PHNOM PENH - The former Cambodian despot Pol Pot has killed his defence chief and 11 members of his family and abandoned his northern stronghold with the Maoist movement's nominal leader as hostage, Cambodia's co-premier said yesterday.
The ageing Pol Pot, who led the Khmer Rouge during its brutal "killing fields" rule over Cambodia from 1975 to early 1979, was carried away by his men in a hammock, First Prime Minister Prince Norodom Ranariddh told reporters.
"Mr Pol Pot had accused [defence chief] Son Sen of being allied with Second Prime Minister Hun Sen, so on June 10th at 2 a.m. he killed Son Sen and 11 of his family members very brutally, very cruelly, by shooting them and running over the dead with a truck," said Prince Ranariddh.
Pol Pot then fled the guerrillas' Anlong Veng base with 200 supporters, taking along Mr Khieu Samphan, the group's nominal leader, as hostage. Prince Ranariddh's announcement came amid persistent reports in recent days of conflict between Pol Pot, Son Sen and Khieu Samphan.