Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Financial woes for Khmer Rouge tribunal

Wednesday, August 13, 2008
ABC Radio Australia


International donors have been withholding payments to Cambodia's Khmer Rouge tribunal because of concerns about corruption.

Helen Jarvis, an Australian working on the Cambodian side of the joint Cambodian-U.N. tribunal, says 250 Cambodia staff have not been paid since June, threatening the future of the long-awaited court, which is running over time and budget.

The United Nations Development Programme which has been managing donor funding for the trial, says it decided to freeze payments last week following a renewed series of allegations of kickbacks involving local staff.

The tribunal has just indicted a former prison chief for crimes against humanity and war crimes, ahead of the first trial of regime leaders expected later this year.

Kaing Guek Eav, also known as "Duch", is the first suspect to be indicted by the tribunal. He allegedly oversaw the torture and extermination of 16,000 men, women and children at the notorious Tuol Sleng prison in Phnom Penh.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

WE MUST BE PAID FIRST. Please do not withhold our salary as a matter of corruption. How are Cambodian staff living if compare with UN staff?

An ECCC's staff

Anonymous said...

The Cambodia staffs are working hard but why UNDP withhold the donation? as you know now some of national staff no money for buying the food.

If UNDP want to continnue the process of ECCC please help to suport national staff by releave the donate.

Anonymous said...

you gotta think yourself that the corruption inside your organisation is affeted to your salary because you all share it with the government to get the post. You all are not the genuine person to obtain these post.

Anonymous said...

how can you make any allegation without proof? UNDP does not have any capability to solve the allegation rather than freeze the ECCC staff salary. If all national staff payed kickback for all the posts, how is this court moving to the first trial in September?

Anonymous said...

It is not allegation, it is the truth which you yourself should realise about your country. Back to question your government.

Okay, bye

Anonymous said...

Pok rolouy ma pouch. kmas ke nas kgnom keut mak chea khmer.

Srey Khmer

Anonymous said...

How poor are the ECCC's staffs! Are you sure that you have no enough money to buy food? I think you should pack some foods from your home, so your wife will be happier. Don't wast time start from now.