PHNOM PENH, Oct. 13 -- Cambodia has allowed the United States to resume its search for the remains of American soldiers missing in Cambodia during the Vietnam War after it has been suspended for more than a year.
The resumption was made after U.S. Senator Doug Ericksen wrote a letter to Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen on Oct. 2, wishing for the re-activation of the prisoners of war or missing in action (POW/MIA) program in Cambodia.
In a letter in response to Ericksen dated on Friday and released to the media on Saturday, Hun Sen said the Southeast Asian country decided to allow the United States to resume its search for the remains of American soldiers killed during the Vietnam War half a century ago.
"As we have discussed before and at your personal request as well as that made by other U.S. organizations, my government, in the same compassionate spirit, agreed to resume this important POW/MIA field mission, regardless the United States visa restriction in place," the Cambodian prime minister said in the letter.
Ninety American soldiers had gone missing in Cambodia during the Vietnam War.
Cambodia suspended cooperation with the United Sates in finding the remains of Americans killed in the Vietnam War in September last year after Washington imposed visa restrictions on Cambodian Foreign Ministry high ranking officials.
At that time, the United States said the visa restrictions were made after Cambodia refused to accept or unreasonably delayed the return of its nationals, whom Washington seeks to deport.