By Helen Jarvis
PHNOM PENH — The gloves are coming off in Cambodia in the struggle against the Khmer Rouge. It is now one year since the United Nations ushered in a coalition government of the previously governing Cambodia People's Party and its former opponents, the pro-Sihanouk FUNCINPEC and the smaller Buddhist Liberal Democratic Party. Although it also signed the Paris Peace Agreement, the KR refused to implement a single one of its provisions and continued its war and terrorism throughout the country.
The new government adopted a constitution reinstating the monarchy (overthrown in 1970) and reaffirming as king, Norodum Sihanouk, formerly head of FUNCINPEC. Although formally accorded the right to "reign not rule", Sihanouk has exerted heavy pressure on the government to include the KR, whose "minimum program" for even adopting a cease fire is the complete dismantling of the government and constitution and its acceptance as an equal partner in the government.
Sihanouk intervened several months ago as the National Assembly was about to outlaw the KR, insisting that the government go through two more rounds of talks — in Pyonyang and in Phnom Penh — which predictably ended in failure as the KR's "minimum program" was not acceptable to the government.
King Sihanouk, who had previously stated he would not try to again include the KR if these talks failed, once again showed his reluctance to allow the government to move forward. In a rambling interview with Far Eastern Economic Review journalist Nate Thayer, Sihanouk claimed he may need to take over the government to "preserve the unity of the nation":
"So like Charles de Gaulle from his small village of Colobay des Deux Eglises in 1958 ... I may retake power. But not now. I must wait for a further deterioration in the situation ... the situation is not desperate enough. In case the situation will become anarchic and desperate, I would have to take power for one or two years. I did it in 1952 and 1953 to put an end to anarchy in the Kingdom ... so why not now before I die, the last mission."
He went on to outline a plan for himself, as head of government, and four presidents: Ranariddh, Hun Sen, Sam Rainsy and the KR's Khieu Samphan.
Second Prime Minister Hun Sen wrote the king a six-page letter expressing his opposition to the king taking power, which would violate the constitution. The KR responded that Hun Sen should be sentenced to forced labour for having the insolence to address the king in such forthright terms.
The government announced its intention to proceed with legislation outlawing the KR when the National Assembly reconvened on July 4. While some 50% of MPs reportedly declared their intention to vote for the bill, there was a furious response from a minority of FUNCINPEC members who seem keen to keep the KR threat alive to counter the increasing cooperation between the CPP and the majority of FUNCINPEC.
Finance minister Sam Rainsy led the charge, claiming that outlawing the KR would open the door to "McCarthyist" restrictions on freedom of expression and that allegations of being KR could be used as the excuse to crack down on opposition. Rainsy, the darling of the IMF and foreign minister Sirivudh, threatened to resign if such a bill is passed. Chilean-born Australian, Julio Jeldres, who is acting director of the Khmer Institute for Democracy and a long-time opponent of the CPP and former secretary of Sihanouk, joined the campaign against the bill.
The government showed its determination to press ahead by closing down the KR office on June 19 and advising KR representatives, in a series of major speeches and announcements, that their security could no longer be guaranteed.
The CPP came out with a formal statement in favour of outlawing the KR, and this was the major theme of party president Chea Sim's speech on June 28 marking the 43rd anniversary of the party's establishment. The CPP also welcomed the Cambodia Genocide Justice Act recently passed by the United States' Congress, mandating the US government to seek evidence with which to bring the leaders of the KR before an international court.
Firm support was given to the government in a TV interview and press conference held by the Television of Cambodia (TVK) on June 30. Haing S. Ngor, Oscar-winning actor for his lead role in The Killing Fields and author of A Cambodian Odyssey, his own horrific experience under the KR, Chantou Boua, executive member of the US Committee to Oppose the Return of the Khmer Rouge (CORKR), Ben Keirnan, author of How Pol Pot Came to Power and a new book on the Pol Pot era, and Helen Jarvis, executive member of CORKR, Australia, all spoke strongly in support of the government's bill to outlaw the KR and for international action to deny the KR assets, sanctuary and political legitimacy.
"The international community has pressured the Cambodian government to put the KR in", said Ngor. "Now it is time that international pressure be applied to put them out. I appeal to the international press — go home and close your eyes, but open your mind. The killing fields are not over."
Boua, who discovered in 1980 that her whole family had been killed by the KR, said that Cambodia has never been in such danger of the KR's return as today, since they were able to move throughout many parts of the country with increasing boldness, killing, raping, kidnapping, blowing up bridges and laying more mines.
Keirnan spoke of the need to proceed towards an international trial of Pol Pot and the other KR leaders for crimes against humanity. Jarvis called on the signatories of the Paris Peace Agreements, including Thailand, to halt all relations with the KR. She also urged that military support to Thailand be cut off until its army ceases its support of the KR.
Increasing numbers of FUNCINPEC members have realised that their future hold on power could also be threatened by the KR, and that they should stand together with the CPP to rebuild Cambodia.
As Ngor said: "The people of Cambodia are in a train — the leaders are in the engine — the whistle blows but every time the train is about to start, someone calls out, 'Wait for Khieu Samphan! Wait for the KR'. Well, the Cambodian people are hungry — they have no food on the train — they are hot — they have no air conditioning. They cannot wait any longer. They will all die if the leaders don't get the train moving now!"