Cambodia’s Role in the Movement of Arms and Ammunition to the Vietnamese Communists, July 1968

Background

According to the document:

“There is increasing evidence — albeit mainly circumstantial — that Communist forces in the III and IV Corps areas of South Vietnam are receiving an important share of their arms and ammunition via southeastern Cambodia. Communist forces in the northern half of South Vietnam receive some Cambodian supplies, primarily foodstuffs, through northeastern Cambodia. However, these forces receive their arms and ammunition almost exclusively from North Vietnam, through Laos and the DMZ.

It is still not clear whether the materiel moving across the border in southeastern Cambodia is smuggled into Cambodia by sea infiltration, comes from supplies stored by the Communists on Cambodian territory after moving through Laos and/or South Vietnam, or — as a lesser possibility — from Cambodian stocks. The balance of evidence does indicate, however, that military shipments delivered to Sihanoukville are moved directly to Cambodian military bases, and that. the volume of Communist. military assistance to Cambodia is consistent with Cambodia’s needs.

The quantities of arms shipped through south-eastern Cambodia cannot be determined, but even relatively small, occasional deliveries would contribute significantly to the small requirements of Communist forces in the III and IV Corps areas estimated at less than 7 tons per day of arms and ammunition at the levels noted during the Tet offensive and some 3 tons daily at current levels of combat. 

The implication of Cambodian military and civilian personnel in some smuggling of arms and ammunition appears fairly certain, but we have no convincing evidence that officials at the highest levels of government: are involved. Recent steps by Sihanouk and his regime to tighten anti-smuggling controls are not likely to stamp out the smuggling from Cambodia to South Vietnam.”

Although this document was released before, in December of 2018, I filed a Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR) request to the CIA. There was additional information released. All versions are archived below.

Document Archive

Cambodia’s Role in the Movement of Arms and Ammunition to the Vietnamese Communists, July 1968 – 2019 Release (Highlighted Version) – [22 Pages, 9.6MB] – This is the MDR release in 2019, with highlights that point out the newly released information.

Cambodia’s Role in the Movement of Arms and Ammunition to the Vietnamese Communists, July 1968 – 2019 Release (Clean Version) – [22 Pages, 9.6MB] – This is the MDR release in 2019, with highlights that point out the newly released information.

Cambodia’s Role in the Movement of Arms and Ammunition to the Vietnamese Communists, July 1968 – 2008 Release – [21 Pages, 1MB]

 

 

 

 

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