Not peace. Not even a ceasefire. As before. the bombs have only produced refugees. civilian war casualties. and more and more destructiontransforming parts of Cambodia into what one American reporter saw as a "moonscape" of destroyed villages. Mr. President. the pattern of destruction and loss of life is tragically familiar. As are the flimsy reasons for it. Cambodia today is following the tragic path or Vietnam and Laos. As the tonnage of bombs increases. the flow of refugees steadily mounts. Nearly half of Cambodias total population has been forced to flee the spreading war since the Americansponsored invasion just 3 years ago. A move that was called a decisive step toward peace has proved to be a decisive move toward disaster for the land and people of Cambodia. Recent hearings of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Refugees. which I serve as chairman. documented the shattering impact the continued bombing has had on Cambodia. Some 3 million men. women. and children are now refugees and countless thousands are civilian war casualties. The destruction to civilian areas and installations has been massive. even according to official statistics: 40 percent of the roads are destroyed. 45 percent of Cambodias hospitals have been bombed or shelled. 35 percent of all the bridges are down. 50 percent of all vehicles are damaged or destroyed. and through it all the Cambodian Government holds less than 20 percent of the territory. into which 65 percent of the population is crammed. A once ricerich country now faces severe food shortages and the prospect of famine.
Keywords matched
Refugees refugees