Aid for Kainpucheans White House Statement.

Starvation still threatens millions of Cambodian lives, despite a massive international relief effort. This sad reality is due to no failure of global concern. The international community has offered the means and has the will to allay the suffering of the Cambodian people.

Growing quantities of food and medical supplies are now reaching that country, but too often the relief cannot get through to those in need. Instead, the flow of aid is deliberately blocked and obstructed by the Vietnamese and Heng Samrin authorities. Their Soviet allies have not brought any discernible influence to bear to alleviate the situation, while supporting Vietnam heavily.

—Relief supplies are piling up in Phnom Penh and other points of initial delivery, because local and Vietnamese authorities continually change or delay agreed arrangements for distribution.

—Taxes and tariffs are collected on the delivery of relief supplies—in effect, imposing a surcharge on human survival.

—We continue to receive reports that relief supplies are diverted or stockpiled for the use of military forces and that what distribution does take place is skewed to favor officials and supporters of the Heng Samrin regime.

—There is even interference with the attempts of the Kampuchean people to feed themselves. For example, refugees have reported the mining of rice fields to prevent a harvest.

In the face of widespread human anguish, this delay and diversion of humanitarian efforts is unconscionable.

As many as 2 million Cambodians may have died under the brutal Pol Pot regime. Now, in the wake of a Vietnamese invasion and occupation of Cambodia, the long-suffering people of that country face a new wave of oppression, hunger, and disease.

To counter this mounting tragedy, we call upon responsible leaders in both Hanoi and Moscow to recognize and act upon the compelling humanitarian requirements of the Cambodian people-which they thus far have not done. We call on them to cooperate fully with the international community in opening all routes for supplies to enter Cambodia-which they thus far have not done. We call on them to take the steps necessary to speed the distribution of humanitarian aid to starving people throughout all parts of that country—which they thus far have not done. We call on them not to feed the flames of war, but use aircraft and airfields to ferry food to feed the people of Kampuchea.