CAMBODIA: SITUATION UPDATE

(25 Jul 1997) Eng/Thai/Nat A military commander loyal to deposed Cambodian First Prime Minister Norodom Ranariddh vowed on Friday to fight the new regime in Cambodia with the support of the Khmer Rouge. General Nhek Bunchhay - who fled Phnom Penh following the July 5th coup - also claimed to have 40-thousand soldiers. While the military conflict threatened to escalate in Cambodia, foreign ministers from neighbouring Southeast Asian countries pledged to help the warring sides resolve the conflict. This armoured personnel carrier (APC) belongs to troops backing Hun Sen and his Cambodian People's Party (CPP). CPP troops in northern Cambodia fire sporadically at royalist forces loyal to Hun Sen's rival, Prince Norodom Ranariddh and his Funcinpec party. But there is no return of fire from the Funcinpec side. Nevertheless CPP forces continued to bring in more reinforcements to the Samrong area on Friday. They appear to be forcin