Khmer Rouge Tribunal Seeks More Money for Controversial Cases

Donors are meeting in New York on Friday to review the budget proposal. The Cambodian government’s resistance to expand indictments beyond the second case has raised some concerns within the donor community. (Cartoon by Sacrava)

Friday, 24 February 2012
Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer | Washington

“The realistic timelines for cases 003 and 004 can be estimated only after the decision of the PTC (Pre-Trial Chamber) on the disagreement of OCIJ (Office of Co-Investigating Judges) which is expected sometime in the first quarter of 2012.”

The UN-backed tribunal in Cambodia has requested additional funds for cases 003 and 004 despite government objection to see further indictments.

The court, with case 001 complete and case 002 underway, is seeking up to $92 million to cover its operation costs in 2012 and 2013, some of which is allocated to cover costs for the currently stalled third and fourth cases, according to documents obtained by VOA Khmer.

“The realistic timelines for cases 003 and 004 can be estimated only after the decision of the PTC (Pre-Trial Chamber) on the disagreement of OCIJ (Office of Co-Investigating Judges) which is expected sometime in the first quarter of 2012,” reads a proposed budget document submitted to international donors.

Donors are meeting in New York on Friday to review the budget proposal.

The Cambodian government’s resistance to expand indictments beyond the second case has raised some concerns within the donor community.

Cambodia has refused to recognize a Swiss judge, Laurent Kasper-Ansermet, who was nominated by the UN. Some observers see it as an excuse to thwart investigations into cases 003 and 004, which involve five suspects.

Case 003 involves crimes alleged to have occurred at 13 sites while case 004 includes purported crimes that took place at 32 different locations, according to court documents.

“It is worth mentioning that investigations to be conducted in case files 003 and 004 depend largely on decisions taken by three offices: OCIJ, OCP, and PTC and on the intervention of the civil parties,” said the document, referring to the offices of the co-investigating judges, the co-prosecutors and the pre-trial chamber.

A US-based diplomat source told VOA Khmer that the Group of Interest States (GIS) would make a decision Friday over the proposed budget.

“The GIS does not make the pledge but they will focus on the approval of the proposed budget,” said the diplomat in New York, who asked not to be named as he does not have the authority to speak to the press. “Mr. David Scheffer (special advisor to the UN for the tribunal) will meet with some GIS members after the whole GIS meeting to talk about the pledging of funds.”