Tribunal Funding Faces Immediate Shortage, Long Term Woes

Cartoon by Sacrava (on the web at http://sacrava.blogspot.com)

David Scheffer (Photo: The Phnom Penh Post)

The Khmer Rouge tribunal’s funding will dry up in October without an infusion from donors, tribunal experts say.

01 September 2012

Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer

WASHINGTON DC - The Khmer Rouge tribunal’s funding will dry up in October without an infusion from donors, tribunal experts say.

David Scheffer, the UN’s special expert for the tribunal—which is in the midst trying three former leaders for atrocity crimes—wrote in the New York Times the court needs more funding right away.

“Several nations have pledged sufficient funds to finance the tribunal for two more months, and that is good news, Scheffer wrote in the opinion pages. “But at least $4 million must be raised to cover November and December expenses. (The Cambodian Government’s smaller portion of the budget has been covered with the help of foreign aid.) And then there is 2013 to worry about—immediately.”

No Way to Fund a War Crimes Tribunal

A blood soaked mattress, as it was left when the Khmer Rouge fled Tuol Sleng prison in Phnom Penh. (David Longstreath/Associated Press)

August 28, 2012
By DAVID SCHEFFER
The New York Times
Op-Ed Contributor

After months of riveting testimony, a war crimes tribunal in Cambodia is struggling to continue its own Nuremberg-style trial of former senior Khmer Rouge leaders Khieu Samphan, Nuon Chea and Ieng Sary.

It is inconceivable that the international community would imperil this historic trial midstream and undermine justice for the estimated 1.7 million Cambodians who perished under Pol Pot’s rule from 1975 to 1979.

The survivors have not forgotten what they endured. An astounding 150,000 Cambodians have visited the trials of the tribunal in Phnom Penh — a number that exceeds the public spectators of all of the other war-crimes tribunals combined.

The tribunal, known as the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, is an internationalized Cambodian court partly staffed with foreign jurists, investigators and administrators, guided by principles of international law and managed through a treaty with the United Nations.

The governments that traditionally supported the Cambodia tribunal since it started operations in 2006 have been constrained by recession, the euro crisis and, in the case of the largest donor, Japan, the priority of recovering from the 2011 tsunami.

Khmer Rouge tribunal nearly broke, risks collapse

Asia's most monumental war crimes commission ekes by, check to check.

August 22, 2012

Patrick Winn

BANGKOK, Thailand — The Cambodian cabal accused of orchestrating the Khmer Rouge atrocities, among Asia's grisliest state-led massacres, is now reduced to frail, old men with hoarse voices.

Until they were rounded up by a Nuremberg-style tribunal five years ago, they had eluded long prison terms and revenge killings by kin of the 1.7 million whose deaths are linked to their regime.

Now they owe their best shot at freedom to the euro-zone financial crisis, tightening budgets in the West and even Japan's 2011 tsunami.

The joint United Nations-Cambodian tribunal set up to seek justice for the Khmer Rouge war crimes is squeaking by month to month and check to check. Japan, its largest donor, remains financially shaken by last year's tsunami. The other reliable funders — Australia, the US and a bevy of European states — are also coping with budget woes.

Khmer Rouge War Crimes Tribunal Running Out of Funds

The Clown (Cartoon by Sacrava)

Current budget will run dry by end of August

August 16, 2012
By Shar Adams
Epoch Times Staff

The United Nations may be forced to withdraw from the Khmer Rouge war crimes tribunal if funds from the international community are not forthcoming, according to the U.N. envoy to the tribunal.

The court, the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), which was created jointly by the U.N. and the Cambodian Government, is currently trying three leaders of the brutal Khmer Rouge regime for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

David Scheffer, United Nations special expert to the court, says the budget for the international component in the trial is at an all-time low.

“We have enough cash for the international budget to the end of August. Even our contingency fund is being drained right now to pay just essential expenses of the court,” he told Australia’s national broadcaster, ABC, Aug. 16.

Cambodia's Khmer Rouge Tribunal hit by cash crisis

Cambodia's Khmer Rouge tribunal is running out of money, but there's hope yet.

16 August 2012
ABC Radio Australia

Cambodia's Khmer Rouge Tribunal hit by cash crisis (Credit: ABC)

Hosted by Kiwi6 file hosting. Download mp3 - Free Music Hosting.

That's the assessment of the funding crisis gripping Cambodia's UN-backed crimes against humanity hearings, from United Nations' special envoy to the court, David Scheffer.

Mr Scheffer is urging international donors, including Australia, to honour their pledges immediately or see the tribunal run out of funds within a matter of weeks.

Presenter: Bill Bainbridge

Speakers: David Scheffer, Special Expert to advise on the United Nations Assistance to the Khmer Rouge Trials; Bob Carr, Australian Foreign Minister; Tom Fawthrop, journalist and co-author of Getting Away with Genocide? Elusive Justice and The Khmer Rouge Tribunal

Khmer Rouge war crimes tribunal 'going broke' [... again]

16 August 2012
ABC Radio Australia

The UN envoy to the Khmer Rouge war crimes tribunal in Cambodia says the court will go broke unless countries like Australia give the money they pledged.

The court, which was jointly created by the UN and the Cambodian government, is trying leaders of the notorious Khmer Rouge regime.

However, David Scheffer says the tribunal is running out of money and the UN will be forced to withdraw at the end of this month.

Australia pledged $1.4 million in July, but Mr Scheffer has told the ABC they are yet to receive any money.

Gravest crime in modern history

June 30, 2012
Michelle Fitzpatrick
Agence France-Presse

Health and funding woes are threatening a flagship Khmer Rouge trial, experts say, kindling fears that the elderly defendants may never answer for the worst of Cambodia’s “Killing Fields” era. The three most senior surviving leaders of the brutal regime stand accused of some of the gravest crimes in modern history for their roles in up to two million deaths in the late 1970s.

Worried the octogenarians would not live to see a verdict, judges at a UN-backed court in Phnom Penh split their complex case into smaller trials, saving the most serious atrocities for later proceedings. But seven months into their slow-moving first “mini-trial,” concern is mounting that the court — faced with a worsening funding crunch and fresh fears over the accused’s health — will be unable to finish the entire case.

“This is it, this is the trial. Nobody believes there’s going to be a second phase,” said Anne Heindel, a legal advisor to the Documentation Center of Cambodia, which researches Khmer Rouge atrocities.

Fears grow for early end to Khmer Rouge trial

"Brother Number Two" Nuon Chea has denied charges including war crimes and genocide (AFP/HO/File, Nhet Sokheng)

24 June 2012
By Michelle Fitzpatrick (AFP)

"I'd rather have a nice clean trial," [Ieng Sary's lawyer, Michael Karnavas] said. "You invited me to the party, now let's dance. But you can't be changing the rules in the middle of the party."

PHNOM PENH — Health and funding woes are threatening a flagship Khmer Rouge trial, experts say, kindling fears that the elderly defendants may never answer for the worst of Cambodia's "Killing Fields" era.

The three most senior surviving leaders of the brutal regime stand accused of some of the gravest crimes in modern history for their roles in up to two million deaths in the late 1970s.

Worried the octogenarians would not live to see a verdict, judges at a UN-backed court in Phnom Penh split their complex case into smaller trials, saving the most serious atrocities for later proceedings.

But seven months into their slow-moving first "mini-trial", concern is mounting that the court -- faced with a worsening funding crunch and fresh fears over the accused's health -- will be unable to finish the entire case.

KRT running on empty

Wednesday, 16 May 2012
Bridget Di Certo
The Phnom Penh Post

By the end of June, funding for the international side of the UN-backed Khmer Rouge tribunal will have run out, adversely affecting the ability of the tribunal to pay the salaries of staff, officials said yesterday.

Legal affairs spokesman Lars Olsen said it was a “very serious situation”.

“By the end of June, the UN side runs out of money,” he said. “Out of a budget of $44 million [for 2012-2013] there remains $28 million that has not been pledged.

“The court has faced financial challenges before, but this is a very serious situation.”

Funding Restored to Khmer Rouge Tribunal

Cambodian staff are to get back pay within two to three weeks.


2012-02-28
Radio Free Asia

Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge Tribunal, which had run out of money to pay the salaries of Cambodian workers, has received pledges of funds following a meeting last week with donor countries at the United Nations in New York, a spokesman for the U.N.-backed war crimes court said Tuesday.

“We have received positive results and support from the donors,” spokesman Neth Pheaktra told RFA.

Cambodian staff working at the tribunal will now receive back pay within the next two to three weeks, Pheaktra said.

More than 300 Cambodians working at the court had not received salaries since October 2011, he said, adding that at least 10 staff members in the prosecution department had already submitted notices to the court saying they would quit in March if they have not been paid by then.

Now, donor groups have pledged 90 percent of the U.S. $10 million requested for the annual budget for this year for the Cambodian side of the court.

The tribunal has requested a total of U.S. $89 million for both Cambodian and international staff for the budgets for 2012 and 2013, Pheaktra said.

“The Cambodian side wants $20 million for the two years,” Pheaktra said.

Funding Pledged for UN-Backed KR Tribunal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qWh-yeMQlg

EU funds KRT to the tune of $1.7 million

Monday, 27 February 2012
Bridget Di Certo
The Phnom Penh Post

THE EUROPEAN Union is set to come to the rescue of unpaid Cambodian staff at the Khmer Rouge tribunal by contributing about US$1.7 million to the Cambodian side of the court, officials said last week.

Ambassador and Head of Delegation of the European Union Jean-Francois Cautain met last week with Deputy Prime Minister Sok An, who also heads the taskforce on the tribunal.

“The EU has made a provisional allocation of a further 1.3 million euro for the national side of the ECCC,” Cautain said by email.

Additional $92 million needed to judge 3 dying old men?

ឯកសារ​បញ្ជាក់​ថា​សាលាក្តីខ្មែរ​ក្រហម​ត្រូវ​ការ​ថវិកា​៩២​លាន​ដុល្លារ​សម្រាប់​ពេល​ពីរ​ឆ្នាំ


ថ្ងៃអង្គារ, 21 ខែកុម្ភៈ 2012
ដោយ សុខ ខេមរា វីអូអេ ខ្មែរ | វ៉ាស៊ីនតោន

«យោបល់​របស់​យើង​ជា​ទូទៅ​គឺថា​ក្រុមប្រទេស​អ្នកផ្តល់​ជំនួយ​ជារួម​ចាំបាច់​ផ្តល់​ថវិកា​គាំទ្រ​បន្ថែម​ទៀត​ចំពោះ​តុលាការ»។

សាលាក្តី​កាត់ទោស​ខ្មែរក្រហម​ដែល​ចូលរួម​ដោយ​អ.ស.ប​បានស្នើសុំ​ថវិកា​៩២ លានដុល្លារ​ពី​ក្រុម​ប្រទេស​អ្នកផ្តល់​ជំនួយ​សម្រាប់​ទ្រទ្រង់​ដំណើរការ​កាត់ទោស​រយៈពេល​២ឆ្នាំ​គឺ​​ឆ្នាំ​២០១២​ និង​ឆ្នាំ២០១៣ ​ទោះបី​ជា​មន្ត្រី​សាលាក្តី​បាន​អះអាង​ថា​ខ្លួន​ស្នើ​សុំ​តែ​៨៩​លាន​ក្តី។​ នេះបើ​តាម​ឯកសារ​ជា​សំណើ​ថវិកា​ដែល​តុលាការ​ខ្មែរក្រហម​ផ្ញើ​ជូន​ក្រុម​ប្រទេស​អ្នកផ្តល់​ជំនួយ​ហើយ​វីអូអេ​ទទួល​បានពី​ប្រភព​ស្និទ្ធ​នឹង​តុលាការ​និង​ប្រទេស​ម្ចាស់​ជំនួយ។

នៅ​ក្នុង​សំណើ​កញ្ចប់​ថវិកា​ដដែល​នោះ​បាន​រៀបរាប់​លម្អិត​ពី​គម្រោង​ចំណាយ​របស់​ខ្លួន​ហើយ​និយាយ​ឲ្យដឹងថា​កញ្ចប់​ថវិកា​ភាគច្រើន​គឺ​សម្រាប់​ផ្នែក​អន្តរជាតិ ​ឬ​អ.ស.ប​ ហើយ​កញ្ចប់​ថវិកា​ភាគី​កម្ពុជា​ត្រូវការ​តែ​២០លាន​ប៉ុណ្ណោះ​គឺ​មួយ​ឆ្នាំ ​១០​លាន​ដុល្លារ។​ ឯកសារ​ជាង​៨០​ទំព័រ​ជា​ភាសា​អង់គ្លេស​បាន​បញ្ជាក់​ថា៖

«តាម​តម្រូវការ​រំពឹងទុក​របស់​តុលាការ​សម្រាប់​រយៈពេល​ពីរឆ្នាំ​ សាលាក្តី​ខ្មែរ​ក្រហម​ ស្នើសុំ​ឲ្យ​មាន​ការ​យល់ព្រម​លើ​សំណើ​ថវិកា​សរុប​ចំនួន​៩២​លាន​ដុល្លា។​ ក្នុង​ចំនួន​នោះ​គឺ​៤៧,៥លាន​សម្រាប់​ចំណាយ​ឆ្នាំ២០១២​ និង ៤៤,៥លាន​ដុល្លារ​សម្រាប់​ចំណាយ​ឆ្នាំ២០១៣​ រួមទាំង​ចំណាយ​លើ​បញ្ហា​ចៃដន្យ​ផង​ដែរ»។

Khmer Rouge trial on recess till March 12

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Phnom Penh (Rasmei Kampuchea Daily/ANN) - The Khmer Rouge tribunal has gone into recess and will resume the trial of three former leaders of the Pol Pot regime on March 12, Rasmei Kampuchea reported Saturday.

The newspaper said the halt to proceedings was to "prepare other work for the court hearing" at the UN-backed Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC).

Court spokesman Neth Pheaktra told the newspaper that the ECCC Acting Director of Administration Tony Kranh Tony and Deputy Director of Administration Knut Rosandhaug would travel to New York early next week.

The tribunal is seeking US$89 million to help fund both its national and international sides in 2012 and 2013.

$45 Million for Tribunal Under Consideration [-Begging mission under way]

Thursday, 16 February 2012
Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer | Washington, DC

“We are optimistic that donors will pledge more financial assistance for the Khmer Rouge tribunal in order to allow the court to fulfill its work and mission in seeking truth and justice.”

International donors to the Khmer Rouge tribunal are currently considering more funding for the UN backed court, officials said Wednesday.

A diplomat from one donor country said the package under consideration was $35 million for the international side and $10 million for the Cambodian side of the hybrid court, which has had continuous financial troubles that threaten its longevity, even as it puts three leaders on trial.

“As you know, the court is funded from voluntary contributions from member states,” said Martin Nersirky, a spokesman for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. A budget proposal “is being considered by the donor states,” he said. “And that’s where we are at the moment.”

Prosecution staff seek leave after wage delay

Tuesday, 14 February 2012
Bridget Di Certo with additional reporting by Cheang Sokha
The Phnom Penh Post

Cambodian legal officers from the Khmer Rouge tribunal’s Office of the Co-Prosecutors have requested leave from their positions to find alternate employment until the United Nations-backed tribunal starts paying their salaries, court officials said yesterday.

Press Officer Neth Pheaktra told the Post that the prosecution’s legal officers were looking to secure other jobs because they had not been paid since October last year.

“It is a very difficult situation – while the UN staff at the Court never face late payment of salaries, the Cambodian side is facing this kind of situation for the fourth time,” Neth Pheaktra said. “It is very

demoralising for the court.”

Another deja-vu funding crisis at the Icky Clown (aka ECCC)?

Cartoon by Sacrava (on the web at http://sacrava.blogspot.com)

KR tribunal suffers crisis of funding

10/02/2012
Ellie Dyer
DPA

With unpaid salaries, demoralised staff and a catalogue of high-profile controversies, observers say Cambodia's Khmer Rouge Tribunal is in crisis.

A total of 317 Cambodians working at the war crimes court, including judges, prosecutors and legal officers, have not been paid since October due to a lack of international funding.

The shortfall has "demoralised" staff and is a "serious concern", says the tribunal's administrative office.

The funding crunch is just the latest difficulty to dog the tribunal, which aims to bring to justice those most responsible for crimes under the Khmer Rouge. Between 1.7 million and 2.2 million people are estimated to have died during the 1975-79 rule of the brutal Khmer Rouge.

Cash crunch at KR tribunal [-Begging time again already?]

Thursday, 19 January 2012
Bridget Di Certo
The Phnom Penh Post

The Khmer Rouge tribunal is in a financial crisis, with Cambodian staff being told they will not receive their salaries for January and Cambodian judges remaining unpaid since October 2011, court officials said yesterday.

Three weeks into the new financial year, no donor countries have yet committed any new funds to the tribunal, which is trying the senior and most responsible perpetrators of the mass atrocities of the Khmer Rouge regime, tribunal spokesman Neth Pheaktra said.

“The lack of funding has become a crisis of funding,” Neth Pheaktra said, adding that all Cambodian staff at the tribunal received a letter this week that payment of their January salaries would be delayed. “All national staff from drivers to judges to administration will face ongoing delayed payments this year.”

Japan provides $11.7 million more for Khmer Rouge trials

Phnom Penh, Jan 29 (Kyodo) The Japanese governmentannounced that it decided to provide a further USD 11.7million to the UN-assisted tribunal set up to try former KhmerRouge leaders.

The Japanese Embassy yesterday said that USD 8.8 millionis for the international component and USD 2.9 million is forthe national component of the Extraordinary Chambers in theCourts of Cambodia, as the tribunal is formally known.

"This contribution will cover 25 percent of the ECCC's operational cost throughout the year 2011," it said in astatement.

The ECCC, which has spent more than80 million sincebeing set up in 2005 though it has so far convicted only oneKhmer Rouge figure, has a budget of USD 87.1 million for2010-2011.

Cambodia genocide tribunal seeks additional funding

Wednesday, September 08, 2010
Daniel Richey
Jurist

Representatives from the Cambodian government and the UN met Tuesday with officials from 30 countries seeking additional money to fund the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC). The tribunal, established by the UN and the Cambodian government to prosecute former Khmer Rouge leaders, faces budget shortfalls of USD $7.4 million and $39 million this year and next, respectively. The court's original budget called for only $56 million over three years at its establishment in 2006, but it is now expected to require $170 million to complete its mission. The ECCC's fundraising efforts have become increasingly difficult of late as donor nations have raised concerns over allegations of political corruption in the court.

In April, Chief Legal Counsel to the UN, Under-Secretary-General Patricia O'Brien, and Cambodia's Deputy Prime Minister Sok An urged the international community to provide financial support to the ECCC. The court has thus far yielded one conviction, that of Kaing Guek Eav, also known as "Duch," who was sentenced to 35 years in prison for crimes against humanity in July. He later fired his international co-counsel ahead of an appeal [JURIST reports]. The prosecution also appealed, seeking a longer term than the 19 years to which the court ultimately reduced his sentence.