Thursday, June 23, 2011

It’s better off resigning than living in shame: Resigning UN KRT staff Peter Foster

Chea Leang, You Bunleng and Siegfried are NOT seeking justice for the KR victims: Peter Foster
Political pressure at the KRT pushes UN legal officials to walk out

22 June 2011
By Pech Bandol
Free Press Magazine Online
Translated from Khmer by Soch
Click here to read the article in Khmer

UN legal officials have decided to walk out one after another after political pressure was exerted on the KR Tribunal (KRT) – an institution which should have been independent.

Peter Foster, the former UN legal affairs official – who was formerly the KRT spokesman involved in the unsuccessful summon of Norodom Sihanouk for questioning for his involvement with the KR regime – resigned amid surprise on the issue he raised: it’s better off resigning than living in shame. Peter Foster indicated that the UN-supported KRT will face disgrace in Cambodia in the future. This is why a group of UN legal officials resigned from their positions one after another. Recently, 6 legal affairs officials from the Co-Investigating Judges’ office have resigned because they are displeased by the judges preventing them from dealing with Case 003.

The resignation of these UN officials shows their support for Andrew Cayley, the international co-prosecutor, who is putting effort to bring forth Case 003/004 in which 2 former KR superior officers are accused for their responsibility in the killings during the KR regime.


The US-based Open Society Justice Initiative (OSJI) which follows up the KRT’s action, indicated in its recently published statement that You Bunleng and Siegfried Blunk, respectively the Cambodian and International Co-Investigating judges, and Chea Leang, the Cambodian co-prosecutor, are following the Cambodian government’s whim rather than seeking justice for the victims of the KR regime.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

FUCK OFF YELLOW SHIRT!!!!!!!!!

Brothers and sister Muslim in the South and Khmer in Surin, Burrirum,Si Sa ket and other please stand up against Thai's Gov't for your freedom. This is a good time for you all.

Anonymous said...

សូម្បីតែក្នុងតុលាការខ្មែរក្រហមក៏ពួកវាបង្កប់យួនគ្នាវានៅក្នុងហ្នឹងដែរ រឿងអីពួកវាបន្តទៅទៀត ពីព្រោះវានឹងជាប់ក្បាលគ្នាវា។ តុលាការនេះពួក
វាគ្រាន់តែចង់ទម្លាក់កំហុសទាំងស្រុងទៅលើពួក ប៉ុល ពត តែប៉ុណ្ណោះ។ អញ្ជឹងហើយបានជាយើង
ឃើងពួកអា ហ៊ុន សែន រកនូវគ្រប់មធ្យោបាយ
រាររាំងធ្វើយ៉ាងណាកុំឱយតុលាការកូនកាត់មួយនេះ
ឈានទៅដល់ករណី០០៤និង០០៥បាន។មិនត្រឹម
តែប៉ុណ្ណឹងទេពួកវាថែមទាំងទាក់ទាញក្បាលជនជាតិស្បែកសឱយដើរតាមខ្សែរញាក់របស់ពួកវាបាន
ទៀតផង។ www.kppm.radio.org

Anonymous said...

if the currupted one knows better, they should resigns too.

its gonna catches up with them.

Anonymous said...

I agree with all these 6 judges who are in very high integrity to resign for failing to deliver proper justice to Cambodian victim because of political climate didn't allowed them to perform their duty. As a human being we have to stand strong for what we are believing instead of failing into the thread of evils and moneys. we cannot just for making moneys to fee our family, and allow justice to erode it will shame to friends and family for many generations.

Areak Prey

Anonymous said...

This ECCC or Khmer Rouge Trials has failed long ago because of the following:

1. This ECCC in not independent.

2. Political interference from Hun Sen.

3. Everything this ECCC has done for over 3 years since 2006 has been very secretive and not fully informed the public (the victims ).

4. Big scandal of corruption to obstruct the court process ( ECCC ) of Case 002.

5. Detaining suspects beyond detaining time (over 3 years ) to avoid fully public hearing of Case 002.

If Case 002 undergo public hearing there will be many other countries involved one of them is Yuon Hanoi who formed Khmer People's Revolutionary Party and later on Known as CPP.

So the real killers of Khmer innocent people are still at large that to say CPP and yuon Hanoi the mastermind of killing field between 1975-1979 in Cambodia.

To back up my above comment all these answers are in Indochina Federation formed by late Ho Chi Minh in 1930. ( one of Khmer Issarak group led by Son Ngoc Minh later known as Khmer People Revolutionary ‘s Party in 1951 ( Khmer Viet Minh ) under leadership of youn Viet Minh fought against French colony between 1946-1954 till Geneva conference in 1954 ).

We are the victims of killing field between 1975-1979 must know the real Khmer history at least between 1930-2011 so we know when and how yuon Hanoi formed CPP.

So this ECCC is 100% a failure to find justice for 1.7 million of Khmer victims.

So Case 002 will face a lot of obstacles , not fully public hearing.

Anonymous said...

More justice will happen in ECCC if Chea Leang also resighs.

Anonymous said...

Chea Leang and You Bunleng must resign or face legal acition for obstruction of ECCC court process of Casses 002, 003 and 004.

Anonymous said...

You are right poster 11:56AM,
Chea Leang and You bunleng must faced an international court proceeding for her obstruction to justice. I support your comment 100%.

Peter W Foster said...

Dear Pech Bandol
& "FressPress Magazine Online",


I do not know Pech Bandol

I have never spoken to him about the current situation in the ECCC, and to the best of my knowledge, I have never spoken to him at all.

I have never at any time made the comments which have been attributed to me in this story.

I have not been in Cambodia or spoken to any Cambodian reporters for over 3 years

I have no information about the motives of those court staff reported to have resigned.

I was not nor have I ever been a Legal Affairs Officer for the UN

I did not resign from UNAKRT due to any unhappiness or concern with my role or the work of the court. My contract came up and I didn’t renew primarily due to family obligations.

The King Father was not ‘unsuccessfully summoned’ by me or anyone else during my time at the court.

In short, everything written in this story connected to my name is complete fiction.

Peter W. Foster

Anonymous said...

It is true, Peter Foster left the ECCC 3 years ago and moved to Europe. He was not a Legal Officer but a Public Affairs Officer.
Why Pech Bandol is lying? What kind of journalist is he?

Anonymous said...

When judges are running from their position, it is a sign that the gov't is not good enough to help to uphold the law. In other words the laws are not implementing by the gov't and it means it is useless about their systems. When the gov't take the law into their own hand is the sign of power and abused. Being a good leader means helping the court to create laws to protect their people.
In this case, it seems like the gov't is failing and is harming the economy of the nation and also destroying it means of development as well fail to protect the country serenity. So, it time for change, change their administration and senators seat allowing those who maybe able to do the job well beyond people expectation.

wisdom