Other State Department Archive Sites

The State Department web site below is a permanent electronic archive of information released online from January 1, 1997 to January 20, 2001. Please see www.state.gov for current material from the Department of State. Or visit http://2001-2009.state.gov for information from that period. Archive sites are not updated, so external links may no longer function. Contact us with any questions about finding information. NOTE: External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views contained therein.

U.S. Department of State Office of the Spokesman Press Statement

Press Statement by M. Lee McClenny, Acting Spokesman
December 27, 1998

Surrender of Top Khmer Rouge Leaders Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan

The U.S. Government welcomes the apparent surrender on December 25, 1998, in Cambodia, of Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan, two former top Khmer Rouge leaders from the 1975-1979 period. That period saw the deaths of up to two million people as a result of actions taken by the Khmer Rouge leadership.

We note that the Cambodian Government has made several requests to the international community over the past 18 months to assist in bringing the top Khmer Rouge leaders to justice. The United States has long sought to provide that assistance.

We hope--and will continue to work to ensure--that this apparent surrender marks the first step in a process that will lead to accountability for Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan, as well as for the other, most senior, Khmer Rouge leaders. We will continue to consult actively with the Cambodian Government and other interested parties so that this goal will be achieved. We trust that no actions will be taken by any party that could preclude achieving this goal.

Justice in Cambodia has been long delayed, but must not now be denied.

[end of document]

|| Press Statements Index | State Department Home Page ||

This is an official U.S. government source for information on the World Wide Web.
Inclusion of non-U.S. Government links does not imply endorsement of contents.