Prince Ranariddh slams rival PM Hun Sen
SIEM REAM, Cambodia (Agencies): Cambodian co-premier Prince Norodom Ranariddh renewed a verbal tirade against rival Hun Sen yesterday, one day after the two had agreed to end their war of words on radio and television.
Ranariddh, meeting members of his royalist FUNCINPEC party in this northwest provincial capital, repeated accusations that Second Prime Minister Hun Sen was behind a challenge to the prince's leadership from dissidents within his own party.
"The person who interfered in FUNCINPEC affairs is only Hun Sen, who instigated to create a break," said Ranariddh.
Ranariddh said he was appointing Defense Undersecretary of State Krouch Yeoun to replace the leader of the FUNCINPEC dissidents, Toan Chhay, as governor of Siem Reap province.
The dissidents announced their challenge to Ranariddh's leadership in mid-April and Hun Sen swiftly pledged the support of his Cambodian People's Party (CPP), plunging ties with Ranariddh to their lowest level since the two parties formed an uneasy coalition after United Nations-run elections in 1993.
The prince also appointed a new second deputy governor in Siem Reap.
"If Hun Sen doesn't agree (to the Siem Reap appointments), it means that he interferes in FUNCINPEC's affairs because (the governor of) Siem Reap is FUNCINPEC's quota," the prince said.
Ties between the two leaders and their parties began to deteriorate after Ranariddh threatened to leave the government in March 1996 in a row over power-sharing.
Meanwhile a private fact finding team left Cambodia Wednesday after a three-day stay to examine recent developments in the country.
Calling themselves the Study Mission to Cambodia (SMC), the team comprised leading personalities from several Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) states, such as Sukhumbhand Paribatra, a member of Parliament from Thailand, M. Rajaretnam, director of the information and resource center in Singapore, J. Estanislao, former secretary of finance of the Philippines and Sabam Siagian, former Indonesian ambassador to Australia.
The SMC's mission was to gather information and understand the deepening political crisis in the country, and further assess Cambodia's resolve to join the seven member ASEAN in light of recent developments.
While in Phnom Penh they met with Ranariddh, Hun Sen, Foreign Minister Ung Huot and others.
The SMC is scheduled to present a report of their findings to ASEAN foreign ministers before a special meeting on May 31 in Kuala Lumpur to determine the fate of the new members.
Separately King Norodom Sihanouk, in an interview in Beijing Wednesday with staff of his monthly bulletin, said he had always firmly supported the idea of holding an international tribunal to try guerrilla leaders for the abuses of their 1975-79 regime.
He said he was prepared to face trial alongside Pol Pot and other Khmer Rouge leaders to fight charges he was partly responsible for the killing fields rule of the late 1970s.
Sihanouk firmly denied responsibility for the crimes against humanity committed under Pol Pot's regime and said he was ready to set aside his royal immunity from prosecution.
"I will not fail to appear in person before this international tribunal," said the 74-year-old monarch, who is in China for medical treatment.