1.
SV Sihanouk embracing official.
0.13

2.
SV Sihanouk gathering earth and kissing it.
0.38

3.
SV & GV Sihanouk and troops through jungle and water. (3 shots)
1.10

4.
CU & GV Crowds cheering. (5 shots)
1.26

5.
GV & SV Sihanouk enters temple. (5 shots)
1.41

6.
SV PAN Sihanouk and officials walking along road.
1.49


PRINCE SIHANOUK EMBRACING OFFICIAL: SIHANOUK GATHERING EARTH AND KISSING IT: SIHANOUK AND TROOPS THROUGH JUNGLE: CROWDS CHEERING: SIHANOUK ENTERS ANGKOR WAT TEMPLE: SIHANOUK AND OTHER WALK ALONG ROAD.




Initials GD/VS 3.07 GD/VS 3.17


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Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Prince Norodom Sihanouk, head of the Peking-based government in exile of Cambodia (also know as the Khmer Republic) made a secret visit to his homeland, last month (March). Prince Sihanouk met with leaders of the Communist forces fighting the Khmer Republic Government troops. The leaders included men who were thought to have been killed some years ago.

The Prince attended a staff conference of his troops' leaders and addressed a gathering of about ten thousand people during the visit to Communist-held areas of his country. The Prince and his wife, Princess Monique, returned to Peking with photographs, a film, and a box of Cambodian soil. This exclusive coverage was made available to Visnews and shows highlights of the visit.

Prince Sihanouk also visited Buddhist monks and went to the temple of Angkor Wat in broad daylight, with Khmer Government troops only one kilometre away (.6 mile). After the visit, Prince Sihanouk said his troops in the Khmer Republic were actively supported by the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese regulars. He said his people would fight until Cambodia was "liberated". He said that Cambodia had no intention of becoming a puppet f the United States as had South Vietnam, South Korea and other countries in the Far East.

SYNOPSIS: Prince Norodom Sihanouk last month returned secretly to his country for a brief visit. It was an emotional trip for the Prince who heads the Peking-based Government in exile of Cambodia. On his return to Peking, Prince Sihanouk carried some of the soil of his homeland together with photographs and film as evidence of his visit. This exclusive coverage was made available to Visnews. It shows several highlights of the leaders return home. Much of his visit concentrated around the Ho Chi Minh trail, a major Communist supply route.

During the visit, Prince Sihanouk met soldiers and leaders of his troops fighting against the Khmer Government forces. The leaders filmed, included men who previously were thought to have been killed years ago. On his return the Prince said the Cambodian people would fight until the country was no longer ruled by the Phnom Penh Government. He said Cambodia had no intention of becoming a puppet of the United States as had South Vietnam, South Korea and other countries in the Far East.

Throughout the journey, the Prince appeared to be greeted enthusiastically. At one gathering, ten thousand people assembled to hear him speak. Until his return to Peking, there was no hint to the rest of the world that such a visit was planned.

The Prince visited the historic Cambodian temple of Angkor Wat. It was broad daylight, ----- only one kilometre away were Khmer Government troops.

He later said his forces were receiving active support from the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese regulars.