CAMBODIA: OVERTHROWN GENERAL NHEK BUN CHHAY INTERVIEW

Описание: (20 Feb 1998) Thai/Nat

The trial of the man overthrown in last year's coup in Cambodia will take place next month ... with or without him.

A Phnom Penh court has ordered the exiled Prince Norodom Ranariddh to appear, along with his military commander General Nhek Bun Chhay (pron: NEK BUN CHAI).

But the General continues to lead a highly effective resistance campaign from his lair on the Thai border.

He gave an exclusive interview to APTV.

Nhek Bun Chhay, constantly protected by his bodyguard unit, is the man in charge of Cambodia's royalist guerrilla forces.

An effective jungle fighter - he has frustrated government efforts to neutralise him for more than six months.

These are rare pictures from his command post, high above the approaches to his base of O'smach - a centre of the resistance.

The General claims he has 26,000 troops inside Cambodia - he says 8,000 of them are holding the high ground here.

Every attempt to flush them out has failed at a cost to the government side of hundreds of dead and wounded.

Nhek Bun Chhay escaped an intensive manhunt following the coup.

Now he's making his enemies pay.

He admits he's short of arms but says morale is high.

The base, he pledges, will not fall.

SOUNDBITE: (Thai)
"The geography of O'smach and Chong Chom Pass favours us, not the enemy. We're on the high ground, looking down on them. Most of the high ground is ours. The enemy try to move along the road with men and tanks, but they're afraid. They know there are landmines, and they don't want to advance. It makes us impregnable."
SUPER CAPTION: General Nhek Bun Chhay, Commander of Royalist Forces

Fighting has been heavy. This part of his base, several kilometres away at the border crossing, has been demolished - every building razed by tank fire. Nothing moves here now.

But recently, the pressure has lifted.

Guerrilla strikes behind the lines have forced Phnom Penh to pull men back.

The Khmer Rouge do much of the ambushing.

Sworn enemies of Hun Sen's government, they're fighting alongside Nhek Bun Chhay.

It's a controversial partnership.

Leaders like Thailand's prime minister hope Prince Ranariddh will accept a Japanese peace plan.

But it demands the breaking of the Khmer Rouge link, however the General says there's no formal pact, so there's nothing to break.

SOUNDBITE: (Thai)
"We're not trying to form an army with the Khmer Rouge, or set up a government, so the Japanese plan is not a difficulty for us. It's all acceptable. The plan is good."
SUPER CAPTION: General Nhek Bun Chhay, Commander of Royalist Forces

Ultimately he hopes for peace and a return to Phnom Penh. The trial - and a pardon if convicted - could be the answer.

But would he feel safe ?

SOUNDBITE: (Thai)
"I might go back but it depends on the United Nations, and on a political and military agreement. If they agree and can return the army to the way it was before, then I'll go back, but it will be difficult and extremely dangerous - more so than ever because there are so many problems."
SUPER CAPTION: General Nhek Bun Chhay, Commander of Royalist Forces

In the meantime this veteran jungle warrior plans a possible escalation of the war, to pressure his enemies and to remind the world that the resistance to last July's coup goes on.

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