01-359 8180/9.
CULOTSI 01-359 8371. Distribution/ Advertising Cambodia on consistently '50s.
Tribunal on Vietnam.
As investigators Ma cOm travelled to Cambodia Nor Veal 1 1900-0/ Sihanouk's Cambodia at a time position when that country appeared to placid and Malcolm was at that time a strong supporter of Sihanouk and his regime, which at that time was trying to steer a neutral course At the height Sino-Soviet split became an avid supporter of the Maoist line and remained committed recently. It capitalist Sino-Japanese rapprochement which compelled him to write me mrs cancal aracie on the of its policies of the MCDUDHIC North The regime which he felt closest to in recent years was the cambodian she santed s record, downplayed its crimes, supporica lis pontical projects In fact, Malcolm became the aDOlOLISE Cambodians in the Anglo-Saxon world. It dishonest to conceal these facts simply because circumstances of his death.
Malcolm Caldwell was one of the few observers permitted to enter the country. He was a and Central privileged guest. That is what makes his murder in a State Guest House in the Cambodian capital an extremely bizarre event.
UNANSWERED
There are a whole number of been unanswered questions which remain.
The Cambodian ment and the Daily Telegraph bare been eage Vietiamese Diane government. But not a single piece of evidence has been cited to substantiate this fantastic claim.
It is an assertion designed to shift the death. absence of any evidence we can do nothing but reject it as a convenient slander.
The questions which arise are the following:
Guest House guaras. Jiven une camboutall MALCOLM CALDWELL, who was shot dead in 23 December, was a left-wing writer and lecturer. He was extremely active in the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament in the late He was an active and committed supporter of the Vietnam Solidarity Campaign in the Sixties and played an important role in the Bertrand Russell War Crimes for the and and its guests.
unaffected.
shoot an dead? has bite support een of the depopulated Malcolm and a officials and armed to it until ver was the recent murder?
SPECULATE been Cambodian government.
-JOE mentioned would be leader Pol Pot. of the tragic of getting very regimes he supporter Strip to North Korea told the Koreans uncertain terms.
But the would indicate works'.
So Governruling clique murdered Vietnamese considerations, through this visit. responsibility for the was treade CarTICU OUL provided with well-known assertion that enemies of the active. - then surely some minimal protection should have been provided for Why were there no guards? Is ine situation so unstable unara few "terrorists' can walk into the State Guest House and "honoured guest"
If it is, then clearly the regime in Penh.
And why did it take an hour half for government to arrive on the scene after the None of these questions has answered by the So all one can do is speculate about a number of possibilities.
Inere is a possibly ina Malcolm was eliminated by the ree me ise auerse ascovered unpalatable facts and LUCH interview with the Cambodian Malcolm was quite capable - On hi he was disgusted by what he saw and SO evidence ol ine American journalists with him pleased with his interview and with what he was shown. He is even reported to have made a one would have to discount any notion of having him Apart. trom COuC the UN Secre tary-General, Kurt Waldheim, is due to visit Cambodia soon was and the regime stands to gain some international credibility So it was hardly in their interests to have such a scandal on ine eve or walanel s vIsit Secondly it is always possible government hostile to Pol Pot Harrowel the murder assumed. destablise the hold of the ruling This seems to be the most likely possibility. The vicious haracter of internal struggl n the Cambodian ruling par is well-known and there has already been one massive purge in the leadership.
Owes FREELANCE The third possibility is that it group •OTi freelance opponents of the regime who wanted to stakes Dow But if they could carry out such an action in the heart of Phnom Penh with impunity, then all one can say is that the regime is extremely shaky and base of support even his had Whether we will ever find out who killed Malcolm Caldwell is Our socialism will be infinitels more democratic than what exists "socialism' in the USSR and Eastern Europe hase discredited -netalism in the eyes of the millions of workers throughout the world, We are opposed to them and will offer full support to all those fighting for socialist democracy a moot point. The character of the Cambodian regime itself precludes any real inquiry But the fact the Cambodian could not salequare une nue or even It staunchest supporter in the should DrOVICe room for thought for those who look at these had deep and funda mental differences with Malcolm. He was in his last years extremely hostile to Trotsky ism. But the manner of his death fills us with disgust and despair.
We offer our condolences to wife, Lynn, and their children.
TARIQ ALI