Lon Nol's High Hand

After two years of halting preparation, Cambodia was all set to promulgate a new constitution this week, adopting a presidential form of government. The hopes of the country's legislators, however, were summarily dashed last week by Premier Lon Nol, who overthrew Prince Norodom Sihanouk two years ago. Pronouncing the draft of the constitution unacceptable, he dissolved the Constituent Assembly, posted guards around the Assembly building in Phnom Penh and proclaimed himself chief of state and sole authority.

Lon Nol's seizure of power looked like an act of dictatorial strength, but in fact it may have been a sign of weakness. The Premier is still recovering from the effects of a stroke that incapacitated him last year, and his personal prestige appears to be waning. Even before the takeover, students in Phnom Penh had been demonstrating against the government, and the intensity of their protests is now likely to increase. More important, the palace coup by Lon Nol provides the Khmer Rouge and the North Vietnamese with a helpful propaganda tool in their efforts to rally the rural population to their side in Cambodia's unresolved war. If the Communists also step up their military efforts in the countryside, Lon Nol's troubles are bound to worsen drastically.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.