Cambodia jails 20 rebels

A court in Cambodia has jailed 20 people, including a United States citizen, for between five years and life for their alleged links to a banned anti-communist group accused of terrorism.

The Cambodian-American, 38-year-old Gilbit Sao, was sentenced to 10 years for belonging to the group, called the Cambodian Freedom Fighters (CFF).

He comes from Long Beach, California, where the group's leader runs a tax firm.

The CFF carried out a series of grenade attacks on government buildings in November 2000 in what was described as a botched coup attempt.

At least eight people were killed in those attacks, and the group was also blamed for three more grenade attacks in Phnom Penh last year.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service