Starke crossing into Kampuchea/ into Khmer Rouge village / scenes in village / hospital with people reportedly dying of malnutrition/ boy aged 14 whose growth retarded by starvation / GV sections of village deserted--people sick in huts.




Initials


good sound and good quality T/R ???
REPORTER: NIGEL STARKE

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: The Vietnamese Vice-Foreign Minister, Mr Phan Hien, has stated in New York that it was simply not true to say that all the people of Kampuchea were threatened with death by starvation, although there was famine in some areas.

Answering questions at a news conference he said : "According to some people, the whole of the population of Kampuchea is threatened with death. But this is simply not true."
He said that near the Thai borders there were pockets of famine but this was " mainly a transportation problem".

Meanwhile Kampuchea has claimed to have destroyed about 50,000 of its Khmer Rouge enemies and "liberated " millions of people from their control since the start of the radio season.

The Administration's radio station monitored in Bangkok made the claims in a report on achievements since the Khmer Rouge govt. of Premier Pol Pot was ousted by a massive Vietnamese-led offensive.

Reuters quotes diplomatic sources in Bangkok as estimating there are still some 25,000 to 30,000 active Khmer Rouge guerillas in various parts of the country. The Khmer Rouge has claimed continual successes in guerrilla operations since the rains started about three months ago.

The border between Thailand and Kampuchea has officially been closed but Thai military patrols in remote areas are still able to cross into Kampuchean territory from Phnom Malai, a Khmer Rouge stronghold in Kampuchea. Reporter, Nigel Starke, from the Australian Broadcasting Commission based in Bangkok, made the journey into Phnom Malai and reported that signs of starvation were very apparent.