Cambodia Evacuees Overdue at Isorder
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wanes, mAy 2 197, Cambodia Evacuees Overdue at isorder By DAVID A. ANDELMAN nightfall there was still no firm cial termed "endlessly frustrat- , Special to The New York Times evidence that the Phnom Penh ing: ARANYAPRATHET, Thailand, evacuees were near. After talking at some length May 1—Camboaian Communist, [In Paris the principal for- ' with Cambodian soldiers and French and Thai Government eign representative of Prince at least one senior Cambodian officials met repeatedly today Norodom Sihanouk's govern- official, the Ambassador said: across the bridge here that ment accused France of har- "Everything that has been said before about this convoy is 'marks the Thai-Cambodian boring hundreds of "war border, but the discussions criminals" on the grounds of complete nonsense. We have failed to produce any firm word the Phnom Penh embassy. A no idea where it is." On the whereabouts of foreign- French Foreign Ministry The problem, was apparently e,rs. who have been isolated in spokesman denied that any that Cambodian officials at the the French Embassy compound Cambodians remained within border had little or no authori- in Phnom Penh. the embassy confines.1 ty to make decisions and were not kept posted on the status There were reports through The Cambodian and Thai of- the day that all 610 • foreigners, of the refugees by senior offi- ficials agreed, shortly before cials in the Cambodian capital. whom the Cambodians had sundown, to keep the frontier All two-sway communications promised to deliver by truck open all night, should the refu- between Phnom Penh and the Convoy to this border town 250 gee convoy suddenly arrive. outside world have been cut miles from Phnom Penh, were The frontier is usually closed since Saturday. Only through near the bridge. It spans a from dusk to dawn. radio broadcasts and news re- small stream that is the border Late today the French Am- leases issued by the Cambodian here. bassador to Thailand, Jean-Lo- Communists did the intentions The reports reached diplo- uis Toffin, arrived at the fron- of the Cambodians to release mats, relief workers and news- tier to take charge of the spora- men gathered here, but at dic discussions, which one offi- Continued on Page 17, Ccdumn 5 Cambodia Evacuees Overdue at Border 1, Col. 7 treat everything from a simple the embassy refugees has been Continued From Page cut to cholera. "false reports after false re- the foreigners become known. Diplomats of 10 nations— ports," all from nonofficial Thailand; the United States, the sources. Among the Americans Officials at the frontier scur- Soviet Union, France, West is Sydney H. Schanberg, a cor- ried around all day, trying to Germany, India, Japan, Spain, respondent of The New York satisfy every request made by Belgiub and Italy—have Joined Times since the radio cutoff the Cambodian troops at the the throng waiting at the bor- France has been unable to get border crossing. It is the only der point here at Aranyapra- any word about her Phnom direct contact ,still maintained thet, in 'southeastern Thailand Penh embassy from the new between the new Government 135 miles east of Bangkok. The Cambodian authorities, neither of Cambodia and the outside. Cambodians say they will turn, directly nor through third par- All of these efforts appeared over the foreign nationals only ties. Representations have been to •be fruitless. to their diplomatic representa- made to the semiofficial mis- At one point the Cambodian tives. sion of Prince Sihanouk here, soldiers indicated that the prob- through the prince in Peking lem was a shortage of gasoline Charge by Sihanouk and through the Chinese Gov- for the trucks. Officials of the ernment. International Committee of the By HENRY KAMM Today's Cambodian state- Red Cross, who have set up Spediki to The New York 'notes ment, issued over the signature an emergency medical center PARIS, May 1—The principal of Chau Seng, Prince Sihanouk's for the evacuees here, imme- foreign \representative of Prince representative in Europe, not diately prepared to deliver the Norodom Sihanouk's govern- only cast doubts on the status fuel. But later a higher Cambo- ment accused France today of of the 610 refugees at the em- dian official said there was no harboring hundreds of "war bassy but reiterated the Cam- such shortage and no •evidence criminals" at the French Em- bodians' nonrecognition of the that the convoy was being de- bassy in Phnom Penh. embassy's diplomatic protec- layed for lack of gasoline. A French Foreign Ministry tion. At another point Col. Jean spokesman denied that any Mr. Seng singled out Prince, Loubert, the French Military Cambodians remained there Sisowath Sirik Matak as a "war: attache, dug into his pocket when radio contact with the criminal" and "traitor" who had and came up with three aspirin embassy was broken last week- taken refuge at the embassy.; tablets for a Cambodian soldier end. Prince Sisanouk considers for- who had complained of a tooth- The ministry spokesmaNsaid mer Premier Sirik Matak, his ache. "We will give them any- that all that France has receded cousin, the principal plotter and thing they want," the colonel on the expected movement perpetrator of his overthrow said later. in 1970. Delay Disturbs Envoy Said to Have Yielded Ambassador Tofffin said he was becoming increasingly dis- PEKING, May 1 (Agence turbed over the delay in deliver- France-Press0 — Marshal Lon ing the 610. people-515 French Mors fOrmer Deputy-Premier, citizens and 95 foreign nation- Sisowath Sirik Matak, fled to als, including five American the French Embassy when the journalists. All took refuge in Communists took Phnom Penh the embassy after Phnom Penh on April 17, but gave himself was lost to the Communists on up to the authorities a few days April 17. later, a well-informed Cambo- The last word the French Gov- dian source here said today. ernment received before two- The source made the state- way communications ceased ment to a newsman here after was that food and medicine Chau • Seng, Prince Sihanouk's were running short in the com- representative in Europe, said pound and that medical author- in Paris that the embassy was ities- feared an outbreak of harboring war criminals, includ- The New York Times/May 2, 1975 ing Prince Sirik Matak. He was dysentery. Ten beds have been Three-nation talks were set up in a police post next to one of seven persons con- the border gate here. The Red held at border near the demned to death in principle by Cross has medicines here to town of Aranyaprathet. the Cambodian Communists. .