UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The United Nations tentatively plans to withdraw nearly all
22,000 U.N. peace keepers, police and administrators from war-scarred Cambodia by
Nov. 15.
Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali said in a report to the Security Council
that 3,500 civilian police already have begun a phased pullout and a similar military
withdrawal will begin Aug 1.
But the U.N. Chief said that Cambodia will still need international help after the
world body's transition force leaves.
"Cambodia still faces enormous problems of security, stability, mine clearance,
infrastructure improvement and general economic and social development," Boutros-Ghali
said in his report.
"... The political-military situation remains fragile and the task before the
new government will be difficult and challenging. Cambodia will clearly require continued
international assistance," he said.
His recommendations, which must be approved by the security council, also said:
- Eleven hundred police officers will be repatriated from July 1 to August 1. The
same number will leave between August 2 and August 28. The remaining 1,300 will be
gone by September 30.
- Most of the 963 polling station officers have left Cambodia.
- Some civil administration and economic staff will remain at the local and national
levels until November 15.
- Some human rights monitors will remain after the Nov. 15 end of the transition
force mandate.
As each infantry battalion and its attendant units withdraw, battalions in neighboring
sectors will re deploy to cover the vacated area.
Thai territory will be involved in the pullout. Vietnam has been approached for permission
to use its territory in like manner.
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