Sihanouk Willing to Offer Security

[suriya@xxxxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: Sihanouk Willing to Offer Security  Guarantee for Opposition  Leaders 


               Asia:Cambodia

               Sihanouk Willing to Offer Security
               Guarantee for Opposition Leaders

               Xinhua
               07-NOV-98

               PHNOM PENH (Nov. 7) XINHUA - Cambodia's King Norodom Sihanouk
               Saturday urged two opposition party leaders to return to the
country, saying that
               their security will be assured. 

               In a message to diplomatic corps, the King said if Prince
Ranariddh, president of
               FUNCINPEC party, agrees to meet at his residence (at the
Royal Palace in
               Phnom Penh) with Chea Sim and Hun Sen, president and
vice-president of the
               ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP), "I will be available
for organizing a
               summit meeting on November 7 to 13 at the Royal Palace." 

               "Ranariddh, throughout his stay in Phnom Penh will stay,
with two of his
               bodyguards, at the Kantha Bopha residence inside the Royal
Palace in Phnom
               Penh where his security will be assured," the King said. 

               The King also informed that he will leave here on November
14 for Beijing to
               have a medical checkup and the treatment of some of his
illnesses. 

               He especially stressed that Sam Rainsy, president of his
self-named party, will
               receive the same treatment as Ranariddh in Phnom Penh, if he
joins with
               Ranariddh for the inter-Cambodian summit. 

               Second Prime Minister Hun Sen immediately made a response to
the King's
               message, saying he fully supports King's security offers to
Prince Ranariddh and
               Sam Rainsy. 

               The government also reiterated Friday that all politicians,
especially those elected
               in July, enjoy total freedom of movement. 

               Many opposition parliamentarians left Cambodia shortly after
they were sworn
               in on September 24, including Ranariddh and Sam Rainsy. They
claimed they
               felt no safety in the country. 

               The three major parties recently have been deadlocked over a
location for a
               summit to move coalition talks forward. 





                                                   

                            © 1998 Cable News Network, Inc. A Time Warner
Company
                       All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this
information is provided to you.
                                     Read our privacy guidelines.

                               Custom News is built on  technology.