Original report from Washington
25 November 2009
Political interference at the Khmer Rouge tribunal is undermining its credibility, a monitoring group for the UN-backed court says in a November report.
The Open Society Justice Initiative says in its latest report that the refusal of six government officials to appear to witness summonses in an upcoming trial for Khmer Rouge, is compromising the international standards of the tribunal.
Confidential sources within the tribunal also told the group they would not likely be allowed by the government to cooperate with prosecutors and investigators as the tribunal prepares to try more members of the regime, next year, according to the report.
Meanwhile, the group says, the government has failed to act on nominations for an international prosecutor to replace Robert Petit, who left in September.
“Political interference at the ECCC poses a serious challenge to both the credibility of the court and its ability to meet international fair trial standards,” the report says, referring to the tribunal by its official initials, for the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia.
James Goldston, executive director of OSJI, told VOA Khmer Tuesday that Cambodia, the UN and donors needed to address the threat of political interference in the tribunal’s proceedings.
“There have been indications that the future investigation may not receive full cooperation from the Cambodian authorities,” he said by phone from New York. “That, of course, would be a very bad signal and a very bad indication of the court’s independence.”
He called it “crucial” that “all persons who are properly requested to appear before the investigative authority, prosecution, judges, do so, and that the court is capable and able to pursue its investigation and prosecution to the full extent, where the evidence leads,” he said.
Tribunal officials declined to comment on the report, which they had not yet read.
Phay Siphan, a spokesman for the Council of Ministers, denied the conclusions in the report.
The six government officials who have so far refused to appear as witnesses under summons did so to ensure fairness at the tribunal, as they had once fought against the Khmer Rouge, he said.
The Open Society Justice Initiative says in its latest report that the refusal of six government officials to appear to witness summonses in an upcoming trial for Khmer Rouge, is compromising the international standards of the tribunal.
Confidential sources within the tribunal also told the group they would not likely be allowed by the government to cooperate with prosecutors and investigators as the tribunal prepares to try more members of the regime, next year, according to the report.
Meanwhile, the group says, the government has failed to act on nominations for an international prosecutor to replace Robert Petit, who left in September.
“Political interference at the ECCC poses a serious challenge to both the credibility of the court and its ability to meet international fair trial standards,” the report says, referring to the tribunal by its official initials, for the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia.
James Goldston, executive director of OSJI, told VOA Khmer Tuesday that Cambodia, the UN and donors needed to address the threat of political interference in the tribunal’s proceedings.
“There have been indications that the future investigation may not receive full cooperation from the Cambodian authorities,” he said by phone from New York. “That, of course, would be a very bad signal and a very bad indication of the court’s independence.”
He called it “crucial” that “all persons who are properly requested to appear before the investigative authority, prosecution, judges, do so, and that the court is capable and able to pursue its investigation and prosecution to the full extent, where the evidence leads,” he said.
Tribunal officials declined to comment on the report, which they had not yet read.
Phay Siphan, a spokesman for the Council of Ministers, denied the conclusions in the report.
The six government officials who have so far refused to appear as witnesses under summons did so to ensure fairness at the tribunal, as they had once fought against the Khmer Rouge, he said.
2 comments:
coward coward and khmer killer accepted not the truth,once they killed Cambodian people and they afraid to face the justice.
This country deserved to be control by US for 100years before it calm the cruel and violent down.
These six high ranking officers (Chea Sim, Heng Samrin, Keat Chhon, Hou Nam Hong etc) used to be high Khmer Rough officers. But they are the ones who fought Khmer Rough too. So they should go to the court to explain and tell the truth. If they do not talk, the truth can not be revealed.
It is funny to say they are not going to court because they want to be fair or not biased. Actually, they are afraid of truth that they are high ranking Khmer Rough. They are also criminal.
I think the court should also ask the King Norodom Sihanouk and Hun Sen to witness in the court too. It is good for them to be witness. Witness in court is duty that any good citizen must do if asked by court. If it help court to find justice for victims, why not go. If these claim, they are the ones who helped and save Khmer, they should go to be witness in court. Now it is time to tell Cambodian people that they are the ones who help Khmer people. Let the whole world know. What are you afraid of? Are you afraid your high dignity be low down? You look down on the tribunal. It is not like your court in Cambodia. You underestimate the tribunal.
Go and tell the whole world your hands are clean. we want to know the truth.
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