The Cambodian armed forces say the remaining guerrillas of the Khmer Rouge have surrendered to the government, following negotiations near their bases along the Thai-Cambodian border.

A group of Khmer Rouge commanders was said to have defected unconditionally to the government side.

An American journalist who has close contacts with the Khmer Rouge, Nate Thayer, told the BBC the deal would affect several thousand guerrillas and about thirty-thousand civilian followers.

The BBC South East Asia Correspondent says the surrender signals the demise of a once feared fighting force and opens the way for a period of stability in Cambodia.

However, three surviving Khmer Rouge leaders who the Americans would like to see tried for genocide are not among those who surrendered.

The Khmer Rouge are held responsible for killing nearly two million people when they ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979.