The Associated Press
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia
A group of 24 Cambodian human rights organizations urged the government and U.N.-appointed judicial officials on Monday to speed up the adoption of rules governing a genocide tribunal for former Khmer Rouge leaders so the trials can begin quickly.
"The credibility of both the Cambodian authorities and the United Nations is at stake: an acceptable agreement on the internal rules must be reached as soon as possible," the 24-member Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee said.
The Cambodian-based human rights groups said the tribunal's independence and impartiality should not compromised.
In November, Cambodian and U.N.-appointed officials said they were unable to adopt a set of rules because of a "substantive disagreement about several key issues." The disagreement centered on ways to integrate Cambodian law with international standards and the operation of the special tribunal within the Cambodian court system.
Reach Sambath, a tribunal spokesman, said a discussion of rules governing the tribunal is expected to resume in March.
Many observers fear a failure to agree on the rules will delay the tribunal's first session, expected to convene in June 2007.
After several years of negotiations, Cambodia and the United Nations agreed in 2003 to create the tribunal to seek justice for crimes committed during the Khmer Rouge's 1975-79 rule, in which an estimated 1.7 million people died from executions, disease and malnutrition.
The rules being considered for the tribunal would cover investigations, trials and appeals. They would also define the roles of involved parties, including prosecutors, defense attorneys and defendants.
Prosecutors are expected to indict about 10 defendants, including the few surviving Khmer Rouge senior leaders.
"The credibility of both the Cambodian authorities and the United Nations is at stake: an acceptable agreement on the internal rules must be reached as soon as possible," the 24-member Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee said.
The Cambodian-based human rights groups said the tribunal's independence and impartiality should not compromised.
In November, Cambodian and U.N.-appointed officials said they were unable to adopt a set of rules because of a "substantive disagreement about several key issues." The disagreement centered on ways to integrate Cambodian law with international standards and the operation of the special tribunal within the Cambodian court system.
Reach Sambath, a tribunal spokesman, said a discussion of rules governing the tribunal is expected to resume in March.
Many observers fear a failure to agree on the rules will delay the tribunal's first session, expected to convene in June 2007.
After several years of negotiations, Cambodia and the United Nations agreed in 2003 to create the tribunal to seek justice for crimes committed during the Khmer Rouge's 1975-79 rule, in which an estimated 1.7 million people died from executions, disease and malnutrition.
The rules being considered for the tribunal would cover investigations, trials and appeals. They would also define the roles of involved parties, including prosecutors, defense attorneys and defendants.
Prosecutors are expected to indict about 10 defendants, including the few surviving Khmer Rouge senior leaders.
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