Opposition commemorates Paris Peace Agreements

Opposition commemorates Paris Peace Agreements

PHNOM PENH (Cambodia Herald) - The opposition National Rescue Party marked the 21st anniversary of the Paris Peace Agreements Wednesday at the Sam Rainsy Party headquarters in Meanchey district.

The ceremony was attended by lawmakers from the Human Rights and Sam Rainsy Party, the two parties behind the new National Rescue Party, as well as Sam Rainsy himself, who spoke by phone from Canada. Lu Lay Sreng, a former deputy prime minister from Funcinpec, also joined the ceremony.

Kong Korm, the Sam Rainsy Party acting president, urged the government to let Sam Rainsy return from exile abroad to take part in next year's elections.

A government official, however, accused the opposition party of exploiting last week's death of King Father Norodom Sihanouk for political purposes.

"National unification doesn't mean transforming the country into a place full of impunity," said the official, who noted that Sam Rainy had been sentenced to 10 years for forgery and uprooting markers along the border with Vietnam.

"Sam Rainsy has committed an offense, so he has to be  punished," he added. The official, who asked not to be named, said that using the former king's death for political reasons was an insult to Cambodian citizens.

The Cambodian government this week redesignated October 23 as a public holiday to commemorate the Paris Peace Agreements.

The agreements were reached by the late King Father Norodom Sihanouk, Prime Minister Hun Sen and other Cambodians with the support of France and Indonesia along with the then five ASEAN members, Australia, Britain, Canada, China, India, Japan, Russia, the United States, Vietnam and Yugoslavia.