The press revels in references to this ariemot to realise the wish expressed by Ho Chi Minh in his political testament. However, Ho's last known writing does not contain a single line that mentions this question.
There has not been a single VCP document for several decades putting forward the perspective of such a federatYou have to go back to the ITU O TO AC SOPROa Enurean guonnas Buack One of the principal political accusations made hy the Cambodian leadership against the Vietnamese is that they want to set up an 'Indochinese federation' dominated by Hanoi, writes PIERRE ROUSSET.
"Socialist Federation the United stales oi lebnchinn as part of a World Federation' systematically advanced in the texts of the During the period of the liberation wars there was silence on the problem regional organisation. But 1975 this question returned with relevanice, abowe all in Laos and Cambodia. These are the two countrics which most need MesSawaSrrOs ResanG Hals suntmler that Indochinese countries 'need to cooperate still more (chan during the war) to safeguard independence the results of the revolution and O DUBd SOCANSO, ADO CEE Socialist Vietnam-Laos 'common declaTiDOn 01 18 Ju 19F7 nOtEL much ic ILLEIL LO TELEOEC SOMBESI cooperation becween the two CUTELO af The Cambodian leadership chose an opposite cogrse Cambodia found itself conburning fronted with the same basic difficulties as Laos: difficulties that are inherent in a country where the social and economic forces of particularly found ielso JUCULS are partially:
Cambodia's agricultura. chuce in exchange.
Basin, energy source in pooling the TREBUECE of brutal, the turee closely and guarantees.
Prime
cipate in was *a vital ation."
socialism HE EN weak and where The revolution was larzels s product of regional develop The indochinese economies complementary.
Vietnam could give Cambodia a lot in the way of industry with The Mekong potentially 1П-" muin the region, COLEATEaOU Three countries The Cambodian rejection of HOCHI MINH any solona coopclanon wa:
immediate and fundmental. The possibility of joint very great tor aid was refused. The countr was shut up, henceforth to b: realities dependent on only China for financial aid and commnercial стебепое According to Jogies, Minister Pol Pot Kampachea., will nover parti- country Many alliance, Tederacion, or regional organisnationalism.
In doing this the Cambodian regime was making a double succeed in a felrest: an internal retrent Cambodia, becaue of the brutality of the internal measures 1 was ther obliged to take; and an external towns. CeHea D CacET CaLu a0EVieroamese nationalism, The stakes in this debate are this Endochina. Taking bacional and aspirations into account does nor imply giving to nationalist ideoThe -LeTCnCe the "national independence of a JLMIT HOLTSLLL LEDIL imperialist domination does not mean falling back And if the advance to in stib-coniental atitrd 'sub-continental' countries like China or the USSR, how can it be seriousty expected to country like which closes its borders in the name of national sovercigaty and tries to rely on our own forces".
Today Hanoi again advances the idea of regional socialis: cooperation after •A LOTD silence. They remain silent on political forms whereby such cooperation can be fully reached, Cainu accoon por haps of the present situation in che tegion. We ust give proper cmphas to the old slogan of the *Socialise Federation of the United State: ofIndochina"
There is a danger of such a Tederacion heing dominared by Vietnant, given the relationship of torces and the bureaucratic character of the regimes. But danger canuol be Compatted by the Da sonatst response, whose consequences we can see loday.
How many Cambodian lives have been sacrificed on the What rat nal ever egol ? What price muse tbe East Asian revolution pay for the decay expressed by the Khmer-Vietnamese contliet?
The answers lie elsewbere. The only hope for such a lasting balanced federation is the SULLES TES DUELAI Thailand. The ouly way to fight Victnatue chaueissa hu avalist the dansers or 1T0I7700CA01A120R2 internationalisor and the fight