Cambodia Frees 442 Political Prisoners, Says More to Come

BANGKOK, Thailand —  In its first known significant release in years, the Vietnamese-installed government in Cambodia said Wednesday that it set free 442 political prisoners this month and that more releases are planned.

Until recently, the Phnom Penh government would not directly admit to holding political prisoners.

The government had said it would release all political prisoners when a treaty was signed to end the war with three guerrilla groups, which began with Vietnam’s invasion in late 1978.

A peace accord signed last week in Paris paves the way for elections in 1993 and mandates the release of all prisoners of war and civilian detainees as soon as possible.

The state news agency SPK said the 442 political prisoners were among 1,034 prisoners released in October.

SPK quoted Home Ministry official Sal Sakhan as saying that more prisoners--”especially political ones”--would be freed in accordance with the latest developments in the country.

There are no firm estimates on the total number of political prisoners in Cambodia. An Amnesty International report in March named 235 political prisoners, but experts have estimated that up to 2,000 are imprisoned.