26 October 2007By Phan Sophat Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
A high ranking government official praised the KR Tribunal (KRT) which is moving forward smoothly, and he also indicated that a number of KR leaders will be summoned by the KRT and they will be arrested.
Hor Nam Hong, the minister of foreign affairs, gave the above statement to reporters following his meeting with a North Korean embassy official on Thursday. Hor Nam Hong also confirmed that the KRT will face budget crunch.
Hor Nam Hong said: “Right now, it (KRT) is moving forward smoothly, and I am confident that in the future, there will be summons or arrests of other top KR leaders, just like Nuon Chea was in the past. There is a smooth progress, and there is no other issue besides the budget crunch in the future because the KRT could be extended until 2010, therefore, at that time, there will be a budget crunch, it’s not much, just a little, and I hope that the international community will participate in finding this budget.”
The KRT was formed by a joint agreement between Cambodia and the UN, and this tribunal was originally planned to last 3 years. According this tribunal, a budget of $56.3 million was planned to cover the expenditure.
Until now, two KR leaders have been charged and incarcerated: Kaing Kek Iev, aka Duch, the former Tuol Sleng (S-21) prison director, and Nuon Chea, the former president of the Democratic Kampuchea (DK) Assembly.
Critics have said that the KRT progress seems to be slow. Recently, the KRT administration was criticized after corruption was uncovered, and the Cambodian judges have been accused of not acting fully independently.
Regarding the KRT budget, Joseph Mussomeli, US Ambassador to Cambodia, told reporters, today, that the US will need to closely observe the progress of the KRT first, before it can decide whether to provide help or not.
Mussomeli spoke through an interpreter: “The main point is that the US government is reflecting on the progress of justice by this tribunal, whether it can fulfill its role under the international standards or not, and whether it is fine for the US to provide direct aid or not.”
The communist KR leaders ruled Cambodia between 1975 and 1979, and they caused the death of about 2 million people from killings, heavy labor, and food shortage, and up to now, none of them has been sentenced by the KRT yet.
Hor Nam Hong, the minister of foreign affairs, gave the above statement to reporters following his meeting with a North Korean embassy official on Thursday. Hor Nam Hong also confirmed that the KRT will face budget crunch.
Hor Nam Hong said: “Right now, it (KRT) is moving forward smoothly, and I am confident that in the future, there will be summons or arrests of other top KR leaders, just like Nuon Chea was in the past. There is a smooth progress, and there is no other issue besides the budget crunch in the future because the KRT could be extended until 2010, therefore, at that time, there will be a budget crunch, it’s not much, just a little, and I hope that the international community will participate in finding this budget.”
The KRT was formed by a joint agreement between Cambodia and the UN, and this tribunal was originally planned to last 3 years. According this tribunal, a budget of $56.3 million was planned to cover the expenditure.
Until now, two KR leaders have been charged and incarcerated: Kaing Kek Iev, aka Duch, the former Tuol Sleng (S-21) prison director, and Nuon Chea, the former president of the Democratic Kampuchea (DK) Assembly.
Critics have said that the KRT progress seems to be slow. Recently, the KRT administration was criticized after corruption was uncovered, and the Cambodian judges have been accused of not acting fully independently.
Regarding the KRT budget, Joseph Mussomeli, US Ambassador to Cambodia, told reporters, today, that the US will need to closely observe the progress of the KRT first, before it can decide whether to provide help or not.
Mussomeli spoke through an interpreter: “The main point is that the US government is reflecting on the progress of justice by this tribunal, whether it can fulfill its role under the international standards or not, and whether it is fine for the US to provide direct aid or not.”
The communist KR leaders ruled Cambodia between 1975 and 1979, and they caused the death of about 2 million people from killings, heavy labor, and food shortage, and up to now, none of them has been sentenced by the KRT yet.
