By David Brunnstrom
NUREMBERG, Germany, March 15 (Reuters) - Cambodia's foreign minister expressed optimism on Thursday that Cambodian and international judges would soon resolve procedural disputes and move ahead with trials of Khmer Rouge leaders.
After a meeting of EU and Southeast Asian foreign ministers in Nuremberg -- scene of post-World War Two trials of German Nazi leaders -- Hor Namhong said he was aware of international concerns that finalising trial rules was taking a long time.
But agreeing rules for such trials in Sierra Leone and Rwanda had perhaps taken longer, he told a news conference. He said discussions were continuing among the judges, who planned a full meeting to finalise the rules next month.
"For myself, I am optimistic that the international and Cambodian judges and prosecutors can finalise internal rules not ...a long time from now," he said.
An estimated 1.7 million Cambodians died of torture, execution, starvation, disease or overwork during the ultra-Maoist Khmer Rouge revolution from 1975 to 1979.
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana urged Cambodia to move ahead with trials, which would involve the top surviving allies of Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot, who died in 1998.
Solana said that with Cambodia and Hor Namhong in the chair of the Association of South East Asian Nations for the next two years, there would be many occasions to stress the need for a trial, which the EU is helping to fund.
"Time has passed, but not all the things have been forgotten," Solana told reporters.
DISAGREEMENTS
A U.N.-Cambodian tribunal was set up last year, but launching the trials has been held up by disputes between the two sets of judges, who will work under a complicated formula designed to ensure judgements have the support of both.
The judges have been holding two weeks of talks due to conclude on Friday to resolve the disputes, which have raised doubts as to whether the process can proceed.
The question has long been whether the surviving Khmer Rouge leaders, now in their 70s and 80s, would die before they could be tried. They include Pol Pot's deputy Nuon Chea, former head of state Khieu Samphan and ex-foreign minister Ieng Sary, all of whom are living free.
Procedural disagreements have ranged from admissibility of evidence to witness protection and even the heights of judges' chairs. However last week the Cambodian Bar Association removed a significant barrier by lifting a ban on foreign lawyers.
Diplomats say the U.N. side of the court would walk away if it felt its local counterparts were dragging their feet or acting on orders of Prime Minister Hun Sen, an ex-Khmer Rouge soldier who lost an eye in the capture of Phnom Penh in 1975.
In public at least, Hun Sen, who is not linked to any Khmer Rouge atrocities, has made clear he favours a trial. Hor Namhong is another former Khmer Rouge member who defected to ally himself with Vietnam before it invaded Cambodia and drove the group from power.
Despite official statements in support of a trial, the Cambodian government and administration remains riddled with former Khmer Rouge cadres, many of whom will not want prosecutors raking through their pasts.
China, the main Khmer Rouge ally, has lobbied Hun Sen to stall the proceedings to prevent the full extent of Beijing's involvement coming to light, diplomats say.
After a meeting of EU and Southeast Asian foreign ministers in Nuremberg -- scene of post-World War Two trials of German Nazi leaders -- Hor Namhong said he was aware of international concerns that finalising trial rules was taking a long time.
But agreeing rules for such trials in Sierra Leone and Rwanda had perhaps taken longer, he told a news conference. He said discussions were continuing among the judges, who planned a full meeting to finalise the rules next month.
"For myself, I am optimistic that the international and Cambodian judges and prosecutors can finalise internal rules not ...a long time from now," he said.
An estimated 1.7 million Cambodians died of torture, execution, starvation, disease or overwork during the ultra-Maoist Khmer Rouge revolution from 1975 to 1979.
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana urged Cambodia to move ahead with trials, which would involve the top surviving allies of Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot, who died in 1998.
Solana said that with Cambodia and Hor Namhong in the chair of the Association of South East Asian Nations for the next two years, there would be many occasions to stress the need for a trial, which the EU is helping to fund.
"Time has passed, but not all the things have been forgotten," Solana told reporters.
DISAGREEMENTS
A U.N.-Cambodian tribunal was set up last year, but launching the trials has been held up by disputes between the two sets of judges, who will work under a complicated formula designed to ensure judgements have the support of both.
The judges have been holding two weeks of talks due to conclude on Friday to resolve the disputes, which have raised doubts as to whether the process can proceed.
The question has long been whether the surviving Khmer Rouge leaders, now in their 70s and 80s, would die before they could be tried. They include Pol Pot's deputy Nuon Chea, former head of state Khieu Samphan and ex-foreign minister Ieng Sary, all of whom are living free.
Procedural disagreements have ranged from admissibility of evidence to witness protection and even the heights of judges' chairs. However last week the Cambodian Bar Association removed a significant barrier by lifting a ban on foreign lawyers.
Diplomats say the U.N. side of the court would walk away if it felt its local counterparts were dragging their feet or acting on orders of Prime Minister Hun Sen, an ex-Khmer Rouge soldier who lost an eye in the capture of Phnom Penh in 1975.
In public at least, Hun Sen, who is not linked to any Khmer Rouge atrocities, has made clear he favours a trial. Hor Namhong is another former Khmer Rouge member who defected to ally himself with Vietnam before it invaded Cambodia and drove the group from power.
Despite official statements in support of a trial, the Cambodian government and administration remains riddled with former Khmer Rouge cadres, many of whom will not want prosecutors raking through their pasts.
China, the main Khmer Rouge ally, has lobbied Hun Sen to stall the proceedings to prevent the full extent of Beijing's involvement coming to light, diplomats say.
1 comment:
Did he mention he's a suspect?
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