The Royal Government of Cambodia wishes to provide the following clarifications with regards to the issue of the Credentials Letter of the delegation of the Royal Government of Cambodia to the 52nd session of the UNGA:

1. The Credentials Letter signed by His Majesty King Norodom Sihanouk on September 2, 1997 was submitted to Him by the Co-Prime Ministers Ung Huot and Hun Sen as required by normal practice of the Cambodian Government in full conformity with the Cambodian Constitution. To say the King was forced to sign such an official letter addressed to such a world body and that His signature had no legal force is an insult to the credibility and supreme authority of His Majesty the King of Cambodia. For a Cambodian, it is a crime of lèse majesté.

2. The so-called Credentials letter signed by Prince Ranariddh living in exile has no legal value whatsoever for the following reasons:


• a. It is well known that the Prince, a french citizen, has been living in self-exile in Aix-en-Provence, France, since July 5, 1997. His letter dated August 25, 1997 must have been issued in France, not in Cambodia. Together with a few of his exiled associates, he cannot pretend to represent the Kingdom of Cambodia. A document issued on foreign soil and its author should not be given any consideration.
• b. In normal circumstance, yes, it is required the signatures of both Co-Prime Ministers on all official communications. In due respect to His Majesty the King, Co-Prime Ministers Ung Huot and Hun Sen requested and received the royal approval of the King to lead a delegation to the United Nations General Assembly. But the King, who declined Ranariddh's request to abdicate, was not aware that His son, in self-exile, secretly signed another Credentials letter in disrespect of his father. Furthermore, Prince Ranariddh discredited himself when he alone signed his own Credentials, knowing very well that it was an illegal document and later admitted that the King's signature should prevail over his.
• c. Now that he had been stripped of his parliamentary immunity and replaced by H.E. Mr. Ung Huot as First Prime Minister as very clearly mentioned in the Credentials letter dated September 2, 1997 and officially approved by the King, any pretension or claim that Prince Ranariddh's signature could dispute that of the King or even could invalidate the King's signature is simply going too far. This is tantamount to recognizing Prince Ranariddh in exile as having equal or even more authority than His Majesty the King and that for all practical purposes, the King had been effectively deposed by His son with the support of foreign powers. Will the world community condone again such an interference in internal affairs of Cambodia?
  

3. The world should not ignore the background and the parts of responsibility of Prince Ranariddh in setting the flame of civil war, which flared up on July 5-6, 1997, and which very quickly were brought under control by the government forces. To avoid getting burnt, he secretly fled the country a day earlier, leaving the Cambodia house in flame and yet unscrupulously putting the blame on his partner, Hun Sen, who was on vacation in neighboring Vietnam. Prince Ranariddh was not deposed or ousted from power as had been alleged. Diplomatic Missions in Cambodia could testify to it. A few months earlier, when Prince Ranariddh set up his Front Uni National (FUN) against his own partner in the government, His Majesty the King predicted in one of His monthly bulletin that was "the beginning of the end of FUNCINPEC and of Ranariddh…" Now Prince Ranariddh, has to face charges of collaborating with Khmer Rouge outlaws, of smuggling war weapons into Cambodia, of fomenting a civil war resulting in the loss of many lives. Evidence have been collected and will be presented to the world community. Prince Ranariddh, Sam Rainsy and their associates collaborate with hardline Khmer Rouge outlaws. They are fake champions of democracy who have fooled some opinion for some time, the latest was the multimillion dollars business of a show trial of Pol Pot at a jungle base of Anlong Veng, close to the Thai border. Opening the eyes to face simple truth should not be regarded as a loss of face.

4. The Royal Government of Cambodia very quickly has brought the situation back to normal. It has even improved political stability, insured security for general election of 1998. The UN credentials committee's lack of consensus on this particular issue brought about by some political interests set a dangerous precedent for the whole international community. Denying for any length of time the United Nations seat to the rightful delegation of the Royal Government of Cambodia is a gross violation of Cambodia's right sovereignty. For the unfortunate people of Cambodia, it is an open and unjust challenge to the authority of their King. It is rewarding the Khmer Rouge outlaws and their allies. It is the same mistake and the same history repeating itself.

The Royal Government of Cambodia sincerely hopes that the United Nations Credentials committee, together with other United Nations Member States, has enough wisdom to decide in all fairness and objectivity.