PRESS CONFERENCE BY CAMBODIA

Press Briefing

PRESS CONFERENCE BY CAMBODIA

At a Headquarters press conference this afternoon, the Permanent Representative of Cambodia, Prince Sisowath Sirirath, said that out of respect for the President of the General Assembly, Razali Ismail (Malaysia), he would not attend the closing ceremony of the Assembly's fifty-first session on Monday, 15 September, noting that the Cambodian People's Party had contested his position as Permanent Representative. However, the Credentials Committee would be meeting at the outset of the fifty-second session, which begins on Tuesday, 16 September -- to address that issue.

However, although he was taking that action out of respect for the Assembly President, Prince Sirirath stressed that there was no article in the Assembly's rules of procedures preventing the current Permanent Representative of Cambodia from being seated in the plenary while resolution of the accreditation issue was pending. He had, therefore, informed the President that, according to article 29 of the Assembly's rules of procedure, he would continue to represent his country until the Assembly, through its Credentials Committee, resolved the question.

The Ambassador said the best thing for the Assembly to do would be to defer the question of Cambodia, as was done in the case of Afghanistan and Sierra Leone. The matter could be left open until after the Cambodian general elections in May 1998. There was also the option, as proposed by the First Prime Minister, Prince Ranariddh, in a letter dated 9 September -- that King Norodom Sihanouk could make a pronouncement on the matter on a visit to the United Nations. Reaction to those proposals from Prime Minister Hun Sen, the Second Prime Minister, was being awaited.

What would be the effect of King Sihanouk's willingness to acknowledge or approve the credentials of the delegation of Prime Minister Hun Sen and Foreign Minister Ung Huot? a correspondent asked. Prince Sirirath said the Credentials Committee would have to resolve the issue. The King's signature did not automatically annul or cancel that of First Prime Minister Ranariddh. The Cambodian Constitution and the country's laws had to be taken into account. "His Majesty reigns, but does not rule in Cambodia. So the executive power lies in the Prime Minister, Mr. Hun Sen" -- whose letters to the United Nations had not been well received.

Mr. Hun Sen had requested the King to sign the letters of credence, Prince Sirirath said. At the same time, the King had continued to refer to his son as the First Prime Minister of Cambodia. He had said that Prince Ranariddh was the de jure Prime Minister of Cambodia, while Foreign Minister Ung Huot was the de facto Prime Minister. The King had also said that he could not ignore requests from the new regime.

Cambodia Press Conference - 2 - 12 September 1997

Asked further if the King's signing of the accreditation letter would affect the legitimacy of First Prime Minister Ranariddh, the Permanent Representative said that depended on the Credentials Committee's decision regarding Cambodia's representation.

Asked about the diplomatic status of the Deputy Permanent Representative of the Cambodian Mission, Ouch Borith, Prince Sirirath said he continued to represent the Royal Government of Cambodia. The claim of Mr. Borith to be Chargé d'affaires was not valid.

To another question, Prince Sirirath said that a coup leader who had lost an election could not now be allowed to succeed. At the United Nations, which cherished values of peace, justice, and democracy, Member States should not allow such a government as the current one in Cambodia to be seated.

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