Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Cambodian Khmer Rouge tribunal under scrutiny

Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Robert Carmichael, Phnom Penh
Radio Australia News

The United Nations is being called on to investigate the closure of a case at Cambodia's Khmer Rouge war crimes tribunal.

On Tuesday the Open Society Justice Initiative - which monitors Cambodia's Khmer Rouge war crimes tribunal - said the UN must investigate events surrounding the recent dismissal of the court's politically-sensitive third case.

The case involves two former senior military officers of the Khmer Rouge. Each is thought responsible for many thousands of deaths.

The Cambodian Government has long said it would not permit this case to reach trial.


The investigating judges recently closed their investigation, and last week refused a request by the international prosecutor to investigate further.

By then it was clear the judges had not even questioned the suspects or examined a number of crime sites.

The United Nations has not yet commented, but the OSJI says the UN must find out whether the investigating judges have been grossly negligent or deliberately acted in contravention of their judicial duties.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just ask Samdech Decho Yuon Hun Sen, he knows it all.

Anonymous said...

although the KR tribunal rocked with scandals in the beginning, etc, don't give it up, though! KR victims need a voice and justice! who says it is easy? got to keep working on it. god bless cambodia.