Cambodia arrests man for British deminer murder

PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Cambodia has arrested and charged a former Khmer Rouge soldier in connection with the murder of a British de-miner more than a decade ago, a judge said on Wednesday.

Sin Dorn, 52, was formally charged on Tuesday with the abduction and premeditated murder of Christopher Howes of UK-based charity Mines Advisory Group in the northern province of Siem Reap in 1996. His Cambodian translator was also killed.

"The authorities were searching for him for several years, but couldn't find him. We finally arrested him and have thrown him in jail," investigating Judge Ke Sakhan told Reuters.

Sin Dorn is the fourth Khmer Rouge soldier to be arrested in connection with the murder. He was found in the north of the country near the former Khmer Rouge stronghold of Along Veng where Pol Pot died.

Howes's death at the hand's of Pol Pot's ultra-Maoist guerrillas shocked most people in the war-scarred southeast Asian nation, where a street in the capital has since been named in his honour.

(Reporting by Ek Madra: Writing by Ed Cropley; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)