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Cambodia: Fighting Increases

By VVAW

The strategic noose is tightening on the Lon Nol capital of Phnom Penh as the Cambodian liberation forces close in on the last stronghold of US imperialism in Cambodia. As the liberation forces move closer, Lon Nol's support withers away even further: in the first 11 days of January ( following the New Year's Day offensive) over 22,000 people have rallied to the liberated area, and many o Lon Nol's troops are refusing to fight any longer.

One of the keys to Phnom Penh is its supply route: for years, the US has shipped ammunition and other supplies up the Mekong River to the capital. But the People's National Liberation Armed Forces of Cambodia ( PNLAFC) are making that route impassible. By liberating the small towns and hamlets along the river, the PNLAFC is now in a position to stop any supplies from reaching Phnom Penh by that route.

Since the US people forced aid cutbacks to Cambodia, and US cessations of its open military support of Lon Nol, the US government has had it use other methods to keep its dictator in power. The most recent maneuver is Bird Air, a "civilian" airline operating from Thailand; funded by the US, operation US Air Force planes ( wit the insignia painted out), and using Air Force pilots (who have "returned" to Thailand as "civilians") Bird Air has been airlifting military supplies with it 10 C-130 flights per day--its greatest capacity. That amounts to 200 tons per day--mostly ammunition. But ammunition is being used a t a rate of 600 tons per day, to say nothing of the 600 tons of rice needed each day in the capital city. And plans are already drawn up to increase the airlift capability rather than see Lon Nol's government collapse. All of this activity goes on beyond the scope of the Congressional limitations on military aid to Lon Nol, once again underlining the bankruptcy of relying on the US Congress.

While Lon Nol and his government use the vital airplanes coming into Phnom Penh for ammunition to keep themselves in power, the people of Phnom Penh come closer to starvation. Meanwhile, in the liberated areas, the people have launched an offensive in agricultural production. Despite a season of drought followed by floods, there were two rice-harvests in the past year throughout the liberated zones--and three in some places. Operating under the slogan "Getting water to grow rice, and getting rice to overcome the US imperialists," the people have built dikes and canals to grow the food needed to support the PNLAFC. On all fronts, the people's struggle continues, and reign of Lon Nol draws to an end.