VP President Attends Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister's Cremation

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - Vice President Jusuf Kalla and wife Mufidah Jusuf Kalla left for Cambodia Sunday morning to attend the cremation ceremony of Cambodian deputy prime minister Sok An in Phom Penh on Sunday.

Based on a press release of the Vice Presidential Secretariat made available to Antara on Sunday, Kalla will pay a brief visit to Cambodia.

Jusuf Kalla and wife are also expected to pay a courtesy call on Cambodian Prime Minister Hunsen at the Cambodian Prime Minister's Peace Palace.

Besides, the vice president and wife are scheduled to have a luncheon to be hosted by Prime Minister Hunsen at the Tapaz Restaurant, Norodom Blve, Phom Penh, before flying back to Jakarta later in the day.

According to AP, Sok An, a deputy prime minister of Cambodia who was one of Prime Minister Hun Sen's closest political and personal allies, died Wednesday (March 15) at age 66.

A government statement said he died of an unspecified illness at a hospital in Beijing. He had been absent from public life for several months while he was widely understood to be undergoing medical treatment. He suffered from diabetes and other ailments.

Sok An was trusted with the sensitive task of negotiating with the United Nations to hold an internationally assisted tribunal to try leaders of the Khmer Rouge for genocide and other crimes, and overseeing Cambodia's role in it.

Sok An's closeness to Hun Sen was underlined by the marriage of one of his sons, Sok Puthyvuth, to one of the prime minister's daughters, Hun Mali. Another son, Sok Soken, is married to the daughter of Industry Minister Cham Prasidh, and late last year was appointed an undersecretary of state at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Hun Sen has served as Cambodia's leader since 1985. (WDY)