Dear Editor,

The penchant of the Communist Party of Kampuchea for secrecy has successfully left

some uncertainty regarding the membership of its statutory leading body, the Central

Committee, and of the Standing (or Permanent) Committee, that was said to be empowered

to act on behalf of the Central Committee.

However, we have to disagree with the identifications reported in the last edition

of the Post, which we believe are at variance with the known facts about the composition

of these bodies between April 1975 and January 1979.

First, while Nuon Chea, Ta Mok and Ieng Sary were indeed members of the Standing

Committee throughout this period, Khieu Samphan was not, and indeed joined the Central

Committee itself only in 1976.

Second, while Ke Pok was also a Central Committee member from at least 1976, the

Khieu sisters, the Thiounn brothers, Duch, Suong Sikoeun, Long Norin, Keat Chhon

and Hor Namhong were never part of this leading body.

Craig Etcheson, Steve Heder