Cambodian Gen has seen Pol Pot alive

General Nhek Bunchhay, who flew to the Khmer Rouge’s Anlong Veng stronghold on Sunday, also said the guerrilla movement planned to formally end its rebellion against the government in a radio announcement on Monday.

The general said the 69-year-old guerrilla leader appeared old and sick.No one has seen Pol Pot since 1979, except for Khmer Rouge rebels and allies in their guerrilla war against the government in the 1980s, including officials from Thailand and China.

The Cambodian Government hopes to put Pol Pot on trial for the policies that led to the deaths of as many as 2 million Cambodians during his 1975-79 rule. It asked the United Nations for help on Sunday in bringing Khmer Rouge leaders to Justice.

There is no permanent court to try cases of genocide, but the UN Security Council could establish a special panel to try Khmer Rouge leaders, as it has done for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.

But that would require approval of all five Permanent Council members, including China, a strong supporter of the Khmer Rouge which have veto power.

Another option would be an international tribunal carried out in a country with laws that allow prosecution for crimes against humanity committed outside the nation. Those countries include Denmark, Switzerland, Canada and Spain.

The US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright asked Canadian Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy for his country’s help in extraditing Pol Pot, during a private meeting at the summit of the eight industrialized countries in Denver, the Canadian Press news agency reported.

Albright said she made the request because Canada may be able to apply its genocide law and obtain the guerrilla’s extradition.

The leaders at the Denver summit have been discussing an international approach to the tension in Cambodia. Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto has summit backing to send a special envoy to Cambodia.

“We will be seeking ways to make sure there is international justice carried out against this major war criminal,” Albright said, referring to Pol Pot.

There have been conflicting reports on Pol Pot’s status since word began emerging last week of a split within the ranks of the remaining die-hard Khmer Rouge. Varying accounts have had him deposed, still in charge, alive and long dead.

On Saturday, Cambodia’s rival Prime Ministers, Prince Norodomranariddh and Hun Sen, both said Pol Pot had been captured by his former comrades. It had been the first time their accounts of his capture concurred.

The next morning, Hun Sen said he received a report that Pol Pot was dead. But he later retracted the statement, saying he was misinformed.

Nhek Bunchhay, the Army deputy chief of Staff who has Beenranariddh’s troubleshooter in dealings with the Khmer Rouge, flew twice to Anlong Veng during the weekend.

For several months Nhek Bunchhay has been trying to get the last of the Khmer Rouge rebels, believed to number from several hundred to several thousand men, to end their long-running rebellion. More than 10,000 Khmer Rouge fighters have defected to the government in the last year.

Several weeks ago, he appeared to have concluded a deal that would have sent Pol Pot and two other notorious group leaders into exile. But the country most likely to take him in, China, apparently refused, causing turmoil within the rebels’ ranks.

Pol Pot, allegedly, had one of his top lieutenants shot, then the remaining rebels turned on him. Pol Pot reportedly tried to flee East to another base but was intercepted by the pursuing guerrillas.

The Khmer Rouge radio station, controlled by Pol Pot’s former supporters, has said they captured him on Thursday.Nhek Bunchhay said the Khmer Rouge statement declares they will stop supporting organizations of Pol Pot and recognize Cambodia’s constitution and King .