Phnom Penh, April 17: Phnom Penh surrenders to the Khmer Rouge forces to-day after a three and a half month siege and welcomed the pro-Sihanouk forces with white flags and banners on every building in the city.
The surrender spelled the end to five years of fighting between the Khmer Rouge forces and those of the Government which had ousted Prince Norodom Sihanouk in 1970.
A sad-faced Prime Minister Long Boret was last seen being driven to the Government palace and, according to Kyodo news agency in Tokyo, Mr. Boret, the Commander-in-Chief Lt. Gen. Sak Suthsakhan, and other high ranking officials left Phnom Penh by helicopters.
Meanwhile, in Peking, Prince Norodom Sihanouk formally announced that his Khmer Rouge forces had captured Phnom Penh. On receiving the news of Phnom Penh’s surrender, he drank a toast in champagne. He also indicated that he did not plan to return in the near future.
A statement issued on his behalf simply said that the “Phnom Penh traitors” had surrendered to the Khmer Rouge at 09-30 local.
The 52-year-old Buddhist ruler immediately called a meeting of the Cabinet of his Cambodian Royal Government of National Union.
Published – April 18, 2025 04:07 am IST