Newsgroups: bit.listserv.seasia-l
Date:         Mon, 11 Jan 1993 10:00:54 -0500
From:         Nhan Tran <tran@PEORA.SDC.CCUR.COM>
Subject:      CAM: UN adopts new powers to curb violence

01/07

 UNITED NATIONS ADOPTS NEW POWERS TO CURB CAMBODIA VIOLENCE

PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA (JAN. 7) UPI - U.N. authorities in Cambodia on Thursday
adopted new powers to allow U.N. troops and police to arrest, detain and trail
those who violate human rights, a U.N. spokesman said.
   The orders, signed by Yasushi Akashi, head of the U.N. Transitional
Authority in Cambodia or UNTAC, came amid increasing concern over politically
motivated attacks on opposition parties.
   "All these measures demonstrate UNTAC's commitment to creating a neutral
political environment," UNTAC spokesman Eric Falt said. "We are not satisfied
with the current situation and will make every effort to improve it.
   "Under the directive, UNTAC will review investigations of politically
motivated acts of violence, ethnic killings and any other crimes for which
justice will not have been served," Falt said.
   "Where sufficient evidence exists, (Akashi) will be able to delegate powers
of arrest and detention to U.N. military and police officers, who will be able
to secure imprisonment of the suspect," he said.
   Akashi signed the new orders Thursday morning before flying to Beijing to
meet head of state Prince Norodom Sihanouk, who has been in the Chinese capital
for the past two months, ostensibly to receive medical treatment.
   Sihanouk announced Monday he could no longer work with UNTAC or the Phnom
Penh government because of their alleged failure to curb the mounting political
violence against the opposition faction headed by his son, Prince Ranariddh.
   "At least Akashi is going to Beijing with something to offer Sihanouk," one
Phnom Penh diplomat said after the announcement of UNTAC's new powers.
   Other diplomats said they were hoping Akashi will persuade Sihanouk to
return to Phnom Penh and resume working with UNTAC.
   The Phnom Penh government and three resistance factions signed a peace
agreement in Paris 14 months ago aimed at ending 13 years of conflict in
Cambodia. That fighting began after a 1979 Vietnamese invasion installed a
Hanoi-backed government.
   Under the agreement, UNTAC is to take the country to elections scheduled for
May. UNTAC has said it plans to proceed with the elections even if the radical
Khmer Rouge faction persists in its refusal to take part.
   The Khmer Rouge, whose brutal regime was ousted by the invading Vietnamese
troops in 1979, dropped out of the peace process in June. UNTAC also has
accused Khmer Rouge guerrillas of staging racially motivated attacks on ethnic
Vietnamese in Cambodia.
   State President Heng Samrin meanwhile appealed to the government Thursday to
cooperate closely with U.N. peacekeepers in Cambodia to prevent further attacks
by the radical Khmer Rouge faction.
   Heng Samrim appealed to the government to "have good cooperation with UNTAC
and various factions to implement the Paris peace agreement and actively oppose
the poisoned neutral political environment made by the Khmer Rouge."
   He told a Liberation Day anniversary gathering that the government should
"use rights of self-defense to oppose all Khmer Rouge military violations, and
the authorities at all levels must be more cautious (and) oppose to the
greatest extent possible the armed banditry activities and terrorism."
   In his 20-minute speech, Samrin told the 700 participants from various
government ministries that some political parties are colluding with the Khmer
Rouge to cause trouble in the country.
   The government should "strongly condemn all activities in collusion with the
Khmer Rouge and all cooperation aimed at sharing interest with the Khmer Rouge."
   Prime Minister Hun Sen and the head of the ruling Cambodian People's Party,
Chea Sim, were not present at the gathering.
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