Khmer Rouge pulls out

The radical Khmer Rouge guerrillas left their compound in Phnom Penh yesterday saying they no longer felt safe enough to work in the Supreme National Council, AFP reports from Phnom Penh.

The rebels, in a letter to Prince Norodom Sihanouk, said they were 'leaving Phnom Penh . . . (because) they didn't feel secure,' said Eric Berman, a UN spokesman.

It was not clear whether the letter meant the Khmer Rouge was pulling out of the peace process altogether, Mr Berman said. 'Where they hang their hat is not a concern to us,' he said. 'The most important thing is if they're dropping out of the peace process.'