Friday, August 10, 2007

Budget Crunch Looms for Tribunal, Group Warns

Poch Reasey, VOA Khmer
Washington
09 August 2007


The Khmer Rouge tribunal is facing a number of immediate challenges, including a looming budget crisis, Long Panhavuth, program officer for the Open Society Justice Initiative, said Thursday.

When the UN and Cambodia negotiated over funds in 2004, they did not take into account a number of expenses, such as translations and interpretation, he said, as a guest on "Hello VOA."

"For some areas such as translation and interpretation services, they have a budget, but a very small one," he said. "You know how important these two services are. They help preserve the history of Cambodia."

Long Panhavuth said court officials have acknowledged that additional funds need to be raised to pay for these services. The tribunal plans to raise extra money in September from donor countries, he added.

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