BEIJING : Concern on Cambodia

Leaders of Cambodia’s four warring factions will meet under U.N. auspices today and Wednesday to discuss unresolved issues toward a political settlement of that country’s civil war.

Progress in the talks has temporarily been halted by the refusal of Hun Sen, the leader of the Vietnamese-backed Cambodian government, to accept key parts of the U.N. peace plan. A U.S. official said in Beijing last week that if Cambodia continues to reject some of the basic tenets, The peace plan is in danger of falling apart. The U.N. plan would require extensive U.N. involvement in Cambodia’s affairs until elections are held.

China backs the Communist Khmer Rouge, the most powerful of the factions battling the Phnom Penh government. It will be Hun Sen’s first ever trip to China. Prince Norodom Sihanouk, Khieu Samphan of the Khmer Rouge and Son Sann, leader of the Khmer People’s National Liberation Front, will all reportedly attend.