A FORMER Khmer Rouge official loyal to Ieng Sary says a hardline rebel plan to take

the rebels from the jungle to a political role in the capital foundered because military

commander Ta Mok escaped an assassination attempt.

Long Narin, secretary general of Sary's Democratic National United Movement (DNUM),

said he believes guerrilla leader Ta Mok is now controlling Anlong Veng and the rebels'

radio station after escaping a move by Pol Pot to "eliminate" him.

Narin, who joined the Khmer Rouge in the 1970's and defected to the government in

1996, blamed Pol Pot for the execution of Son Sen and family. He said Mok was due

to have been executed simultaneously.

But he escaped and went on to muster troops to pursue Pol Pot and now has his former

leader surrounded, said Narin, who lives in Phnom Malai, in an interview in Phnom

Penh June 24.

"Both Ta Mok and Son Sen were seen as barriers to Pol Pot's plan of having Khieu

Samphan take the Khmer Rouge back into Cambodia's political mainstream," Narin

said.

"Son Sen because he was thought to be negotiating with Hun Sen, while Samphan

was talking with Ranariddh, and Ta Mok, because he will never agree to give up the

peasant war," Narin said.

"Ta Mok escaped the assassination attempt, so the plan for Anlong Veng Khmer

Rouge to return to the government failed. Ta Mok will never defect to the government,

especially not to Hun Sen, " Narin said.

Narin said when Malai KR women queried Ta Mok in 1996, on when the rebels' war against

the government would end he replied, "Never. We will fight to the end of the

world".

The DNUM secretary general, who last saw Pol Pot in Phnom Chatt, in Banteay Meanchey

province in 1994, said he believes rebels in Anlong Veng would have great difficulty

splitting from Pol Pot.

"They have followed him as a commander for so long that it would be very hard

for them to turn against him, even their radio broadcasts indicate they have not

turned against him violently," Narin observed.

He claims Samphan in particular is mentally subservient to Pol Pot, being the last

of three "ghost" communists who disappeared into the maquis in 1967 after

the Samlaut uprising.

"Hou Youn, Hu Nim and Khieu Samphan were the three ghosts and two of them have

already been eliminated by Pol Pot, so Samphan always believed he would also be killed.

He is terrified of being killed," Narin said.

Narin believes Samphan now is being held hostage by Pol Pot although the former all-powerful

leader, he says, now has just one bodyguard, his wife and two children with him.

"It is not in Pol Pot's nature to commit suicide, and if he ever faces trial

that will be the first time he will ever reveal his true self, his true plans,"

he said.