to them.

All these provinces lie to the east of Burmah and Siam, at the extreme
southeast of Asia.

The telegrams state that Cambodia has been invaded by the Siamese, who
have pillaged and burned many villages and carried off a number of
prisoners.

In Bangkok, which is the capital of Siam, and also in the provinces
ceded to France, French authority is no longer acknowledged.

The Siamese demand taxes of the people, and when they insist that they
are under French protection and must pay their taxes to France, their
claims are not listened to. All their papers which relate to the subject
are destroyed, and they are forced to pay the taxes demanded.

When the French in their turn ask for the taxes, the people naturally
refuse to pay them twice; then there are lawsuits, and the people who
will not pay are brought before the judges.

This, however, does little good to the French, for the courts refuse to
hear French complaints.

Some of the Cambodian chiefs who are under French protection have been
arrested by the Siamese, thrown into prison, and kept there many months
without being brought to trial.

It is thought that the King of Siam needs a lesson to teach him to be
more respectful to his European neighbors.