NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #16/NN_1992_16.iso/spool/misc/activism/progress/5404

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From: [e-mail] (Rich Winkel)
Subject: CAMBODIA: ELECTION TIMETABLE THREATENED BY KHMER ROUGE VIOLATIONS
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/** reg.seasia: 200.0 **/
** Topic: IPS: Camb elections endangered **
** Written  8:09 pm  Jul 20, 1992 by cscheiner in cdp:reg.seasia **
From: Charles Scheiner <cscheiner>
Subject: IPS: Camb elections endangered

/* Written 12:04 am  Jul 20, 1992 by newsdesk in cdp:ips.englibrary */
/* ---------- "CAMBODIA: ELECTION TIMETABLE THREAT" ---------- */
Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: CAMBODIA: ELECTION TIMETABLE THREATENED BY KHMER ROUGE VIOLATIONS

bangkok, jul 17 (ips/yuli ismartono) -- continuing violations by the
intractable khmer rouge are seriously threatening the peace process
and delaying the timetable for general elections in cambodia.

and as cambodia's fiercest guerrilla group digs in its heels
deeper, patience is wearing thin among many internatiovcles-)77-.
penh officials, aisnimunpgqfbdnjqtions should be imposed on the
marxist group.

said foreign minister hor nam hong recently in phnom penh: ''if
efforts to keep them in the peace process fail, if international
pressure fails, we cannot avoid sanctions.''

other frustrated cambodian government officials have also demand
the u.n.'s peace-keeping mandate be changed to peace-enforcing.

in the past few weeks, the peace process being implemented the
u.n. transitional authority in cambodia (untac) has been stalled
as the khmer rouge reneges on conditions of the negotiated truce.
just days ago, the guerrilla group attacked and overran four
villages in the north-western province of preah vihar.

''if the khmer rouge keeps up with its stalling tactics,'' said a
phnom penh-based u.n. official, ''the schedule involving the return of

350,000 cambodian refugees and subsequent voter registration will be
set back.''

for the past 13 years, the khmer rouge and three other rival
factions have been waging a civil war in cambodia. in october last
year, however, all four signed a peace pact in paris that said
cambodia would hold elections in april 1993.

the paris accord also stipulated the ceasefire would be followed
by disarmament and demobilisation of all forces before elections can
be held=)36'
untac had been mandatebsultnnccbthese while monitoring the
ceasefire, in preparation for the polls leading to the installation
of a popularly-elected government.

the u.n. operations in cambodia began in march and went smoothly
until they reached the disarmament stage. the khmer rouge suddenly
barred u.n. troops from its territories and since then has defiantly
to give up its arms.

the khmer rouge has demanded untac verify no vietnamese troops,
which invaded cambodia in 1979 and stayed to support the phnom penh
regime until their withdrawal in 1989, are still in the country.

it also wants the phnom penh regime to be dismantled and the
country's administration be handled by untac to ensure complete
neutrality prior to the elections. (more/ips)



cambodia: election (2)

''they see untac accommodating the phnom penh regime too much,''
said a bangkok-based political observer, ''so they refuse to go
along with the peace process until the situation is changed.''

but the khmer rouge violations has prompted some security council
members like france to suggest drastic actions by untac, such as
imposing sanctions on their foreign aid and on their profitable gems
and logging busvj zva
inudh
this suggestion,, 9)034, has met cool response from members of
the association of south-east asian (asean), which played an
important role in bringing the warring cambodian factions to the
negotiating table. asean groups the philippines, brunei, singapore,
thailand, malaysia and indonesia.

''i told (untac chief yashushi akashi) we must keep on talking to
the khmer rouge, convince them they must abide by the paris
agreement,'' said thai foreign minister arsa sarasin.

thailand, which shares a border with cambodia and the unwilling
host to more than 350,000 refugees during the past decade, has been
pressured to intervene with the khmer rouge.

sarasin said asean and most security council members agree the
khmer rouge's complaint of a lack of neutrality may be valid. ''they
are willing to have their zones administered by untac, so long as
the same conditions applies to the other three factions, including
the phnom penh regime,'' he said.

but sarasin said thailand pledges its total cooperation to untac
if sanctions are imposed ''by carefully manning all checkpoints
along the thai-cambodian border to ensure no trading passes
across''.

the khmer rouge's gem and logging business, estimated to
net it a monthly income of 1.2 million dollars, is conducted over
the border into thailand 034:;(8)some asean diplomats sajrtmaygkp nainxlprob
lem is no one knows
the khmer rouge's real motive. ''are they using delaying tactics to
sabotage the peace process?'' asked a a bangkok-based diplomat, ''or
are they just trying to enhance their position vis-a-vis their foe,
the phnom penh regime?''

in an attempt to tackle the issue, asean has invited cambodian
supreme national council (snc) head prince norodom sihanouk to its
ministerial meeting in manila next week. but although he is seen by
diplomats as a vital mediator, the khmer rouge perceives sihanouk
phnom penh's close ally and has always given him the cold shoulder.
(end/ips/yi/cb/92)



** End of text from cdp:reg.seasia **