Prince Ranariddh, who is fighting the Royal Government of Cambodia in a military and political coalition with the Pol Pot faction of the Khmer Rouge, is attempting to deprive the government of Cambodia of its seat in the United Nations despite the authorization of the Royal Government's UN delegation by His Majesty, King Norodom Sihanouk, Prince Ranariddh's father. The King excluded Prince Ranariddh from the delegation.

The Royal Government of Cambodia opposes Prince Ranariddh's appointment to any position of authority or influence until he returns to Cambodia to answer the well documented charges of smuggling weapons of war into Cambodia for use by his private army and the defacto hard line Khmer Rouge he had brought into Phnom Penh to bolster his private forces. He must also abandon his illegal coalition with the outlawed, Pol Pot, faction of the Khmer Rouge, according to Var Huoth, Cambodia's Ambassador to the United States.

"The attempt to leave the Cambodia seat in the United Nations vacant is an act of gross contempt against His Majesty the King who already nominated H. E Ung Huot, First Prime Minister of the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) and Samdech Hun Sen, Second Prime Minister of the RGC to attend the the 52nd Session of the United Nations in New York this month" said Ambassador Var Huoth.

Ranariddh's effort to get military and financial support for his civil war from the international community were dealt a heavy blow when his father, King Sihanouk signed the Letter of Credence authorizing Ung Huot, Ranariddh's replacement as First Prime Minister and Second Prime Minister Hun Sen to represent Cambodia in the United Nations. Prince Ranariddh's personal appeals to the King to reverse his decision were in vain.

"Cambodia is a sovereign and independent state with an elected government and His Majesty, King Norodom Sihanouk is its Head of State. The delegation approved by the King meets the requirements of the UN to accept the delegation. Further, leaving Cambodia's UN seat vacant runs counter to the UN Charter and the legitimate rights of the eleven million Cambodians who have a right to representation," continued Ambassador Var Huoth.

"The UN has consistently supported a policy of not allowing the Camboidan seat to be vacant. From 1979 to 1991, the UN seated the exiled, genocidal, Khmer Rouge over the government of Cambodia that had defeated the Khmer Rouge and freed Cambodians from the Killing Fields, using its opposition to vacant seats as a justification. Leaving Cambodia's UN seat vacant today due to opposition from a Khmer Rouge partner would be a travesty of justice and an insult to the integrity of the United Nations," said the Ambassador.

Prince Ranariddh left Cambodia just prior to the clash of forces that took place in Cambodia on July 5th and 6th of this year. He left the country amidst charges of collaborating with the Pol Pot sector of the outlawed Khmer Rouge and smuggling weapons of war into Cambodia.

The Royal Government believes that Prince Ranariddh was preapring for a coup with the outlawed Khmer Rouge as a partner. Prince Ranariddh and the Khmer Rouge were military partners in fighting the Hun Sen government from 1979 to 1991 after the government defeated the Khmer Rouge and freed Cambodians from the Killing Fields.

The Ambassador continued, "The Royal Government has clear and convincing evidence to substantiate the charges against Prince Ranariddh. In light of such evidence Cambodia's multi-party, popularly, elected National Assembly voted 99 to 1 to strip Prince Ranariddh of his immunity from prosecution so the police and courts could move against him legally. Further, Prince Ranariddh is now fighting the Royal Government's troops in Northwestern Cambodia in a military alliance with the Pol Pot faction of the outlawed, genocidal, Khmer Rouge".

The court has examined the evidence against Prince Ranariddh and concluded that there is substantial reason to believe that he committed the crimes with which he has been charged. As a result, the court issued a warrant for Prince Ranariddh's arrest late last month. As he has not returned to face the charges in a court of law, he is a fugitive from justice, said the Ambassador.

If Prince Ranariddh returns to Cambodia he will receive a fair trial. The entire world will be watching the trial and Cambodia could not make it unfair, even if it wanted to, without earning the wrath of the international community, something it can ill afford especially in view of its dependence on the world community for a substantial amount of its annual budget