Ieng Sary Declaration, 1999

 

 

 

 

DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL UNITED MOVEMENT

 

Kingdom of Cambodia

NATION  RELIGION  KING

 

STATEMENT OF
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, SESSION 2
OF THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL UNITED MOVEMENT


(Unofficial translation by Lay Putheara of the Documentation Center of Cambodia)
   

A delegation of 245 people from the capital city Phnom Penh and provinces all over the Kingdom of Cambodia met January 25, 1999 in the General Assembly, Session 2 of the Democratic National United Movement (DNUM) under the chairmanship of His Excellency Ieng Sary, Head of the DNUM.  After listening and discussing on various reports from all the sources, the Summit unanimously worked out a general declaration as follows:  

On December 25, 1998, His Excellency Khieu Samphan, Former Head of State of the Democratic Kampuchea (DK) Regime, and His Excellency Nuon Chea, Former Chairman of the People's Representative Assembly of the Democratic Kampuchea (DK) Regime, jointly sent a letter to Samdech Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Royal Government of Cambodia, solemnly declaring their recognition of the royal leadership of His Royal Majesty Norodom Sihanouk, King of Cambodia, the Constitution of the Kingdom of Cambodia, and the incumbent Royal Government of Cambodia.  They also declared their return into the society as simple citizens in order to help contribute to the national healing and reconciliation by ending the country's internal division and joining in the restoration and building of Cambodia. 

Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen has warmly welcomed into the fold of society His Excellency Khieu Samphan and His Excellency Nuon Chea, and he formally reported this favorably significant event of national importance to His Royal Majesty Norodom Sihanouk, King of Cambodia, Prince Norodom Ranariddh, Acting Head of State of the Royal Government of Cambodia, and Samdech Heng Samrin, Acting Head of the National Assembly. 

King Norodom Sihanouk also was very happy with "this good news", and most profoundly admired Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen for having further succeeded in his new move toward the implementation of the national reconciliation and pacification of the Royal Government of Cambodia, which is aimed to provide the people and the country of Cambodia a thorough peace as well as make progress at a great pace. 

Prince Norodom Ranariddh, Acting Head of State and Head of the National Assembly, and Samdech Heng Samrin, Acting Head of the National Assembly, both also applauded this significant event. 

Former UN General Secretary Boutros Boutros Ghali met with His Excellency Khieu Samphan December 30, 1998, and welcomed and congratulated the latter for having decided to come and live within society. In addition, while he was in office, the Paris Peace Accords had not been thoroughly implemented, and national healing and reconciliation remained uncompleted, said Boutros Boutros Ghali. He also added that he is happy that now His Excellency Khieu Samphan is back in society and Cambodia has anew yielded a peace and harmony. Other problems in the future are internal ones of Cambodia, and there should be no interference by foreigners. 

"Within a short time, however, there have been inspirations for a trial of this person, that person", said His Excellency Ieng Sary adding that, "the wound that has not been completely healed is being poked with a stick." Given this situation, the DNUM would like to declare as follows: 

1.  On January 21, 1999, Samdech Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Royal Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia, gave a memo "with ideas and considerations in regard to a formula finding approach towards a trial of the Khmer Rouge leaders" to the UN Ambassador Thomas Hammarberg, UN Secretary General's Special Representative for Human Rights in Cambodia. The memo addresses in full details and seriously a wide range of related problems. This Session 2 of the DNUM Summit is totally in favor of the concept and stance set forth in the memo, especially on points as such:

-Anything that leads to the national reconciliation breakup again should be avoided.

-We need both peace and justice. If a civil war breaks out again as a result of a trial, who will hold the responsibility and how will the problem be settled?                 

-The cause of the fact between 1970-1998 is the whole of "events" which cannot be separated.  

2.  The return of His Excellency Khieu Samphan and His Excellency Nuon Chea into society marks the end of the old unfortunate epoch and, in turn, opens a new era for the history of Cambodia. Nonetheless, creating new complex problems in Cambodia is contrary to our common tendency to ensure that the people of Cambodia remain in peace and in the state of relief following the prolonged war and tension of nearly 30 years. When Khmer get in conflict with Khmer, it is said Khmer never get united, but are only good at fighting. But when Khmer get united, Khmer are instigated to fight each other. 

3.  Cambodia had problems since 1970. It was previously known as "the Island of Peace". In 1970 the Island of Peace was destroyed, replaced with ruins of destructive wars. In 1973, following the existence of the peace agreements between the United States and Vietnam, Cambodia was under heavy bombardments for nearly seven months--two hundred days and nights--without any reason.  Cambodian society was turned into upheavals; a phenomenon of violent culture existed and intensified during the war period of 1970-1975. Therefore, given the situation in Cambodia, judgments or experiments should be all made to cover all epoches, starting right from the 1970's, not just confined to any selected option only in favor of or for the sake of any Great Power country's strategy or ideology. 

4.  The United Nations was the broker of the peace talks in Paris and the Paris Peace Accord, the final product of three years of most tense and repeated negotiations.  Every provision and each term in the Accords was very well weighed, that is the 23 October 1991 Paris Peace Accords was an approach most appropriate to the actual situation in Cambodia. The spirit and essence of the Accords was about peace and national reconciliation, not a trial of anybody. Democratic Kampuchea had been a full-right member of the United Nations from 1975 to 1991.  As one of the signatories to the Accords, Democratic Kampuchea is equal to the other three Khmer parties.  The speech, also based on the spirit of the Accords, as excerpted above of the former UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros Ghali in the 30 December 1998 meeting with His Excellency Khieu Samphan is evidence of this.  So, now if they [parties] proceed contrary to the spirit and essence of the Accords, what shall we understand of the role of the United Nations. Those [parties] opposing to implement the second phase of the Accord rationalized that some alliances have used the Accord to deceive [others]. Now, some Great Power countries are burying the Accord and resorting to a trial of some people.  Does not this act prove that there has been deception? 

5.  The historical mistakes made in leading the country should not be forgotten.  Yet, the sufferings from the very painful deaths of [our] siblings, children, relatives and friends will never die out easily.  The house where people used to live with their grandparents since childhood until the time when they had children of their own, and which has been lost, is an undying regret, though perhaps it may be easy for those born after the year 1979 to forget.  This is a human sympathy, which we all should know and respect.  But, in reality, in order for our nation to free itself of all the problems and live in harmony together as one, what should we do? What [are the problems] we can solve? What [are the problems] we cannot solve? What [are the problems] we should settle immediately? What [are the problems] we should leave unsolved for a while? Given the situation in our country where firm stability has yet to be found, with some Super Power countries that never take responsiblity [for what happened] pressuring us to follow them in order to serve their strategy and ideology; and given the political atmosphere infested with internal irrational ire in our nation, can justice be possibly found? Can [we] clearly and objectively learn from our past? These are all the problems we need to think about with a sense of responsibility. 

4.  The historical mistakes must not be allowed repeated.  They are, however, such a huge problem that requires a span of time and most comprehensive research as well as scholars in fields like History, Sociology, Law, etc.  Given the fragile situation and the current political atmosphere in our country, the Democratic National United Movement (DNUM) sees that a trial of this person or that person is not the solution to the problem.  It is only by making judgments and learning lessons from our history in a scientific and objective way that our later generations of children would be able to learn and understand so that the recurrence of the historical mistakes are prevented.  

From now on, after the July 26, 1998 election and the nomination [establishment] of a [new] coalition government presided over by Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen, Cambodia once again has enjoyed the light of peace.  Favorable factors have just existed, following 30 years of the dragged-out civil war.  Anything bringing about a loss of the results we have acquired from years of perseverance should be averted, as emphasized in the memo of Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen saying, {dl;kMBg; lg;TUk}, which means "the boat collapses just as we arrive at the harbor."   

 

                                             Pailin, 25 January 1999

                                                                 On behalf of the General Assembly,

                                              Session 2 of the DNUM

 

    Signature

 

    Ieng Sary