USIA - State Department Report, 97-06-20

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From: The United States Information Agency (USIA) Home Page at <http://www.usia.gov>

REPORT ON THE STATE DEPARTMENT NOON BRIEFING, JUNE 20, 1997

(Cambodia, Turkey) (280)

CAMBODIA -- The U.S. government will be providing an additional $1 million to the Yale Cambodia Genocide program, Dinger said. The Yale project was initiated with funding provided under the Cambodian Genocide Justice Act of 1994. "That program's success in enabling Cambodians to research their own history," Dinger said, "and last year's discovery of important Khmer Rouge archives which document high-level decision making during this period are examples of the valuable work which the program is accomplishing and which the U.S. government wishes to see continue." Dinger added that the decision to announce the additional funding this week is not a result of recent events in Cambodia.

Dinger could not provide information as to whether Pol Pot, leader of the Khmer Rouge, has or has not been captured.

Although tensions continue between supporters of First Prime Minister Prince Norodom Ranariddh and those of Second Prime Minister Hun Sen, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright's plans to visit Cambodia June 28 remain unchanged, Dinger said.

TURKEY -- Dinger was asked to comment on the decision of Turkey's President Suleyman Demirel to ask Mesut Yilmaz, head of the Motherland Party and secular opposition leader, to form a new government.

"We see this as a further indication that Turkey's democratic and constitutional institutions are functioning properly," Dinger said. "And we have confidence that this will continue to be the case. It's now time for Turkey's political parties and parliament to decide the shape of Turkey's next government."

From the United States Information Agency (USIA) Home Page at http://www.usia.gov

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