Cambodia's Sihanouk: "I Am Very Angry"

Since he was deposed in 1970 by Marshal Lon Not, Cambodia's Prince Norodom Sihanouk has lived in exile in China but has never surrendered his claim to be his country's rightful chief of state. At 50, Sihanouk is still ebullient, charming and volatile--and increasingly bitter against the U.S., which he thinks is destroying his country. Last week, before flying off on a month-long visit to nine African and Eastern European countries, Sihanouk sat down in Peking for an interview with TIME'S diplomatic editor Jerrold Schecter. His main points:

ON THE WAR IN CAMBODIA. Sihanouk says that he tried to talk about negotiations with President Nixon or Henry Kissinger, and was rebuffed on four separate occasions. "Now I am no longer interested in meeting Kissinger ... We [the Communist-dominated Khmer Rouge insurgents] are prepared to go on until 1976 because we hope that after President Nixon, the new President will decide to stop the U.S. intervention in Cambodia. But if the new President chooses to continue, we are ready to go on independently until 1980. We have enough courage to do that." Sihanouk insists that the insurgents will negotiate only if the U.S. stops its bombing of Cambodia, withdraws support from the Lon Nol regime, and unilaterally withdraws all American military personnel from Phnom-Penh.

ON NIXON AND WATERGATE. "I do not want Nixon to resign. Agnew is worse than Nixon. I prefer a weakened Nixon in front of me--he will not have the same prestige as before--to a new Agnew in back of me ... Your people cannot be moved by the killing of yellow people. The killing of Cambodians means nothing to them. Watergate is more important to them, and we put our hope in the Watergate affair."

ON THE U.S. Sihanouk visited Khmer Rouge-held sections of Cambodia in March and asked his people their opinion of America. "They said, 'Bombings, bombings, killing, killing. We cannot be friends with such an inhuman country.' My people cannot be aware of your good traditions or the background of your Revolution. They know you through the B-52s, the AC-130s, the Spookies [gun ships] and the F-111s and F-105s."

ON U.S. DIPLOMACY. "You say that you cannot allow Communism to take over Indochina, but you decided to be friends with China and the Soviet Union, the two most powerful Communist countries in history. Why do you accept friendship with Chinese and Soviet Communism and consider Indochinese Communism as dangerous? Indochina does not threaten the U.S. in any way. You are very far away. Why don't you let us live our lives? If we want to be Communists, why do you refuse us such a right?"

ON CHINA AND VIETNAM. Though the Cambodians and the Vietnamese are traditional enemies, the U.S., the Prince contends, has forced the insurgents into the arms of the North Vietnamese. "I am sure that North Viet Nam will respect our sovereignty, neutrality and independence; I have it in writing. Besides, China is enough to guarantee our independence. North Viet Nam will not be able to 'satellitize' us since China also guarantees our independence and our neutrality. It is not in the interest of China to abandon us. China is still revolutionary despite the fact that she chooses to be your friend. She must help the small peoples' revolutions in the Third World. Otherwise, how can she present herself to you as a big power? The greatness of China is based not only on the Chinese people but also on her prestige among the revolutionary peoples."

ON SIHANOUK HIMSELF. The Prince insists that he no longer runs the anti-government factions, a task that has fallen to Khieu Samphan, head of the Khmer Rouge insurgents. "From now on, I am head of state without government responsibilities. When President Nixon has to deal with Great Britain, he does not deal with Queen Elizabeth but with the Prime Minister. Please allow us to do the same thing ... I am not desirous of dealing with America. I told you, I am very angry. I am not wise like Chou Enlai. He is really a statesman. I am only Sihanouk. Allow me to remain Sihanouk. I have my personal pride and courage."

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