Newsgroups: bit.listserv.seasia-l
Date:         Tue, 28 Jul 1992 04:24:34 PDT
From:         "Indonesia Publications/Task Force" <apakabar@IGC.APC.ORG>
Subject:      CAMB: Khmer Rouge/Questions
X-To:         seasia-l@msu.edu

/* Written  7:41 pm  Jul 28, 1992 by peg:greenleft in cdp:greenleft.news */
/* ---------- "Green Left issue 64, July 29" ---------- */
Khmer Rouge blocking peace process

By Sri Kandi

PHNOM PENH - Nine months after the Paris peace accords were
signed, peace still eludes Cambodia. The Khmer Rouge have used
the past nine months to try to extend their control through
military advances and guerilla penetration of many parts of the
country.

The Khmer Rouge are refusing to participate in Phase 2 of the
peace process - the demobilisation of 70% of each party's
military forces under UN supervision. The refusal is consistent:
the Khmer Rouge have so far failed to carry out a single
concession implied or stated in the agreements.

They have continued to exercise authoritarian power in the
refugee camps and zones under their control; they have refused
access by UNTAC (UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia) to these
areas; they have participated sporadically and inconsistently,
and largely to block decisions, in the bodies set up by UNTAC and
the Supreme National Council; they have failed to give lists, let
alone release political and war prisoners; they have fired on
UNTAC helicopters; and they have continued to deny civil and
political rights of Cambodians where they are able to penetrate
the rest of the country not under their control.

The other three factions have complied with the accords, making
numerous concessions, political and military.

In the first month of Phase Two's operations, government soldiers
withdrew from many areas to the prescribed cantonments and handed
over their weapons to UNTAC; the two other factions (KPNLF and
FUNCINPEC) did likewise in their limited zones.

The Khmer Rouge refused to participate, and in fact used this
month to make further grabs for territory. Finally, the UN
secretary-general announced that the demobilisation should not
proceed in areas where the Khmer Rouge are active, but how much
did they gain in this latest manoeuvre?

The Khmer Rouge then (once again) promised to participate, but
only if new conditions were met - verification of the withdrawal
of Vietnamese forces, and dismantling of the State of Cambodia
over a four-week period. Fortunately nobody appears to take
seriously this outrageous proposal, which contradicts the Paris
accord's decision to leave existing administrations in place
until the elections.

A Security Council decision ``deploring'' the non-compliance of
the Khmer Rouge was delivered to the SNC meeting on July 23. But
the decision is pitifully weak, and there is no evidence that the
UN is prepared to pursue the peace process among the three
complying factions, ignoring or excluding the Khmer Rouge.

State of Cambodia Prime Minister Hun Sen has called for the
process to continue towards the holding of elections either with
or without Khmer Rouge participation. This would seem to be the
only way forward, for not to do so would continue to allow them
to veto the peace process. Even Prince Sihanouk, now president of
the SNC, has stated he sees the Khmer Rouge's intention as
undermining, rather than just delaying, the peace process.

Meanwhile, the UNTAC superstructure is relentlessly being
constructed throughout the country at a cost of $US3 million per
day. White cars, jeeps, armoured personnel carriers and
helicopters are everywhere - hovering over Angkor Wat for the
best sunset camera angle, charging down the main street of Phnom
Penh or rolling along appallingly rough country roads.

The uniformed soldiers from around the world with their blue
berets swagger all over. In many ways it's a real boys' own
adventure: a big warlike operation without actual fighting, for
the UN mandate does not include enforcement or peace-making.

In most of the country, the 80% or so controlled by the State of
Cambodia, the economic situation has deteriorated markedly during
these nine months. The huge influx of foreign currency has
further distorted the economy, and the Cambodian currency (riel)
is dropping daily.

Until recently, the Khmer Rouge blocked the delivery of any
development assistance, complaining that it would give budgetary
support to the government. Finally, at the SNC meeting on July
16, Sihanouk for the first time used his power to take a decision
in the absence of consensus, to allow the acceptance of the aid
package proposed by the UN at Tokyo in June.

Aside from humanitarian and emergency aid, nothing has been
delivered to help the people. Teachers, health workers,
government employees are still woefully paid, generally late, and
have virtually no resources with which to work. The UN daily
allowances (on top of salaries) are equivalent to an average
annual wage of a Cambodian. Without peace and development for
Cambodians, how can this superstructure be justified?
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