p K. Nordenstreng. What is the position of the KUFNS armed forces at the moment?

p Heng Samrin. The mass extermination of the people by the Pol Pot-Ieng Sary clique resulted in an armed uprising against the bloody regime. In the beginning, however, the resistance forces were initially small and disorganised; later they began to unite. At present we have well-knit, powerful armed forces capable of completely eliminating the remaining Pol Pot bands.

p Hun Sen. Our armed forces had already been formed by the time the Kampuchea United Front for National Salvation was created. They include large units of the regular army and semi-military formations, so I want to point out that the entire United Front is our army.

p Heng Samrin. As for the administrative structure, right after the victory we began creating people’s revolutionary committees both in town and country. Today we have provincial, district and village committees.

p K. Nordenstreng. Does this organisational structure extend to all villages and settlements, or is it just in the development stage?

p Heng Samrin. It should be pointed out that this structure existed even prior to liberation, but it was only after our victory that we were able to establish it at all levels, from top to bottom. Today we can state that our administrative structure covers both town and country. There is certainly a lot more to be done in improving it.

p K. Nordenstreng. What is the size of the army headed by the KUFNS?

p Heng Samrin. Our armed forces are subdivided into 132 central, provincial and local groups. We have a navy and an air force. At present we are still pursuing disintegrated Pol Pot units, so we don’t think it would be wise to disclose the number of our forces. I want to note specially that our government highly appreciates the support we have received from the broad population. The vast majority of the Kampuchean people is on our side, and Pol Pot’s henchmen are completely isolated: only a small fraction of the population has sided with them. We feel that the policies of the United Front fully meet the needs of our country and the demands of the times.

p K. Nordenstreng. At the present stage, the main task for all progressive journalists here is to report correctly and justly on all the changes and events taking place in your country, including the “achievements”, if we may call them that, of the Pol Pot regime.

p Hun Sen. We appreciate your suggestions and support. The world public and the non-aligned countries can render substantial aid to the people of Kampuchea. For example, the government of Cuba recently established diplomatic relations with us and opened an embassy in Pnom Penh.

p K. Nordenstreng. Yet, a number of non-aligned states, such as Yugoslavia, are still very reserved about the new Kampuchean government.

Hun Sen. Although some non-aligned countries have indeed been demonstrating a certain restraint, we hope that, in the very near future, they will realise what has really been happening.