In what observers here said highlighted the absence of political will to confront the controversial issue of the fate of leading rebel defectors, the Prince could only give his rhetorical backing to a tribunal.

``Right now we have to wait for the decision of the United Nations concerning this matter,'' Prince Ranariddh told media persons, effectively giving the government at least one month's breathing space before making a decision.

The UN is scheduled to be presented in early February with the results of a feasibility study into proceeding with an international tribunal.

Even if a tribunal is given the go-ahead by UN Chief Kofi Annan and then passes the Security Council, it could be two years before an apparatus is in place.

``We want peace and national reconciliation, but the main concern is law, history and justice for our country,'' the prince said, maintaining his distance from a controversial de facto government amnesty to the defecting rebels.

``We should have an international court to bring justice for our nation.''

As parliamentary speaker, Prince Ranariddh has been asked by the opposition to raise the issue of the December 25 defection and warm government welcome to Pol Pot' s number two Nuon Chea and the group's nominal leader Khieu Samphan.

However, the matter has yet to be even briefly discussed in parliament, and details of the deal between Prime Minister Hun Sen and the defectors remain a secret.

On Tuesday, government officials said that while they backed a trial, concerns over the country's fragile peace remained the overriding consideration.

Officials also argued that foreign backers of the rebels blamed for up to two million deaths during their genocidal rule in the 1970s stood to be embarrassed by courtroom revelations that would emerge at any trial.

Close aides to Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan have warned of conflict if they are called to answer for their roles in the genocidal Pol Pot regime.

They now live in the former rebel base of Pailin with Pol Pot's number three, Ieng Sary, and have also hinted at revealing uncomfortable details of their past international supporters.

China was the Principle backer of the group, while the United States, Thailand and other ASEAN states backed the rebels as a counterweight to the power of Vietnam in the 1980's.

Prince Ranariddh was allied to the genocidal rebels in the 1980's, and has asserted any trial should only focus on the 1975 to 1979 period during which the Khmer Rouge ruled Cambodia.

The United States, Britain and France back a trial, while China asserts the issue remains an internal matter.

Neighbouring Thailand has asserted a trial should only focus on the 1975 to 1979 regime.

The three retired leaders are all likely candidates for any international tribunal, and were key architects of the 1975 to 1979 Maoist-inspired bid to transform the country into an agrarian utopia.

The Khmer Rouge regime claimed up to two million lives through torture, execution, overwork and starvation, before it was ousted by a Vietnamese invasion in 1979.