RI reports progress on UN role in Cambodia<\/p>\n
UNITED NATIONS (Reuter): Southeast Asian countries secured an
\nagreement from rival Cambodian leaders for the United Nations
\n(UN) to monitor the return of exiled politicians before crucial
\nelections next year, Indonesia said on Friday.<\/p>\n
But neither side was willing to talk yet about a permanent
\ncease-fire, although they might agree to a temporary one, Foreign
\nMinister Ali Alatas told reporters. He said fighting had subsided
\nonly because of the rainy season in Cambodia.<\/p>\n
Alatas, however, said "little headway" had been made in
\ngetting charges dropped against Prince Norodom Ranariddh, ousted
\nby his co-prime minister Hun Sen in June.<\/p>\n
Hun Sen still insists he face trial on charges that include
\nthe illegal importation of arms and alleged collaboration with
\nremnants of the Khmer Rouge guerrillas.<\/p>\n
Alatas, along with the foreign ministers of Thailand and the
\nPhilippines met Hun Sen and Ranariddh in New York this week on
\nguarantees for returning politicians and other issues. They are
\nmembers of a mediation team on Cambodia set up by the Association
\nof Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).<\/p>\n
"The United Nations would observe, would be the eyes and ears
\nof their return, monitoring their return, observing how they are
\nreceived and ensuring that nothing untowards was happening," he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
"Both sides agreed that that would be a good way of ensuring
\nthis," he added. "The actual physical arrangements are now being
\nworked out."<\/p>\n
Hun Sen, Cambodia's second prime minister, toppled Ranariddh,
\nhis senior coalition partner, on July 6, The prince, whose party
\nwon UN-supervised elections in 1993, was out of the country and
\nhas since been trying to rally opposition to Hun Sen.<\/p>\n
The return of exiled politicians is crucial for new elections,
\ndue to be held in May, before which it is doubtful Cambodia's
\ngovernment will be recognized by most countries, including the
\nUnited Nations. Hun Sen's government is currently drafting
\nelection laws.<\/p>\n
Facilitation<\/p>\n
UN spokesman Fred Eckhard said discussions were going on on
\nfacilitating "the return of politicians and members of parliament
\nwith a view to ensuring that elections can be held in a free,
\nfair and credible manner." But he said a precise role for UN
\nmonitoring had yet to be worked out.<\/p>\n
Alatas, however, made clear that the United Nations, which
\nspent US$2 billion on peacekeepers to organize elections in 1993,
\ncould not play the same major role.<\/p>\n
Instead he said the international community would be
\nrestricted to monitoring and report on any major violations. But
\nhe stressed that it was important for exiled politicians to have
\nan input now in drafting election laws.<\/p>\n
Alatas also noted that the 1991 Paris agreements, negotiated
\nby UN members, allowed all factions to retain their separate
\narmies because of the Khmer Rouge's refusal to adhere to the main
\npoints in the peace pact.<\/p>\n
The idea of disarmament and forming a national army was
\nscrapped. Hun Sen at the time argued that only he could stop the
\nKhmer Rouge from seeking power again, he said.<\/p>\n
"So reluctantly, the United Nations said 'okay' and no one was
\ndisarmed and that is why ... the two sides today still had armies
\nand everyone in Cambodia is well armed," he said.<\/p>\n
The Khmer Rouge were responsible for the deaths of more than a
\nmillion Cambodians in the 1970s. They were toppled by Vietnam in
\n1979, which put Hun Sen in power.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ri-reports-progress-on-un-role-in-cambodia-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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