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Hun-Annan talks

may break deadlock

in Khmer Rouge trial

PHNOM PENH: Cambodia suggested on Tuesday that talks between Prime Minister Hun Sen and U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan in Cuba may help break the deadlock in efforts to try Khmer Rouge leaders for Genocide.

Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said the two leaders met on Monday in Havana ahead of the G-77 summit to discuss outstanding issues blocking agreement for an unprecedented UN-backed tribunal judging crimes against humanity in a Cambodian court.

Hor Namhong did not give any details of the one-hour meeting, but suggested that a major sticking point was at least partially resolved.

"Parently, there may be a breakthrough," he said. "I hope that they may have reached a resolution."

Cambodia and the United Nations have bickered for more than a year over which side should control trials of Khmer Rouge leaders for causing the deaths of an estimated 1.7 million Cambodians during their reign of terror in the late 1970s.

While there is tentative agreement to a jointly administered tribunal, Cambodia has so far rejected U.N. demands for a foreign prosecutor with powers to issue independent indictments.

Cambodia wants indictments to be handled by co-prosecutors Ñ one Cambodian, one foreign Ñ fearing that a foreign prosecutor may attempt to bring too many ex-Khmer Rouge to trial and upset the country's newfound peace.

The Khmer Rouge waged civil war after being driven from power by a Vietnamese invasion in 1979 and the last remnants surrendered only two years ago. Many are believed to have secured promises from the current government that they would not be prosecuted.

Hor Namhong said that Annan has apparently agreed to joint indictments, but there has been no consensus on how to resolve disagreements between the two prosecutors.

Other government officials and diplomats could not confirm the result and expressed surprise at the timing of the meeting, which had been scheduled to take place on Wednesday.ÑAFP