AFP
UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations on Tuesday strongly denied that it had ordered Cambodia war crimes judges to reject a new case involving the Khmer Rouge.
With the country gearing up for a major Khmer Rouge era trial this month, Cambodian media reports said five UN staff have resigned in protest at a decision to close the new case without properly investigating the charges.
The UN-backed war crimes court has threatened legal action in a bid to prevent publication of leaked details of the case.
"The United Nations categorically rejects media speculation that we have instructed the co-investigating judges to dismiss Case Three," said UN spokesman Martin Nesirky of the new Khmer Rouge inquiry.
The names of the suspects in the case have not been made public, but they are thought to be two ex-commanders from the brutal 1975-79 Khmer Rouge regime blamed for up to two million deaths.
"Support for the independence of the judiciary is a fundamental principle that the United Nations upholds in Cambodia as elsewhere," said Nesirky.
Judges and prosecutors at the Cambodia courts "must be allowed to function free from external interference by the royal government of Cambodia, the United Nations, donor states, and civil society," he added.
The Cambodia war crimes court's second trial starts on June 27. Among the four defendants are Khieu Samphan, the former Khmer Rouge head of state, and Nuon Chea, the deputy to notorious regime leader Pol Pot.
Prime Minister Hun Sen has repeatedly voiced his objection to further trials, however, saying they could plunge the country into civil war.
The international court's investigating judges have been under fire ever since they announced in April they had concluded their investigations into case three, without questioning the suspects.
International co-prosecutor Andrew Cayley -- without the backing of his Cambodian colleague -- demanded the suspects be interviewed and more crime scenes examined but the judges rejected his request last week on technicalities.
Nesirky said the UN will "not comment on issues which remain the subject of judicial consideration, nor speculate on actions that should or should not be taken by the judges or prosecutors in any case."
He added however that the investigating judges "are not under an obligation to provide reasons for their actions at this stage of the investigation in Case Three."
Nesirky said the trial starting this month "will be of true international significance and deserves the ongoing, strong support of the international community."
With the country gearing up for a major Khmer Rouge era trial this month, Cambodian media reports said five UN staff have resigned in protest at a decision to close the new case without properly investigating the charges.
The UN-backed war crimes court has threatened legal action in a bid to prevent publication of leaked details of the case.
"The United Nations categorically rejects media speculation that we have instructed the co-investigating judges to dismiss Case Three," said UN spokesman Martin Nesirky of the new Khmer Rouge inquiry.
The names of the suspects in the case have not been made public, but they are thought to be two ex-commanders from the brutal 1975-79 Khmer Rouge regime blamed for up to two million deaths.
"Support for the independence of the judiciary is a fundamental principle that the United Nations upholds in Cambodia as elsewhere," said Nesirky.
Judges and prosecutors at the Cambodia courts "must be allowed to function free from external interference by the royal government of Cambodia, the United Nations, donor states, and civil society," he added.
The Cambodia war crimes court's second trial starts on June 27. Among the four defendants are Khieu Samphan, the former Khmer Rouge head of state, and Nuon Chea, the deputy to notorious regime leader Pol Pot.
Prime Minister Hun Sen has repeatedly voiced his objection to further trials, however, saying they could plunge the country into civil war.
The international court's investigating judges have been under fire ever since they announced in April they had concluded their investigations into case three, without questioning the suspects.
International co-prosecutor Andrew Cayley -- without the backing of his Cambodian colleague -- demanded the suspects be interviewed and more crime scenes examined but the judges rejected his request last week on technicalities.
Nesirky said the UN will "not comment on issues which remain the subject of judicial consideration, nor speculate on actions that should or should not be taken by the judges or prosecutors in any case."
He added however that the investigating judges "are not under an obligation to provide reasons for their actions at this stage of the investigation in Case Three."
Nesirky said the trial starting this month "will be of true international significance and deserves the ongoing, strong support of the international community."
7 comments:
fuck cambodians, drink my pee
Beggars making millions of dollars every year, I saw many Khmers beg all over the world (America, Asia, Australia, Europe) They won't let you go unless you give them couple cents or fuck on their face. Cheap Khmer beggars. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
Every time I saw a Khmer beggar, I pissed in their face
Beggars making millions of dollars every year, I saw many Khmers beg all over the world (America, Asia, Australia, Europe) They won't let you go unless you give them couple cents or fuck on their face. Cheap Khmer beggars. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
Every time I saw a Khmer beggar, I pissed in their face
Wow, how dare you! Coming from the comments above, you guy are such evil and we can tell that you are thieves of Cambodian land and you are not from Cambodia. What are you doing in Cambodia where many rich natural resources that you stole and made you rich and now you pour the dirty of Khmer people. Does that make you and other rich people like look good? No. You have to return what you have stolen from Cambodia to those innocent who owned for many decades or centuries.
Again, you are evil thieves in Cambodia land.
The United Nations strongly denied
and rejected a new Khmer Rouge case.
Four Khmer Rouge leaders are in
jails.Those four of them are enough,
and the rest should forgive and forget.
When will end and have peace in
Khmer people minds?
Khmer people and blogger are worrying about Vietnam intruder
than the Khmer Rouge trials.
United we stand against Hun Sen and
Vietnamese immigrants.
7:22Am I agree.
If it costs like million-billion dollars than better use that money for our future generations; like providing proper housings, schools, University, roads, marketing, clean water for drinking etc. Least we can do is learn from our past experienced and prevent it from happening again. As for Hun Sen, we have to learn to accept him as our leader because he liberated the country from KR regime, however, I am still concerned that our country is being ruled by previous king and his family members, as a matter of facts they are the one who is responsible in the downfall of our nation. Hun Sen needs to eliminate these Khmer criminals and strip off their status from the so-called king before history repeat itself. In addition Hun Sen needs to include Madam Mu, Sam Rainsy, Theory Seng into one party group. In Aust, both gov't and opposition leaders working together hand in hand to debate for the interest of its country and nation. Avoid personal conflicts at all costs and try to focus on what needs to be done next of our society. May be adding more infrastructure such as above. Furthermore maybe hospitals ( fee health care), age care, child care centre, more laws to protect everyone or treat everyone as 'equally important'. Only then our nation can live in peace.
Aust
10:52 AM - You are bullshit! Never trust traitors like you, Hun Sen and other Yuon CPP evils.
Don't be too naive!
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