``Yes -- sorry, sorry, sorry, I am very sorry,'' Khieu Samphan told mediapersons when asked if he felt remorse for his role in the murderous Maoist Khmer Rouge rule of the 1970s.

Nuon Chea, Pol Pot's former `Brother Number Two', who defected with Khieu Samphan last week, said, ``Actually we are very sorry, not just for the lives of people, but also for the lives of the animals that suffered in the war.''

Khieu Samphan dismissed calls for them to face an international tribunal for crimes against humanity, saying, ``Let bygones be bygones.''

``In our nation, the relatives and parents of some people have suffered, but history should remain history,'' Khieu Samphan said.

``This situation arrived in a very complicated way, how can we now find out what was wrong,'' he said.

The two former leaders flew to Phnom Penh this morningand held their first meeting with Prime Minister Hun Sen.