[News] Report: Pol-Pot en Route to China

[Dam Son <son@fermi.phys.washington.edu>]

Los Angeles Times, 06/12/1997 

Report: Pol-Pot en Route to China

By KER MUNTHIT
Associated Press Writer

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) -- A foreign country is willing to grant asylum
to Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot, one of Cambodia's co-premiers indicated
today. His remarks fueled speculation that the notorious guerrilla leader
already has fled the country. 

Cambodian First Premier Norodom Ranariddh would not say which nation would
accept Pol Pot and his two top lieutenants, but said a ``friendly
country'' had agreed to help end Cambodia's years of armed conflict. 

In neighboring Thailand, the daily Bangkok Post reported today that Pol
Pot and associates had left Cambodia and were in Bangkok en route to
China. 

``I don't know for sure. Maybe they have gone already,'' Ranariddh said
when reporters asked him about the newspaper report. 

A Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman, Surapong Jayanama, said he knew nothing
about the matter and could not confirm or deny the report. 

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Cui Tiankai, questioned at a news
conference in Beijing, said he had no information about whether China was
considering taking in Pol Pot. 

He added, however, that ``we will have no relations with the Khmer Rouge,
so there is no question of giving anyone from that organization asylum.''

The speculation over Pol Pot's whereabouts came after senior military
officials from Ranariddh's FUNCINPEC party disclosed last week that they
have been negotiating with the hard-line remaining leaders of the
guerrilla movement to end their rebellion. 

The agreement under negotiation would allow rank-and-file guerrillas to
return to lawful society, along with the group's nominal president, Khieu
Samphan, who has a more moderate image than his comrades. 

Pol Pot, Ta Mok and Son Sen would be sent into exile. They are most
closely associated with the brutal policies that led to the deaths of as
many as 2 million Cambodians when the group was in power from 1975-79. 

The Bangkok Post said Pol Pot and his family, along with Ta Mok and Son
Sen, left their northern Cambodian stronghold of Anlong Veng and crossed
the border into Thailand on Sunday. The newspaper cited Cambodian sources
and field reports. 

China, which has had close ties in the past with the Khmer Rouge, has been
considered the most likely country to accept the group's leaders if they
were exiled. 

Ranariddh's remarks seemed to suggest, however, that one of the seven
member-countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations might take
in the guerrillas. 

He said he was not negotiating exile for the Khmer Rouge leaders on his
own, but with ``clear support from a friendly country who believes that
once Cambodia becomes a full member of ASEAN it must be a stable
country.''

Cambodia, along with Laos and Burma, will become a member of the regional
bloc in July, joining Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines,
Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.