The Associated Press
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: The United States will consider giving money to fund Cambodia's U.N.-backed genocide tribunal only after the court properly addresses allegations of corruption and mismanagement against it, a U.S. diplomat said Friday.
Clint Williamson, the U.S. ambassador for war crimes issues, said the arrests of five Khmer Rouge suspects have shown that the tribunal, after repeated delays, "is making progress and moving in a very positive direction."
"How that plays out in terms of direct funding to the court, we'll have to see," he said at a press conference at the end of a three-day visit assessing the tribunal's work to help decide whether or not Washington should provide funds for it.
The communist Khmer Rouge, who held power in 1975-79, are blamed for the death of estimated 1.7 million people from hunger, diseases, overwork and execution. None of its leaders have been tried.
The tribunal plans to begin its first trial in mid-2008 but it has not yet set a date.
Williamson said any decisions about U.S. funding "are going to be contingent" on how the U.N. and the Cambodian government deal with its internal problems and on the court's ability "to deliver justice at international standards."
Early this year, the tribunal, staffed by Cambodian and international officials, was shaken by allegations of kickbacks from Cambodian job applicants and an internal audit alleging that Cambodian staff members without proper qualifications had been hired.
"Obviously, we're troubled when we hear reports of mismanagement or improprieties in the institution," Williamson said. "We feel very strongly that such allegations have to be investigated, explored and dealt with."
The tribunal has been appealing for more funding on top of its already budgeted US$56.3 million (€38.7 million), saying its original planned three years of operation through 2009 will likely be extended for one more year.
The U.S. has so far not donated any funds to the tribunal, though it has spent more than US$7 million (€4.8 million) over the past decade to support the work of the Documentation Center of Cambodia, in independent group that collects evidence of the Khmer Rouge crimes.
The group has given many documents to the tribunal to assist it in investigating cases against the Khmer Rouge suspects.
Clint Williamson, the U.S. ambassador for war crimes issues, said the arrests of five Khmer Rouge suspects have shown that the tribunal, after repeated delays, "is making progress and moving in a very positive direction."
"How that plays out in terms of direct funding to the court, we'll have to see," he said at a press conference at the end of a three-day visit assessing the tribunal's work to help decide whether or not Washington should provide funds for it.
The communist Khmer Rouge, who held power in 1975-79, are blamed for the death of estimated 1.7 million people from hunger, diseases, overwork and execution. None of its leaders have been tried.
The tribunal plans to begin its first trial in mid-2008 but it has not yet set a date.
Williamson said any decisions about U.S. funding "are going to be contingent" on how the U.N. and the Cambodian government deal with its internal problems and on the court's ability "to deliver justice at international standards."
Early this year, the tribunal, staffed by Cambodian and international officials, was shaken by allegations of kickbacks from Cambodian job applicants and an internal audit alleging that Cambodian staff members without proper qualifications had been hired.
"Obviously, we're troubled when we hear reports of mismanagement or improprieties in the institution," Williamson said. "We feel very strongly that such allegations have to be investigated, explored and dealt with."
The tribunal has been appealing for more funding on top of its already budgeted US$56.3 million (€38.7 million), saying its original planned three years of operation through 2009 will likely be extended for one more year.
The U.S. has so far not donated any funds to the tribunal, though it has spent more than US$7 million (€4.8 million) over the past decade to support the work of the Documentation Center of Cambodia, in independent group that collects evidence of the Khmer Rouge crimes.
The group has given many documents to the tribunal to assist it in investigating cases against the Khmer Rouge suspects.
5 comments:
USA will give lot of money to kill his enemy as Khmer Rouge destroyed Lonol/US begger.
Are Khmers happy?
The funding to help ECCC moving forward is fantastic concepts.
The current government will be put to trail in the ECCC revision 2. The human abused is more than just killing in 1975. Today the government kills the people slowly. Where is the justice for them?
Today stealing and robbing land or home from the poor people are not any thing different from evacuation peoples from Phnom Penh in 1975. Let’s compare the two stories.
The ECCC needs to open the eyes and see these actions. The funding needs to expand the jurisdiction to the current government. Not only Cambodians in 1995 are human, but also the today Cambodians are human. Their right as been violated.
The violation to their right is as bad as killing. Where are the justices for them???
Please help them as well.
Hey, you are not trying to expand the scope of the ECCC for free, are you?
The ECCC must provide 100% justice and truth .
To achieve this goal, the kmher government must not interfere with the justice, otherwise the ECCC will become useless and people can read in the books to learn about the KR regime.
First of all , SIHANOUK must be brought to the tribunal.
What do you mean 100% justice, 2:57? You mean they have to hang all those 5 leaders that they arrested.
And how do you proposed the ECCC makes all those leaders tell the truth?
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