2 - My Cambodian Story

Summary

My Cambodian story begins in 1965, when Singapore suddenly found itself separated from the Federation of Malaysia and became a new sovereign and independent country. The Kingdom of Cambodia, headed by Prince Norodom Sihanouk, was one of the first countries to recognise Singapore's independence. A few months later, as a gesture of goodwill, the government of Cambodia invited the government of Singapore to send a goodwill delegation to visit Cambodia. As the newly established Ministry of Foreign Affairs was still finding its feet, the Singapore government turned to a nongovernmental organisation, the Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA), to organize such a delegation.

GOODWILL DELEGATION TO CAMBODIA: 1965

The SIIA was founded by a group of like-minded friends, who were interested in international affairs, in 1961. I was one of the founding members. As the Honorary Secretary of the Institute, I had corresponded with the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House), to seek their guidance and advice. The President of the Institute was a Scottish colonial official, Mr G. G. Thomson, who was the Director of the Political Studies Centre, established by the PAP government to educate the civil servants on the political trends and developments of the region and the political agenda of the government.

A MAGICAL EVENING AT ANGKOR WAT

Mr Thomson and I organised a delegation of about 20 members, consisting mainly of members of the Institute. We were a motley crew, consisting of both locals and expatriates. We spent a week in Cambodia, visiting Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. Phnom Penh was, at that time, a small, beautiful and peaceful city. The war in South Vietnam seemed far away and we did not understand why the senior Cambodian officials we met had expressed the fear that Cambodia might be sucked into that conflict. In Siem Reap, we were treated to an unforgettable experience. We were invited to watch a performance by the Royal Cambodian Ballet, with Princess Bopha Devi as the prima ballerina, under a full moon, at Angkor Wat. It was a magical evening. Thus began my involvement with Cambodia, with eight encounters with this beautiful but tragic country.