Ghoulish Glee

Thailand's grief over Sarit's death was in stark contrast to the ghoulish glee it provoked in neighboring Cambodia.Neutralist Prince Norodom Sihanouk long hated Sarit, whom he labeled a Western toady, two years ago broke off diplomatic relations with Thailand in a flurry of epithets. On receiving news of the death, special concerts were scheduled to celebrate the occasion. Prince Sihanouk allowed civil servants to report for work two hours later for a fortnight so that they could "dance and amuse themselves."

In an official proclamation, a government broadcast said that "thanks to divine protection, all Cambodia's enemies suffer complete destruction. Ngo Dinh Diem and Ngo Dinh Nhu were killed by bullets. Their friend Sarit, who mistreated Cambodia incessantly, met with sudden death. Moreover, the great boss of these aggressors met the same fate." When the U.S. officially protested these words, Cambodia denied any derogatory intentions toward President Kennedy, but it huffily recalled its ambassador from Washington.

At the same time, with consummate gall a government announcement claimed that the U.S. had taken "too literally" Sihanouk's recent decision against accepting further U.S. aid; Washington, went the new complaint, immediately stopped all projects in progress instead of letting the Prince decide the cutoff dates himself. Ordering all U.S. military and economic missions out of the country by Jan. 15, Sihanouk threatened: "We will be happy to break off diplomatic relations with the U.S." The State Department replied by ordering U.S. Ambassador Philip Sprouse back to Washington for "consultations."

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