Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has criticized the United Nations for withdrawing support for a war-crimes tribunal that is planned to try surviving leaders of the Khmer Rouge, which ruled Cambodia a quarter-century ago.

Mr. Hun Sen is calling on U.N. leaders Monday to reverse their position and help Cambodia with the war-crimes tribunal. By rejecting cooperation with Phnom Penh, he says, the United Nations risks repeating the mistakes it made in the past, when it recognized the Khmer Rouge as Cambodia's legitimate government.

The infamous Khmer Rouge "killing fields" regime that ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979 is blamed for the death of 1.7 million people.

The Cambodian prime minister says his government is committed to putting Khmer Rouge members on trial, but the door is still open for the United Nations to take up a role in planning the tribunal's work.

Mr. Hun Sen said Cambodia could wait "two or three more months" for the United Nations to reconsider its position.

U.N. officials announced late Friday they were breaking off discussions about the Khmer Rouge trials. They said Secretary General Kofi Annan decided to pull out of the talks after the Cambodian government insisted its laws would control the tribunal's operations. U.N. counsel Hans Corell said this meant the court's objectivity, impartiality, and independence could not be guaranteed.

The U.S. ambassador to Cambodia, Kent Wiedemann, said Washington was extremely disappointed by the U.N. decision. He is urging a resumption of talks.

Some information for this report provided by AFP, AP and DPA.

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