King Sihanouk drops promise to pardon son

King Sihanouk of Cambodia has retracted a promise to pardon his exiled son, Prince Norodom Ranariddh, who was ousted from the government last July by his co-prime minister, Hun Sen.

Prince Ranariddh has been charged in his absence with smuggling weapons and colluding with the Khmer Rouge.

King Sihanouk nowsays he would need a written request for an amnesty from the Prince -- who has rejected the idea.

The BBC correspondent in Phnom Penh says the promise of a pardon was seen as a crucial step in breaking the deadlock in Cambodia and in establishing the credibility of elections in July.

King Sihanouk has now left Cambodia; it's thought he's flying to the Chinese capital, Beijing.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service