Tuesday, December 01, 2009
AFP
Lawyers for a former Khmer Rouge leader have demanded that investigators at Cambodia's war crimes court question premier Hun Sen and government officials over alleged interference.
The defence for former Khmer Rouge ideologue Nuon Chea cited a September statement by Hun Sen - who himself defected from the communist regime in 1977 - that witnesses do not have to testify to the UN-backed tribunal.
If Hun Sen has indeed told witnesses that they do not have to cooperate, then he has committed a criminal offence and is seriously affecting the judicial investigation, defence lawyer Michiel Pestman told AFP on Monday.
A copy of the request obtained by AFP also cited a government spokesman's remark in October that six senior government and legislative officials summoned by the court should not testify.
(Hun Sen's) conduct is affecting the fair trial of our client because some of these were witnesses we asked for, Pestman said.
Ultimately it could undermine the whole legitimacy of the court, he added.
The process has often been hit by allegations that Hun Sen's administration has attempted to interfere in the tribunal to protect former regime members who are now in government.
The troubled tribunal, which has also been hit by accusations local staff were forced to pay kickbacks for their jobs, was created in 2006 to try leading members of the regime on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
As the court has sought to investigate other suspects, Hun Sen has made fiery speeches warning further prosecutions could plunge Cambodia back into civil war.
The court plans to try Nuon Chea, former Khmer Rouge head of state Khieu Samphan, foreign minister Ieng Sary and his wife, minister of social affairs Ieng Thirith sometime in 2011.
The court's first trial, of former Khmer Rouge prison chief Kaing Guek Eav, alias Duch, completed its final arguments last week.
Led by Pol Pot, who died in 1998, the Khmer Rouge emptied Cambodia's cities in a bid to forge a communist utopia, resulting in the deaths of up to two million people from starvation, overwork and torture.
The defence for former Khmer Rouge ideologue Nuon Chea cited a September statement by Hun Sen - who himself defected from the communist regime in 1977 - that witnesses do not have to testify to the UN-backed tribunal.
If Hun Sen has indeed told witnesses that they do not have to cooperate, then he has committed a criminal offence and is seriously affecting the judicial investigation, defence lawyer Michiel Pestman told AFP on Monday.
A copy of the request obtained by AFP also cited a government spokesman's remark in October that six senior government and legislative officials summoned by the court should not testify.
(Hun Sen's) conduct is affecting the fair trial of our client because some of these were witnesses we asked for, Pestman said.
Ultimately it could undermine the whole legitimacy of the court, he added.
The process has often been hit by allegations that Hun Sen's administration has attempted to interfere in the tribunal to protect former regime members who are now in government.
The troubled tribunal, which has also been hit by accusations local staff were forced to pay kickbacks for their jobs, was created in 2006 to try leading members of the regime on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
As the court has sought to investigate other suspects, Hun Sen has made fiery speeches warning further prosecutions could plunge Cambodia back into civil war.
The court plans to try Nuon Chea, former Khmer Rouge head of state Khieu Samphan, foreign minister Ieng Sary and his wife, minister of social affairs Ieng Thirith sometime in 2011.
The court's first trial, of former Khmer Rouge prison chief Kaing Guek Eav, alias Duch, completed its final arguments last week.
Led by Pol Pot, who died in 1998, the Khmer Rouge emptied Cambodia's cities in a bid to forge a communist utopia, resulting in the deaths of up to two million people from starvation, overwork and torture.
8 comments:
The UN has to get tough and make PM Hun Sen and King Sihanouk understand they must testify at KR Court if and when summoned.
Send in the Blue Helmets if necessary.
ahahha!I 100% agreed with you...fuk Hanoi puppet!
International Judges must be independent and free.
NAZISME
Bousculade au procès du nazi présumé Demjanjuk
NOUVELOBS.COM | 30.11.2009 | 15:22
Réagissez à l'article 9 réactions
L'ancien garde présumé de camp de concentration John Demjanjuk a été amené sur une civière à la reprise de son procès lundi après-midi à Munich, où il est jugé pour complicité dans l'extermination de Juifs.
KhmerSerey song:
Mariah Carey - I want to know what love is - Lyrics on screen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLoejv4-WAc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fX3GiCS7f9g&feature=related
US and UN don't want hun sen or sihanounk to testify cause they gonna point fingers at the US bombing.
What the US did to khmer, also did to LAOS.
check out " Nerakhoon " laotion of story of america's betrayal
Let's ECCC free
http://www.rfi.fr/actukm/articles/118/article_3247.asp
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UN please request Hun Sen 's title as premier aside for investigating ,when everything cleared and return back,as Cambodian court did to all khmer PM.
Ah me Khmer ME KHMER KROHOM SIHAKNUK is the root , created all the khmer rouge and deal with ah Vietcong ,China secretly.If Hun Sen and five more must go so does SIHAKNUKKING OF ROUGE.
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