End to bloodshed the priority in Cambodia

After weeks of bloodshed, any apparent breakthrough in Cambodia has to be more than welcome. And there is cause for guarded optimism in the news that the country's strongman, Hun Sen, will lead a three-man delegation to Beijing to seek King Norodom Sihanouk's approval of Ung Huot's appointment as first prime minister. The country's constitution requires that a new first prime minister must be approved by the king. Member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have already indicated that if King Sihanouk endorses the new set-up, they, too, will go along with it.

Ung Huot's nomination was approved by the Cambodian parliament Wednesday. And King Sihanouk appears to have given the go-ahead. But troubling questions remain. Any move by Hun Sen must be viewed in the context of the events of recent weeks. He has been fairly brutal in eliminating the opposition in Cambodia. And it remains to be seen where he will lead the country. There are questions, too, about King Sihanouk's motives. He is, after all, the father of the ousted Prince Norodom Ranariddh.

The prince's followers insist that Prince Ranariddh is still a key player in events in Cambodia. Is King Sihanouk's apparent acquiescence merely a stalling tactic? Is he just trying to make the best of a bad situation? Does he want to bring peace to his country at any price? Or is he too old and sick to care any more? Chilling as it was to read of the depredations of Hun Sen's forces, there can be no doubt that genuine peace in Cambodia would be good for the stability of the region. A watching world will hope that peace will return to this troubled land. Any initiative that would pave the way for this to happen is a welcome development. Unfortunately, a lot of things are still up in the air.

-- The Hong Kong Standard