The head of Cambodia's resistance forces, General Nhiek Bun Chhay, has surrendered command of his troops paving the way for them to re-join the national army they've been fighting for the past year and a half.

He'd been convicted of treason along with the country's ousted Prime Minister Prince Norodom Ranariddh in March last year but was granted an amnesty last month to help end the country's political stalemate.

His announcement comes a day after the Prime Minister Hun Sen called on senior military officials to bring former opponents back into their ranks.

The General claimed his force numbers twenty thousand but independent local sources say the true number is probably half that.

The BBC correspondent in Phnom Penh says it's not clear what will happen to the General but unconfirmed reports say he may be given a position in the new government.