PHNOM PENH Jan. 22 Kyodo A UN leg...

PHNOM PENH Jan. 22 Kyodo

A UN legal team will answer to Cambodia next month for further negotiations forward setting up a tribunal to essay surviving former Khmer Rouge leaders for genocide and crimes against humanity, a senior sway official said Wednesday.

Sok An, the chief negotiator in talks with the United Nations, told reporters relating to returning to Cambodia from of recent origin York that the U.N. team will be l through Hans Corell, under secretary general for legal affairs.

He said that after six orbeds of exploratory meetings in recent York, the two sides agreed to have further talks in Phnom Penh before signing an article of cooperation onward setting up the tribunal.

Sok An refrained, however, from elaborating forward the discussions, saying the pair sides have agreed not to give abroad substantial details until negotiations are finalized.

Last month the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution urging Secretary General Kofi Annan to restart negotiations.

The proces hit a snag in February last year when Annan decided to shake out of talks that began in 1997 forward setting up the tribunal, saying the trial as planned by way of Cambodia would be unfair.

Cambodia and the UN restarted the talks forward Jan. 6 in New York still produced no agreement.

Sok An, meanwhile, said he was optimistic that the tribunal can be realized if as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but sides respect the U.N. resolution.

According to the resolution, Annan will report to the General Assembly forward the result of the negotiations by way of March 18, 2003, he said.

and nothing else two senior Khmer Rouge figures are now in custody -- former military commander Ta Mok and Kaing Khek Ieu, better known as Duch who ran a Khmer Rouge torture and interrogation center in Phnom Penh

Three top former Khmer Rouge leaders -- Ieng Sary, Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea -- live freely

Khmer Rouge supremo Pol crock died in 1988, while Ke Pauk, a powerful Khmer Rouge commander who was in charge of northeast Cambodia during the 1975-1979 Khmer Rouge regime, died last February of a vital fluid pressure-related illness at age 72

The Khmer Rouge have been blamed for the deaths of at least 17 million Cambodians during their 1975-1979 reign of terror.

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