Hun Sen's international legitimacy

Cambodia's motives in arresting Nuon Paet, the alleged killer of three foreign backpackers in 1994, may be suspect. Strongman Hun Sen may have been driven by greater pressure than simple justice, yet the arrest is welcome all the same.

The timing of the arrest -- just a week after the election in which Hun Sen, himself a former Khmer Rouge deputy leader, emerged as front-runner -- raised suspicions that it could be a tradeoff for international acceptance of the poll result. International observers have given only lukewarm praise for the election process, saying it was probably the best that could have been achieved in the circumstances. There are serious allegations of electoral fraud in the regions. But Hun Sen is now far more prepared to seek international legitimacy following the outcry caused by his violent ousting of co-prime minister Prince Norodom Ranariddh in July 1997.

With Cambodia increasingly reliant on donor nations, including Australia, the arrest seems to signal that while Nuon Paet's alleged crimes might seem minor to many Cambodians, their foreign impact can no longer be ignored.

-- The Australian