PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AFP)--A rights group Tuesday accused Cambodia's government of obstructing a U.N.-backed tribunal of former Khmer Rouge leaders, as the country prepared to celebrate 30 years since the fall of the regime.
Cambodia's ruling party is planning large-scale celebrations Wednesday to mark three decades since the day in 1979 when Vietnamese-led forces drove the Khmer Rouge out of the capital.
But New York-based Human Rights Watch said even though war crimes trials of five ex-Khmer Rouge leaders are expected to begin this year, impunity remained in Cambodia while Prime Minister Hun Sen "has done his best to thwart justice."
"After 30 years, no one has been tried, convicted or sentenced for the crimes of one of the bloodiest regimes of the 20th century," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, in a statement obtained Tuesday.
The group called the upcoming Khmer Rouge trials "deeply flawed," citing allegations of job-selling among court personnel and the fact there are cases against only five suspects.
The court will soon rule whether to broaden investigations after the co-prosecutors disagreed about whether to pursue additional Khmer Rouge leaders.
International prosecutor Robert Petit wishes to open more cases against other suspects. His Cambodian counterpart, Chea Leang, doesn't want more investigations because of the country's "past instability and the continued need for national reconciliation," said a court statement Monday.
Petit said that the disagreement shows there is healthy debate within the court, and that its mechanisms are working.
But Human Rights Watch said it showed an interfering political hand, since there was no reason to believe additional cases would threaten Cambodia's stability.
"On the 30th anniversary of the Khmer Rouge's fall from power, the Cambodian government is playing games," Adams said.
"This is a transparently political attempt to stop the court from doing its work."
Cambodian government spokesman Khieu Kanharith denied it had obstructed trials of more Khmer Rouge leaders, and alleged that Human Rights Watch's criticisms were politically biased.
The ruling Cambodian People's Party is gearing up for major celebrations Wednesday, with more than 50,000 people expected at a stadium ceremony in Phnom Penh.
As many as 2 million people died from overwork, starvation, torture and execution as the 1975-79 Khmer Rouge regime sought to create a communist utopia.
Cambodia's ruling party is planning large-scale celebrations Wednesday to mark three decades since the day in 1979 when Vietnamese-led forces drove the Khmer Rouge out of the capital.
But New York-based Human Rights Watch said even though war crimes trials of five ex-Khmer Rouge leaders are expected to begin this year, impunity remained in Cambodia while Prime Minister Hun Sen "has done his best to thwart justice."
"After 30 years, no one has been tried, convicted or sentenced for the crimes of one of the bloodiest regimes of the 20th century," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, in a statement obtained Tuesday.
The group called the upcoming Khmer Rouge trials "deeply flawed," citing allegations of job-selling among court personnel and the fact there are cases against only five suspects.
The court will soon rule whether to broaden investigations after the co-prosecutors disagreed about whether to pursue additional Khmer Rouge leaders.
International prosecutor Robert Petit wishes to open more cases against other suspects. His Cambodian counterpart, Chea Leang, doesn't want more investigations because of the country's "past instability and the continued need for national reconciliation," said a court statement Monday.
Petit said that the disagreement shows there is healthy debate within the court, and that its mechanisms are working.
But Human Rights Watch said it showed an interfering political hand, since there was no reason to believe additional cases would threaten Cambodia's stability.
"On the 30th anniversary of the Khmer Rouge's fall from power, the Cambodian government is playing games," Adams said.
"This is a transparently political attempt to stop the court from doing its work."
Cambodian government spokesman Khieu Kanharith denied it had obstructed trials of more Khmer Rouge leaders, and alleged that Human Rights Watch's criticisms were politically biased.
The ruling Cambodian People's Party is gearing up for major celebrations Wednesday, with more than 50,000 people expected at a stadium ceremony in Phnom Penh.
As many as 2 million people died from overwork, starvation, torture and execution as the 1975-79 Khmer Rouge regime sought to create a communist utopia.
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Open Letter: My Concern of 7 January Celebration
Ladies and Gentlemen, Cambodian Compatriots:
My name's Khmer Young, a younger generation of Cambodia, I would like to express my heartbreaking and sadness to the continual mechanism to make Khmer divide under the controversial day of 7 January.
I am also one of the victims of the Khmer Rouge regime. Many relatives of mine were also starved, tortured and died during that period. Surely, it is not easy to forget this darkness in the history page of Cambodia. But to be a real young Khmer generation, I hold no revenge or hatred towards those mismanaging regime. I am surely realized that this extreme regime has already been passed and will never come back again.
All Cambodians of both elders and youngers can see with the same sight that Khmers should stop hatred among our own Khmer race, including the wilderness of the Khmer Rouge. This attitude perfectly reflects the heart of all Cambodians to forgive in order to gain the larger benefit and the brighter future. And as most Cambodian population are Buddhist, they has already learned to forgive in the way of clearing their path for the constructive past, intellectual present and brilliant successful future.
In the recent year, Cambodian people of both elders and youngers have been silent about the 7 January day. This quietness doesn't mean that they agree or appreciate this day. Their silence means that all Cambodian people have moved forwards to welcome new period of globalization and capitalism particularly to see the brighter future rather than being lived in the trap of a divisive strategy of foreigner.
However, the CPP as a so-called information minister has deliberately spoken through the media to rationale the 7 January as well as to use the strategy of "dividing and conquering" to make 7 January day become more attractive and to make fear among Cambodian people.
As I am one of the younger generations of Cambodian people, I am not going to debate the advantage or disadvantage of 7 January day because doing so I am just one among those who are falling in the trap of Vietnam. Vietnam has been so smart in making troubling in our society in order to benefit from it. More debate about this controversial day, more division surely happens in Khmer society. And who will benefit from this? The CPP or other parties, or Cambodian people?
To stand strongly in celebrating this day by some few CPP's members are really inspiring. Of course, there are many CPP's prominent members and common supporters don't see any significant necessary to celebrate this day for the benefit of Cambodia or particularly for the benefiting of CPP party to win the vote during election period. CPP with huge budget and human resource can easily win other parties rather than using this controversial day. They surely see this day is out of date, and when the Khmer Rouge has been disappeared, this 7 January day is appearing clearly as the day of foreigner intervention and occupation in Cambodia.
Dear all Cambodian compatriots, our don ta (ancestors) have been instructing us to unite and trust each other especially our same race, so any activity that leads to controversial and division among our compatriots, that activity must be condemned and named it as "treason or traitor".
Again, this letter humbly appeals to all Khmers to see the right thing in order to lead the navy of Cambodia in the right track to appreciate our next civilized advancement.
The recognition or celebration of the 7 January day will surely exacerbate our nation, it will not bring any better for Cambodia under the current change of the world.
With King Regards,
Yours Very Truly,
Khmer Young
I am a Khmer born, left the Kingdom before 1970 and not a communist at all. I can say, also a real victim of the US Invasion, Khmer Rouge regime and lately the Vietnam occupation. I have lost so many friends, relations and family members during the last 30 years, and it was not easy to live with, but I always said, "a fate of the Khmer Nation."
As a buddhist believed, live in Europe and feel, we Khmer now behaved almost like the Caucasians, who did not understand about forgiving and not learn to forgive.
The great hope for all of Khmer inside and outside the Kingdom, that the Killing in Cambodia might end up one day. But it was wrong, because the Killing is still go on. How many more Khmers have to die just for a small Peace and Freedom for this part of the world.
Please stop for all formal or not formal Killing on the Khmer soil.
That stupid women Leang,
Is a communist minded fat pig who doesnt make any sense when she said it can cause instability is the same phrase that hun sen used many times to scares khmer people.
The people put on trial the more it will benifit the victims and khmer people' future. More truth need to be reveal for complete absolute justice that khmer still waiting after 30 years.
No demands, no justice, no peace.
no justice, history will repeat itself.
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