The State Department web site below is a permanent electronic archive of information released prior to January 20, 2001.  Please see www.state.gov for material released since President George W. Bush took office on that date.  This site is 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.

James P. Rubin, Department Spokesman Excerpt from daily press briefing Washington, DC, April 13, 1998 U.S. Department of State

MR. RUBIN: [F]ighting continues between Khmer Rouge hardline forces and Royal Cambodian Army troops near the Thai-Cambodian border. We have seen reports, press reports, that the Khmer Rouge stronghold of Anlong Veng may have fallen to Cambodian government forces, but the situation remains extremely uncertain and we can not confirm these reports.

While in China, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Tom Pickering raised with the Chinese officials our ideas and concerns about arranging a tribunal to try Pol Pot. We didn't receive an official response from the Chinese, but we do hope they will cooperate with efforts to capture Pol Pot and bring him to justice.

We also note that King Sihanouk has supported efforts to try Pol Pot, and given the important role he plays in his country's affairs, we look forward to consulting with him about that.

With respect to the options, we do not know the exact whereabouts of Pol Pot, to the best of my knowledge. The situation is extremely uncertain. We have, however, stated, and I will repeat, that we believe Pol Pot and other senior Khmer Rouge leaders can and should be held to account for the atrocities that took place in Cambodia and we would support international efforts to bring that about. We have discussed that issue with many governments over the past several months and we have made it clear we are prepared to support and work to implement any of a variety of options.

Now, as far as the options are concerned, there are different possibilities out there that include being tried in Cambodia, the country where these crimes took place. The difficulty there, obviously, is the fragile justice and political situation in Cambodia. A third country which asserts universal jurisdiction could, of course, try him. We have also been looking into the possibility of an international tribunal, for example, expanding the jurisdiction of the tribunal in the Hague that is now so successfully prosecuting war criminals rising out of the war in Bosnia and the former Yugoslavia.

Link to complete April 13, 1998 daily press briefing.

[end of document]

Return to the DOSFAN Home Page. Return to the Secretary's Home Page. This is an official U.S. Government source for information on the WWW. Inclusion of non-U.S. Government links does not imply endorsement of contents.