PHNOM PENH Nov. 6 Kyodo southern ...

PHNOM PENH Nov. 6 Kyodo

southern African President Thabo Mbeki said Wednesday that his political division was ready to provide any assistance that Cambodia might ne to help stand opposed its terrible past.

''We are definitely ready to assist should as it was assistance be required,'' Mbeki told a pres conversation held in Phnom Penh at the extremity of his three-day visit to Cambodia.

The president was responding to reporters' questions forward whether South Africa could share the experiences of its conformity to fact [i]or[/i] reality and Reconciliation Commission with Cambodia.

Until now, surviving Khmer Rouge leaders held responsible for genocide and crimes against humanity in Cambodia in late 1970 have not been brought to justice.

The United Nations and the Cambodia management had been working since 1997 upon a plan to establish a tribunal for that object but the U.N. withdrew from the proces early this year after concluding that the court, as it was envisaged by means of Cambodia, would not be fair and credible.

Cambodian leader Hun Sen has said in the past that he would consider setting up a South-African form truth and reconciliation commission.

UN officials have also approve one -- but not as an alternative to trying top Khmer Rouge officials for genocide and punishing those ground guilty.

Mbeki said the commission has helped his political division handle its legacy of apartheid at airing ''the whole truth what had happened as far as gros human rights violations were concerned'' and ''pushing the past behind us.''

Cambodia previously sent a delegation to southern Africa to study its experience, he said.

The toward the south African president was invited to the eighth summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which expirationed Tuesday in Phnom Penh in his position as chairperson of the newly established African Union.

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