Hun Sen seeks understanding from ASEAN
Hun Sen seeks understanding from ASEAN
PHNOM PENH (Agencies): Cambodia's Second Prime Minister Hun Sen met ASEAN ambassadors yesterday, a day before the Southeast Asian grouping is to discuss Cambodia's forthcoming admission to its ranks.
"He asked ASEAN ambassadors to convince their governments that this is an internal affair," spokesman Khieu Kanharith told reporters later.
Foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are to hold a special meeting in Kuala Lumpur today to discuss whether to go ahead and admit Cambodia as scheduled later this month, despite the turmoil.
Cambodia was set to join along with Myanmar and Laos. ASEAN currently groups Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
In Jakarta, Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas conceded the recent strife in Cambodia was a domestic affair, but said that the crisis also had an aspect which concerned ASEAN "and that's our affair."
"We don't want to interfere but we have the right and the duty, as ASEAN foreign ministers, to discuss what are the implications of this. That's not interfering," he remarked.
Indonesia helped initiate talks which in 1991 finally ended decades of civil war in Cambodia.
Fighting erupted again on Saturday when Hun Sen's forces attacked troops loyal to first Prime Minister Norodom Ranariddh. Hun Sen announced himself as first premier after Ranariddh fled to Paris.
In Phnom Penh, a prominent ally of Ranariddh has turned up dead under mysterious circumstances in the capital, officials said.
Chau Sambath, who had been labeled a "terrorist" by Hun Sen, was one of four prominent Ranariddh supporters targeted for arrest by the country's new regime.
Chau Sambath, who worked in intelligence, is the second of the four to turn up dead this week. Details of his death were sketchy, with Hun Sen's people claiming he committed suicide.
On Tuesday, Hun Sen's men killed vocal opponent Ho Sok one day after he was arrested.
In the wake of the deaths, opponents of Hun Sen were scrambling to flee Cambodia yesterday.
An uneasy calm fell over the city. Armed soldiers roamed the streets, civilians kept to the shadows and only a few shops were open for business.
There were still no schools open and most government officials had not returned to work, but scooters and pickup trucks were again cruising the streets.
Laborers began clearing looted car showrooms, while restaurants slowly filled up.
At least 58 people have been reported dead from the fighting while hundreds more have been injured.
Breakaway Khmer Rouge sources said yesterday that Hun Sen had sent many reinforcements to western Cambodia to prevent Ranariddh's forces from linking up with hard-line Khmer Rouge guerrillas.
The sources, who monitor troop movements in Cambodia by field radio, said Hun Sen's forces had blocked routes between Poipet town on Cambodia's border with Thailand and Siem Reap province.
Meeting -- Page 5
Photo -- Page 6
Compensation -- Page 10