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Cambodia's Hun Sen dismisses international criticism

July 17, 1997
Web posted at: 3:38 p.m. EDT (1938 GMT)

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (CNN) -- Co-premier Hun Sen, who ousted his co-leader earlier this month, dismissed diplomatic attacks Thursday on the legitimacy of his government. He is under strong international criticism for ousting First Prime Minister Prince Norodom Ranariddh and for replacing him with Foreign Minister Ung Huot on Wednesday.

"The most important thing with us is whether his excellency Ung Huot is acceptable to our people or not," Hun Sen said. "We please our people. We can't please the Americans."

Ung Huot, a senior member of Ranariddh's FUNCINPEC party, was chosen Wednesday by the remnants of the royalist party to succeed Ranariddh.

Hun Sen's party said it would back the nomination. Analysts see the nomination as the latest move to legitimize Hun Sen's hold on Cambodia and persuade the world that the country remains on a democratic path.

Report: Troops agree to regional cease-fire

Also Thursday, The Associated Press reported that commanders loyal to Hun Sen and Ranariddh agreed to a regional cease-fire in the western town of Poipet, near the Thai border, involving several hundred troops.

The agreement came after three days of negotiations, The Associated Press said, and amounts to a defeat for the prince's troops, who have been out-manned and outgunned by Hun Sen's forces.

It was to take effect with the royalist commander, Maj. Gen. Rai Veera, handing back weapons his troops had seized from Hun Sen loyalists.

ASEAN seeks advice on helping end crisis

Cambodia's neighbors, anxious to avoid a conflict in the region, sent envoys to Beijing to see Cambodia's ailing King Norodom Sihanouk to find out how the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) could help Cambodia through its current crisis.

ASEAN envoys Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas, Thai Foreign Minister Prachuab Chaiyasarn and Philippines Foreign Minister Domingo Siazon said after their meeting with Sihanouk that the monarch had expressed support for ASEAN's position but declined to give details of that position.

They will go next to Bangkok, where they will meet Ranariddh, then to Phnom Penh, to meet with Hun Sen and his appointed co-premier.



A L S O :

— ASEAN current and prospective members —


ASEAN decided on July 10 to postpone Cambodia's induction to the group, an event originally scheduled to take place later this month along with Burma and Laos.

U.S.: Co-premier selection unacceptable

The U.S. government said Ung Huot's selection is unacceptable and announced that it would not recognize him as a Cambodian leader because he was not chosen democratically.

"We urge the authorities to refrain from naming a co-premier until Prince Ranariddh's political party has an opportunity to make a reasoned decision on this matter, free of coercion, free of intimidation," said U.S. State Department spokesman Nicholas Burns.

But the royalist party, FUNCINPEC, is in shambles after Ranariddh's flight into exile. Human Rights Watch Asia says at least six high-ranking members of FUNCINPEC have been assassinated, and about 200 more have been arrested.

Correspondent May LeeMay Lee and Reuters contributed to this report.

 
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