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Shultz Meets Cambodia Rebels, Vows Aid for Non-Communists : Gives $3 Million to Help Villagers Caught in Fighting

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United Press International

Secretary of State George P. Shultz met today with Cambodian rebels fighting the Vietnamese occupation of their homeland and signed a $3-million aid package to help border villagers caught in the cross fire.

Shultz arrived in Bangkok, the second stop of a 13-day Asia-Pacific tour, to reaffirm America’s support of Thailand, a front-line state against Vietnam.

Prince Norodom Sihanouk’s tripartite Cambodian government-in-exile has battled Vietnamese occupation troops since they invaded Cambodia in 1979 to drive out the Khmer Rouge and install Heng Samrin. The communist Khmer Rouge, who ruled from 1975 to 1979, are blamed for killing between 1.5 million and 3 million Cambodians.

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Sihanouk’s coalition is composed of his non-communist supporters, the Khmer Rouge and the non-communist Khmer Peoples National Liberation Front of former Premier Son Sann. It is recognized by the United Nations as Cambodia’s legitimate government.

Sihanouk’s Son

Shultz met today with non-communist rebel leaders, including Prince Norodom Rannaridh, who is Sihanouk’s son, and Gen. Sak Sutkasakarn, commander of the Khmer People’s National Liberation Front.

The State Department spokesman said they gave Shultz a surprisingly “upbeat” assessment of their military operations. The rebels lost all their bases on the Thai-Cambodian border during Vietnam’s dry-season offensive last winter and spring, and now stage hit-and-run attacks on Hanoi’s estimated 180,000 troops inside Cambodia.

Shultz pledged continued support for the non-communist members of the resistance, the State Department official said.

Washington has given $32 million to the United Nations and Red Cross in the last two years to provide humanitarian relief to the resistance.

Aid Bill Pending

A $5-million military aid bill for the Cambodian insurgents is pending in Congress.

Before the meeting, Shultz visited senior Thai officials to discuss security, refugees, drug control and economic relations.

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He signed a $3-million aid package to help Thai border villagers affected by spillover fighting from neighboring Cambodia. Washington has given a total of $27 million in aid to the border villages since 1980.

At the signing, which included Champagne toasts, Shultz spoke of the “arrogant and illegal nature” of the Soviet-supplied Vietnamese occupation of Cambodia.

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