Ranariddh's safety

Ousted first prime minister of Cambodia Prince Ranariddh Sihanouk, now pardoned for his purported crimes, returned home to cheers from his dwindling supporters.

Those cheers might well turn to tears before long if the subtle and not so subtle methods of the current Cambodian government, headed by strongman Hun Sen, continue to be used to eliminate political opposition, leaving the field safe for those who now exercise power. Prince Ranariddh, who has been in exile for nine months since being ousted by Hun Sen in a coup that was bloodless at the time but was to become bloody before too long, returned yesterday in circumstances that leave him exposed to many dangers.

He might be saved the assassin's bullet just now, unlike many others close to him who have fallen victim to unseen hands. But one does not have to be clairvoyant to deduce where the instigation for the killings of Prince Ranariddh's closest supporters came from. Japan brokered the present arrangement under which Hun Sen agreed to a pardon for the ousted prince accused of conspiring with the hated Khmer Rouge to overthrow the government. Moreover, the world is closely watching how Prince Ranariddh is treated on his return. So only a naive government would try to get rid of the prince immediately. The Hun Sen clique is by no means naive.

But all this is in preparation for the general election in a few months' time. That is the prize, and all will be done to ensure Prince Ranariddh's party, FUNCINPEC, will not be allowed to win, even if actually allowed to contest. Everybody is looking forward to a free and fair election, particularly the United Nations, which has a stake in this. If present signs are any indication, the simple truth is there will never be a free and fair election in Cambodia. To expect Hun Sen to conduct such an election is as absurd as expecting the sun to rise in the west.

-- The Hong Kong Standard