royal Highness Prince Norodom Sihanouk has come to visit China and to attend, with the Chinese people, the celebration of the Chinese National Day. His noble presence constitutes a great encouragement and support to the Chinese people. The Chinese side expresses to him its cordial thanks. Prince Norodom Sihanouk expresses his profound and fraternal gratitude for the grand reception and the marks of esteem and cordiality accorded by the Chinese Government and people to the Cambodian delegation during its stay in China.

14 Peking Review, Oct. 8, 1965, pp. 16-18.