CONFIDENTIAL
(
to be putting enormous weight on Sihanouk as the only person capable of presiding over an acceptable government in Phnom- Penh. What would happen if Sihanouk were to go off the rails or fall under a bus? Chesnel discounted the first possibility but said that the second, Sihanouk's disappearance, would be disastrous. Prince Ranariddh was less able and had many enemies.
4. Chesnel said that the French Government were paying for the renovation of the former Cambodian Ambassador's Residence in Paris. Chesnel had personally helped evict squatters from this building in the past. He hoped that the work would be completed in time for Sihanouk to move into the building when he comes to Paris in early October. Chesnel said that the former Cambodian Chancery was in a terrible state and there were no plans for it to be handed over to Sihanouk.
5. Vietnamese Boat People. I was struck by Martin's remarks about M. Kouchner's(State Secretary for Humanitarian Questions) wish to send a French mercy ship to the region. M. Martin said that he would try to discourage the Minister (but I do not think we should build too many hopes on this; Martin will not wish to find himself in political flak). It is useful to have on the record Martin's acceptance that France should take some of the boat people now in Hong Kong (but again we should not have unrealistic expectations).
26 August 1988
More.
N J Cox
CONFIDENTIAL