Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - December 6, 1998, Winnipeg, Manitoba Rebel surrender ends cambodians bloody civil War after 30 years Khmer Rouge Lay Down arms associated press phenom penh Cambodia a the last main fighting Force of a steadily crumbling Khmer Rouge has formally surrendered to the government laying Down arms after 30 years of civil War and a stint in Power that left nearly two million cambodians dead. Khem Nuon chief of staff of the remaining hand of marxist guerrillas negotiated the Deal with representatives of the phenom penh government on Friday at Preah Vitear Temple near the Border with Thailand. A we ask for permission from the Royal government of Cambodia to rejoin society and the Royal cambodian armed forces a Khem Nuon said in the surrender statement broadcast yesterday on National television. The surrender Deal does not include the fighters three top surviving leaders a Tamok known As the Butcher for his revolutionary brutality Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea. Although the three no longer command any troops their former followers apparently did not want to give them up. Still the Khmer Rouge has been breaking up during the past two years. Without the fighters involved in fridays surrender Deal it is unlikely that any tiny bands that May still roam the Jungle could revive the group. Disarming the fighters would end More than 30 years of civil War in Cambodia that began with the guerrillas insurgency against the government in phenom penh in the late 1960s. The surrender comes less than a month after cambodian strongman Hun sen and Prince Norodom ran Aridth who he ousted As co prime minister in a 1997 coup struck a Deal to end the country a political deadlock. Tensions remain Between the two but they have succeeded in forming a working government recognized by the United nations and the International Community for the first time in More than one and a half years. The cambodian government and the United states have expressed a desire to capture the three surviving leaders and make them stand trial for genocide and crimes against humanity. Khem Nuon who served As their chief of staff indicated the rank and file had broken with the three. In a Telephone interview with Nate Thayer of the far Eastern economic review who first broke the news of the surrender Khem Nuon said the three were a a retired and refused to give More details. Thayer who in 1997 became the first journalist to interview the late Khmer Rouge Leader pol pot is one of few outsiders trusted by the guerrillas. Pol pot whose men had turned against him was 73 when he died in his sleep in april in a Jungle hut. The Khmer Rouge came to Power in april 1975 by overthrowing the Lon nol government. Under pol pots leadership they emptied out the cities and attempted to turn the country into an agrarian Utopia by herding the population on to collective farms. The Experiment was a disaster economically and in human terms. Famine soon affected Many parts of the country. Those suspected of harbouring opposing views or merely of being educated were put to death. Nearly two million people died of execution overwork starvation or disease under the Khmer Rouge until they were ousted from Power by a vietnamese invasion in 1979. Nigerians lined up to vote for local government officers. Promise of Reform tested As nigerians cast ballots by norimitsu onishi n. Y. Times news service Lagos Nigeria a five months after the death of nigerians longtime military dictator raised the Prospect of greater political openness Here nigerians cast ballots yesterday for local government officers across the country. The voting viewed As an Early test of the new governments seriousness about Reform appears to have been generally peaceful and the turnout High according to government officials and Western diplomats. In Lagos with 8 million people the biggest City the normally traffic choked streets were eerily deserted. Residents lined up before 8 . At polling places across the City. Many expressed Hope that their votes would Lead to what the president Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar has promised will be a transition to a democratic government in May. In Abuja the capital Abubakar visited six polling places and said the High turnout underscored Strong sup port for a transition to civilian Rule. A there Are bound to be some mistakes or problems a he said a and we have tried our Best to put everything in place. It is now left to nigerians to make it the optimism echoed in Lagos came in Sharp contrast to the anger in july after the death of Moshood . Abiola the wealthy businessman whose apparent Victory in a presidential election in 1993 was annulled by the military. The optimism was especially noteworthy in Epe Tedo which had Given Abiola such Strong backing that he chose it As the site of a ceremony to swear in himself in a futile bid to claim the presidency. Abiola a a member of the Yoruba the ethnic group that dominates Lagos and the rest of the Southwest a died in government detention and his death set off sometimes fatal riots in Lagos. After Abiola a death Abubakar announced that Nigeria would hold elections starting with local races this month and culminating in presidential elections on feb. 27. He is not running for president. Investors mrs series investors group representative Ian Jarvis knows that your kids will face a tougher world than you did. He also knows education is one of their surest routes to meaningful employment and financial Independence. An investors group resp with its tax deferred earnings can make that education an achievable goal using our exclusive investors master series Quot Canadas leading Mutual funds. Learn More about the Best Way to set aside Money for your child a education by talking with an investors group representative now. Invest in an resp before the december 31 deadline. Reach an investors group representative by calling our head office at i 888 746-6344. For office locations visit our website at investors group investors group financial services inc. Trade Marks owned by festers group inc. And licensed to its affiliated corporations. Around the world a wait for guns Washington Cox news ser vice a president Bill Clinton said yesterday he would ask Congress next year to impose a National waiting period on handgun purchases. In his weekly National radio address Clinton said a federally mandated delay Between the Purchase and delivery of a handgun would be one of his top priorities. He did not indicate How Many Days he would seek. Many states already impose a delay but the time periods vary. A this a Cooling off period will help prevent rash acts of violence and give authorities More time to Stop illegal gun purchases a Clinton said. In addition to the National handgun waiting period Clinton said he would ask Congress for a lifetime ban on gun ownership for juveniles convicted of violent crimes. Happy Landing new York n y. Times news ser vice a a nigerian woman seven and a half months pregnant went into labour on a flight from Ghana to new York yesterday but the pilots radioed ahead and two port authority police officers rushed on Board when the plane landed at Kennedy International Airport and helped deliver a healthy baby girl in coach class. The Mother Janet Omolara Osita 27, of Hassan Nigeria who was travelling alone to new York to visit relatives gave birth to the As yet unnamed child across a Row of seats with the help of the officers and two Airport paramedics. A big spender dead Hong Kong la. Times a even before Mainland chinese authorities executed Cheung Tze Keung yesterday his Case had already stirred a roaring Public debate among lawyers and judicial authorities in Hong Kong. On nov. 12, a court in Guangzhou the Mainland City nearest Hong Kong sentenced Cheung . The big spender and four accomplices to die at the hands of the state for crimes that included the kidnapping of two Hong Kong tycoons. Teamsters pick Hoffa Alexandria a. . Times news service a James p. Hoffa won election yesterday to the Post his father held when his main opponent conceded defeat. With the Concession of Tom leed Ham Hoffa a labour lawyer from Detroit will take the Helm of one of the nations largest unions. The Victory marked a return of the Hoffa name to the head of a Union that Federal officials had Long called the most corrupt particularly when Hoffa a father James r. Hoffa led the organization from 1957 to 1971. Guns for s. Africa Cape town South Africa . Times a in a classic guns versus butter dilemma the government of president Nelson Mandela is negotiating to buy $5 billion in european military equipment even though More than a third of South africans still do not have Access to electricity or Safe water and millions live in shantytowns. The government says the Purchase of state of the Art Jet fighters helicopters submarines and warships from four european countries is essential to keeping the South african National defence Force in a state of preparedness. Taiwanese cautious Taipei Taiwan Cox news service a for weeks chinese leaders have fidgeted just Over the horizon As democratic Taiwan neared bellwether elections that would test whether taiwanese Are aching for full Independence from the chinese Mainland. Yesterday to Beijing a Relief millions of taiwanese delivered a loud mandate for caution. With a turnout of More than 67 per cent the voters signalled in mayoral and parliamentary results that they done to want to risk confronting China a threat to a use Force in Case Taiwan declares Independence. Fms cure a Lucky # i 95 i 9 for sunday dec. 6,1998, of this is your Lucky number Call 697-7022 to claim your prize ;