By Mayarith
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
The spokesman of the KR Tribunal (KRT) declared that this tribunal is currently thinking about the request made by NGO officials to extend the tribunal mandate by one year to try the former Khmer Rouge leaders.
The declaration about this issue was made after Hor Nam Hong, the vice prime minister, told a British delegation visiting Cambodia this week, that the trial of the KR leaders could extend until 2010.
The path to the trial of the KR leaders started on 10 July 2006, when the co-prosecutors started to work on their cases on that date. The mandate of the tribunal lasts 3-year according to plan and the budget for the trial will be $56.3 million. The mandate of the tribunal will end in 2009, even though it is already expected that the tribunal will be short by $8 million still.
The KRT spokesman said that the proposal to extend the tribunal mandate by 1 year, was based on the request made by local NGOs which want to see this tribunal fulfills its duty properly.
Reach Sambath indicated that there is no decision made yet on this request: “NGOs ask to extend (the KRT mandate) by one more year, until 2010, because they want the KRT to fulfill its tasks until proper completion. Therefore, the KRT is thinking about this request.”
Reach Sambath indicated that the evolution of the trial is moving smoothly forward at this time, even though there was some small delay at the beginning.
Among the more than 300 major witnesses who were determined, several of them have already been summoned to appear in court for questioning, in spite of the fact that some of the witnesses have complained about the small amount of compensation paid to them.
During this week, Nhem En, the former KR photographer at the Tuol Sleng (S-21) jail, complained that the $5 daily compensation paid to the witnesses is too small when compared to the salary paid to the KRT employees, and also when compared to the amount paid by the international community to support this tribunal.
Reach Sambath indicated that this situation cannot be helped: “Our tribunal does not place importance on money, we consider the goal, and we believe in volunteering because this is one of the poorest tribunal when compared to other international tribunals …”
Currently, only 2 former KR leaders: Nuon Chea, the former president of the National Assembly of the KR regime, and Duch the former S-21 jail director, have been charged and are being placed under arrest while waiting for the results of the investigation before going to trial.
In the past few days, rumors are circulating that there will be an imminent arrest of Ieng Sary, the vice-prime minister of the Democratic Kampuchea (KR) regime, from Pailin. This information led several reporters to travel to Pailin to obtain their story about this case.
The declaration about this issue was made after Hor Nam Hong, the vice prime minister, told a British delegation visiting Cambodia this week, that the trial of the KR leaders could extend until 2010.
The path to the trial of the KR leaders started on 10 July 2006, when the co-prosecutors started to work on their cases on that date. The mandate of the tribunal lasts 3-year according to plan and the budget for the trial will be $56.3 million. The mandate of the tribunal will end in 2009, even though it is already expected that the tribunal will be short by $8 million still.
The KRT spokesman said that the proposal to extend the tribunal mandate by 1 year, was based on the request made by local NGOs which want to see this tribunal fulfills its duty properly.
Reach Sambath indicated that there is no decision made yet on this request: “NGOs ask to extend (the KRT mandate) by one more year, until 2010, because they want the KRT to fulfill its tasks until proper completion. Therefore, the KRT is thinking about this request.”
Reach Sambath indicated that the evolution of the trial is moving smoothly forward at this time, even though there was some small delay at the beginning.
Among the more than 300 major witnesses who were determined, several of them have already been summoned to appear in court for questioning, in spite of the fact that some of the witnesses have complained about the small amount of compensation paid to them.
During this week, Nhem En, the former KR photographer at the Tuol Sleng (S-21) jail, complained that the $5 daily compensation paid to the witnesses is too small when compared to the salary paid to the KRT employees, and also when compared to the amount paid by the international community to support this tribunal.
Reach Sambath indicated that this situation cannot be helped: “Our tribunal does not place importance on money, we consider the goal, and we believe in volunteering because this is one of the poorest tribunal when compared to other international tribunals …”
Currently, only 2 former KR leaders: Nuon Chea, the former president of the National Assembly of the KR regime, and Duch the former S-21 jail director, have been charged and are being placed under arrest while waiting for the results of the investigation before going to trial.
In the past few days, rumors are circulating that there will be an imminent arrest of Ieng Sary, the vice-prime minister of the Democratic Kampuchea (KR) regime, from Pailin. This information led several reporters to travel to Pailin to obtain their story about this case.
