    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1998, Book I)]
    [April 16, 1998]
    [Page 580]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on the Death of Pol Pot
    April 16, 1998

        The death of Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot has again brought to
    international attention one of the most tragic chapters of inhumanity in
    the twentieth century. Between 1975 and 1979, Pol Pot and his Khmer
    Rouge followers transformed Cambodia into the killing fields, causing
    the death of an estimated 2 million of their countrymen in a brutal
    attempt to transform Cambodian society.
        Although the opportunity to hold Pol Pot accountable for his
    monstrous crimes appears to have passed, senior Khmer Rouge, who
    exercised leadership from 1975 to 1979, are still at large and share
    responsibility for the monstrous human rights abuses committed during
    this period. We must not permit the death of the most notorious of the
    Khmer Rouge leaders to deter us from the equally important task of
    bringing these others to justice. And equally, we must renew our
    determination to prevent such atrocities from occurring in the future.
        Now is a time to remember the victims of Pol Pot's murderous reign
    of terror and to underscore our determination to help the Cambodian
    people achieve a lasting peace based on respect for basic human rights
    and democratic principles.