CAMBODIA: KHMER ROUGE DENY THEY ARE ON VERGE OF COLLAPSE

(31 Mar 1998) Thai/Khmer/Nat

The Khmer Rouge denied on Tuesday that its guerrilla army was on the verge of collapse - despite having lost control of a seemingly impregnable stronghold in northern Cambodia.

But the last die-hard faction of the revolutionary group - still at war with the government - is becoming more isolated.

Cambodia's government has shown that it has taken control of Preah Vihear, the Khmer Rouge's long-held base at a historic hilltop temple.

The government also claimed that the breakaway faction had been evicted from its northern Cambodian headquarters of Anlong Veng and were on the run.

Preah Vihear - an 800-year-old clifftop edifice on the border with Thailand - has long been considered impregnable.

But the Khmer Rouge apparently handed control over to troops loyal to Cambodian strongman Hun Sen without a fight.

The 80 guerrillas, who had controlled the mountaintop since 1993, met some 50 government soldiers face-to-face on Monday.

They said they preferred to negotiate a peace deal than fight.

SOUNDBITE: (Khmer)
"We don't want the bloodshed to go any more between Khmer and Khmer. We wanted to switch sides a long time ago."
SUPER CAPTION: Vox Pop

SOUNDBITE: (Khmer)
"We wanted peace, but we dare not give up for two reasons. We were afraid of being put in jail, and we were under pressure from our leaders."
SUPER CAPTION: Vox Pop

SOUNDBITE: (Khmer)
"The problem - Ta Mok is that he doesn't want peace. We all want peace here, so that's why we decided to defect."
SUPER CAPTION: Vox Pop

The loss of Preah Vihear backs up government claims of major gains against Khmer Rouge rebels.

The government said the last hard-line remnants of the communist Khmer Rouge group had also been evicted from their northern Cambodian headquarters of Anlong Veng, and were on the run.

SOUNDBITE: (Khmer)
"Here in this temple is the evidence that we are joining together it is the evidence that the final chapter of the Khmer Rouge era has been completed."
SUPER CAPTION: General Chea Saran, Royal Cambodian Armed Forces

Those on the run are said to include Khieu Samphan and Ta Mok, current leaders of the faction - as well as Pol Pot, who led the Khmer Rouge regime between 1975 and 1979 that caused the deaths of as many as two (m) million Cambodians.

Pol Pot was deposed by Ta Mok and has since reportedly been under house arrest.

Now, a part of Ta Mok's forces have rebelled against him.

SOUNDBITE: (Khmer)
"I saw that Ta Mok wanted to overthrow Pol Pot and that he promised a new deal for the people. Okay so he toppled the leader, but nothing has changed since then now we want real democracy."
SUPER CAPTION: Em Houen, Commander of the Preah Viahear

The Khmer Rouge denied in its regular radio broadcast that top leaders were fleeing toward Thailand.

Thai officials have said they will not accept them, but the Thai army admitted for the first time on Tuesday that refugees from the fighting had crossed into Thailand.

The authorities have said some 7-thousand Cambodians are gathered on the border near Anlong Veng, hoping to be allowed to cross.

But a member of the loose alliance between troops loyal to deposed co-Premier Prince Norodom Ranariddh and the Khmer Rouge since the coup last July says the fall of Anlong Veng may be unimportant.

Commander General Nhek Bunchhay says the Khmer Rouge is still very well armed in the Preah Vihear area.

SOUNDBITE: (Thai)
SUPER CAPTION: General Nhek Bunchhay, Chief of the staff for the
Royal Cambodian Armed Forces





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