Cambodia Mediators Ease Stance on Prince

Southeast Asian mediators seeking a solution to Cambodia’s crisis pulled back Saturday from insisting on the return of deposed First Prime Minister Prince Norodom Ranariddh, a crucial victory for coup leader Hun Sen.

Representing the Assn. of Southeast Asian Nations, the foreign ministers of Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines asked Hun Sen to ensure the safe return of exiled opponents to prepare for elections next year.

The ASEAN delegation, led by Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Abdullah Alatas, said it had raised the question of Ranariddh’s future role in Cambodian politics during talks with Hun Sen.

“Of course we talked about Prince Ranariddh’s role, both now and in the future elections,” Alatas said after the talks.

But Alatas said Second Prime Minister Hun Sen’s position on Ranariddh was equivocal.

“Can or can’t he come back? I don’t know,” Hun Sen said. “But . . . according to the Indonesian foreign minister, Ranariddh should not return at all because his return would further complicate the situation.”

Hun Sen has threatened to arrest Ranariddh if he returns. He has accused Ranariddh of treason, though he said in a TV interview that he might grant the prince amnesty if he agrees to a trial.

Hun Sen launched a two-day coup against Ranariddh on July 5, ousting the prince and sending many of his supporters into hiding or exile. He claims that he toppled Ranariddh because the prince was secretly negotiating a peace pact with remnants of the Khmer Rouge and assembling guerrillas in Phnom Penh, the capital, to attack his party.