Published by the Cabinet of Samdech Hun Sen —————— MP of Kampong Cham Second Prime Minister Monthly Bulletin, Issue 4 March, 1998 Samdech Hun Sen’s Letter of March 28 to His Majesty the King (Unofficial Translation) nullify his illegal appointment of tinuing or has severed rela- convicted Nhek Bun Chhay as Chief tions with the Khmer Rouge Your Majesty, of General Staff, to hand back offi- cers and soldiers whom Samdech · When will Samdech Krom I have humbly received Your Maj- Krom Preah have employed to fight Preah Norodom Ranariddh esty's letter sent to me asking for against the Royal Government of agree to hand over the con- consideration about the proposal Cambodia and against the law, to victed individuals -- Nhek Bun made by the wives and daughters of return the seceded zone, etc. Chhay, Serei Kosal, etc. to the the following convicted individuals - Royal Government so that their - Nhek Bun Chhay, Serei Kosal, Furthermore, the public opinions in legal sentences could be imple- Chao Sambath, Thach Suong, and the country are awaiting the apology mented? Sin Song. that Samdech Krom Preah Norodom Ranariddh has to make to the people · When will Samdech Krom His Excellency Ung Huot and I for the destruction caused by him have forwarded these proposals to during the July-1997 incident. Even (Continued on page 2) His Excellency Chem Snguon, Sen- though the publics have welcomed ior Minister and Minister of Justice my initiative and Your Majesty's de- US$ 10,000 Each for Ten for consideration and presentation of cision in granting the amnesty to Provinces in the Name of his opinions to Your Majesty. Samdech Krom Preah Norodom Mme Di Pok to Provide Ranariddh, they have expressed May I humbly and respectfully pres- concern as to what Samdech Krom Drinking Water ent some of my thoughts to Your Preah Ranariddh would do so that Mme Di Pok, the mother of Sam- Majesty on the particulars of the they could be assured that His Royal dech Hun Sen, passed away on situation which, I believe, is of great Highness would not repeat mistakes. March 9, 1998. Samdech Hun Sen concern to Your Majesty. and family expressed deep thanks As far as I am humbly concerned, I and acknowledged receiving gener- Following my initiatives in propos- have already done everything possi- ous financial contributions from ing the amnesty to be granted to ble for the sake of Your Majesty the near and distant relatives, and Samdech Krom Preah Norodom King and the Second Monarchy of friends. Rannariddh, national and interna- Cambodia, for peace and happiness Samdech Hun Sen has decided to tional opinions have warmly wel- of the people, and for the elections. allocate US$ 10,000 from the con- comed this gesture and waited for Now it is high time that Samdech tributed amount to each of the fol- the position to be taken by Samdech Krom Preah reacted to the good lowing provinces Kampong Cham, Krom Preah Norodom Rannariddh will. Svay Rieng, Kampong Thom, as to whether he would make any ef- Kampong Speu, Kampong forts in clearing his guilt, or would Public opinions are demanding Sam- Chhnaing, Prey Veng, Kandal, bring about new problems to the na- dech Krom Preah, after being Takeo, Kampot and Pursat for the tion. granted amnesty, to clear his guilt, purpose of drilling wells in the namely: name of Mme Di Pok as donations Recent reactions of public opinions to people in water-scarce areas. All are the concern over the fact that · Samdech Krom Preah Noro- wells should be ready by April 10, Samdech Krom Preah Norodom dom Ranariddh should declare 1998, the date on which Mme Di Pok’s one-hundred-day parting Ranariddh is not willing to sever his publicly whether HRH is con- relations with the Khmer Rouge, to ceremony will be held.* Cabinet of the Second Prime Minister, Phnom Penh, Cambodia; e-mail: [email protected], Tel: 855-23 219898, Fax: 855-23 983411/426105 Cambodia New Vision - km<úCaTsßn£fµI February 1998 (Continued from page 1) quirements for his political party, cult and unacceptable. However, an Preah Norodom Ranariddh which has to refrain from violating election in which Samdech Krom abandon the seceded zone and Article 6 of the Law on Political Preah Norodom Ranariddh does not hand over officers and soldiers Party which stipulates that "parties take part on his own accord could to the Royal Government so are eligible for elections only when not be unacceptable. The convicted that they can return to their they have no private armed forces Nhek Bun Chhay and Serei Kosal previous positions and tasks? and/or seceded zones." should understand by themselves that the last stronghold of the Khmer · When will we hear the apology, Convicted individuals such as Nhek Rouge in Anlong Veng is being put which should have been made Bun Chhay, Serei Kosal, etc. are to an end without negotiation with by Samdech Krom Preah Noro- merely rebels; not only are their po- Ta Mok hardliners. dom Ranariddh to the people litical value zero but also their mili- for the destruction caused by tary one is not worthy of note. The amnesty has been granted not HRH in July 1997? with an aim of allowing those am- The declarations made by Rear Ad- nestied to make no efforts in aban- I humbly think that the public opin- miral Khieng Savorn, Colonels doning their guilt or to continue to ions have expressed their correct Touch Kim Sean, Ouch Savann, In commit further guilt. I humbly un- viewpoints to which attention should Sitha together with 350 officers and derstand that all demands made by be paid. Furthermore, the public soldiers who no longer recognize the whatever sources should be consid- opinions have raised relevant ques- order and leadership of Samdech ered as to whether it is for the sake tions as to whether Samdech Krom Krom Preah Norodom Ranariddh of Cambodian people as a whole or Preah Norodom Ranariddh would and the convicted Nhek Bun Chhay for the sake of a faction that may return to Cambodia bringing along are the evidence that one can not commit further illegal actions. I per- the Khmer Rouge leaders. turn a blind eye to. sonally and the Cambodian people who have been forced to swallow I humbly think that if we wait until A few days ago, ex-Khmer Rouge injustices for a long time think that the officers and soldiers break away soldiers in Anlong Veng and their it is now high time that we were al- from Samdech Krom Preah Noro- leader, Mr Ke Pauk, have risked lowed to survive as a nation with dom Ranariddh, and return at their their lives in order to eradicate the sovereignty and rights to determine own will to the Royal Government, illegal occupation of Anlong Veng our own destiny by ourselves ac- the hand-over will be meaningless, by Ta Mok hardliners. cording to democratic principles as although Samdech Krom Preah No- in other countries. rodom Ranariddh could have de- These sacrifices have made a sig- clared handing them over to the nificant contribution to the safe- My initiative by proposing the am- Royal Government at that time. The guard of peace in Cambodia, ena- nesty to Samdech Krom Preah No- seceded zones will no longer exist bling the July-1998 elections to be rodom Ranariddh for the sake of na- while Samdech Krom Preah Noro- held in a more peaceful environment tional reconciliation has put me in dom Ranariddh would not have than the one held in 1993, and even between the pincers' jaw. Even peo- cleared his guilt yet after having re- the one in 1973. ple who support me have been un- ceived royal amnesty. happy with my decision to do that. As for the convicted individuals -- Currently were the convicts granted If this is true, we wonder whether Nhek Bun Chhay and Serei Kosal, amnesty, I think that Cambodia Samdech Krom Preah Norodom what are they doing? Despite know- would face a bad fortune because, Ranariddh is prepared to participate ing that their stubborn efforts to- by then, there would be no respects in the forthcoming elections without gether with their dwindling follow- of law. Weapons and forces would any obstacles in HRH's way. ers would make no influence on the be used as an effective means in- July-1998 elections, why these con- stead of free, democratic and plural- As a political party, with seceded victs have no wisdom in declaring a istic elections. Every one will wit- zones, a private army and Chief of cease-fire, and handing over their ness a situation where one takes General Staff, Samdech Krom Preah soldiers to the Royal Government in power when one wins by military Norodom Ranariddh certainly un- order to redeem their guilt? means, and one calls for negotiation derstands that he has failed to fulfil when one loses militarily, and one conditions appropriate for ballots I humbly understand that an elec- might be amnestied even if one had from voters who would realize that tion, which is not open to the par- been sentenced by a court. HRH is still involved with the ticipation of Samdech Krom Preah Khmer Rouge, and does not meet re- Norodom Ranariddh, could be diffi- (Continued on page 3) Page 2 February 1998 km<úCaTsßn£fµI- Cambodia New Vision (Continued from page 2) Chhay, Serei Kosal continue fight- There are people who have sug- ing, they are war criminals. It is the Construction of Bridges gested granting amnesty to the con- responsibility that Samdech Krom as of January 4, 1998 victed Nhek Bun Chhay and Serei Preah Norodom Ranariddh has to Kosal for the reasons that if there bear according to the Japanese four- Province Bridges Length are no amnesties, there will be no point peace plan.