Peter Foster: Everything written in the story about ECCC by FPM online connected to my name was a complete fiction

KI-Media Note: On 22 June 2011, KI-Media translated an article in Khmer  published by the Free Press Magazine Online. Following the translation of that article, Peter Foster, who was quoted in the article, reacted by stating that the published story was a "complete fiction." In view of Peter Foster's reaction, we are publishing below the reactions by Peter Foster, Pech Bandol of the FPM and Lem Piseth, the FPM editor. We would like to apologize to Peter Foster if mistakes were made in our translation of the FPM article from Khmer to English. Our apologies go to the Free Press Magazine also.

សុក្រ 24 មិថុនា 2011 2:51 PM

Source: http://www.fpmonline.net/archives/7409

Peter W. Foster, former UNAKRT Pubilc Affairs Officer at Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), reacts to a news story which is written by Pich Bandol of The Free Press Magazine online and published on 22 June titled ‘Political pressure at the KRT pushes UN legal officials to walk out.’

Peter Foster mentioned a day after the publication that everything written in the story connected to his name was a complete fiction.

The article which referred to Foster’s comment in 2008 before he ended his contract with ECCC was written that his resignation was because of his unsatisfactory with the KR tribunal.

In his email sent to The Free Press Magazine yesterday, Peter Foster wrote, ‘I did not resign from UNAKRT due to any unhappiness or concern with my role or the work of the court. My contract came up and I didn’t renew primarily due to family obligations in 2008.’

‘I do not know Pech Bandol. I have never spoken to him about the current situation in the ECCC, and to the best of my knowledge, I have never spoken to him at all,’ wrote Peter Foster by adding that, ‘I have never at any time made the comments which have been attributed to me in this story.’

It’s better off resigning than living in shame: Resigning UN KRT staff Peter Foster

Chea Leang, You Bunleng and Siegfried are NOT seeking justice for the KR victims: Peter Foster

Political pressure at the KRT pushes UN legal officials to walk out

22 June 2011
By Pech Bandol
Free Press Magazine Online
Translated from Khmer by Soch
Click here to read the article in Khmer

UN legal officials have decided to walk out one after another after political pressure was exerted on the KR Tribunal (KRT) – an institution which should have been independent.

Peter Foster, the former UN legal affairs official – who was formerly the KRT spokesman involved in the unsuccessful summon of Norodom Sihanouk for questioning for his involvement with the KR regime – resigned amid surprise on the issue he raised: it’s better off resigning than living in shame. Peter Foster indicated that the UN-supported KRT will face disgrace in Cambodia in the future. This is why a group of UN legal officials resigned from their positions one after another. Recently, 6 legal affairs officials from the Co-Investigating Judges’ office have resigned because they are displeased by the judges preventing them from dealing with Case 003.

The resignation of these UN officials shows their support for Andrew Cayley, the international co-prosecutor, who is putting effort to bring forth Case 003/004 in which 2 former KR superior officers are accused for their responsibility in the killings during the KR regime.

King-Father: KR Tribunal made him lose an opportunity

Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Former monarch Norodom Sihanouk said on Monday that the KR Tribunal (KRT) lost a unique opportunity for him to clarify about his situation during the Khmer Rouge Democratic Kampuchea regime. In his website, King-Father said that he proposed to KRT officials to come and meet him last Saturday, but the KRT officials rejected his invitation because Peter Foster, UN ECCC spokesman, did not receive the authorization to meet him. King-Father added that the meeting which was planned for last Saturday, was the unique opportunity for the KRT to receive his clarifications regarding the “Khmer Rouge and Sihanouk Affair.” At the beginning of September (in fact, it was at the end of August), a US-based NGO requested the National Assembly to revoke King-Father’s immunity so that he can be called in by the KRT, but this request met with severe criticisms from the government, the Senate, the National Assembly, and by major political parties.

Palace officials regrets that the KR Tribunal did not come to meet King-Father

Monday, September 10, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

An official from the royal palace office said that he regrets that the KR Tribunal (KRT) officials did not come to meet former monarch, King Norodom Sihanouk, as planned on Saturday 08 September, to discuss about the KR issues, and the issue involving King-Father. Oum Daravuth, the official of the royal palace office and a nephew of King-Father, said that he regrets that Peter Foster, UN KRT spokesman, did not come to meet King-Father as scheduled. Oum Daravuth told the local news media that King-Father opened a truthful golden door filled with honor for the ECCC to come and discuss with him. However, the UN’s ECCC decided to close this door instead. Oum Daravuth said that this rejection is a bad sign for the KRT and he said that such opportunity will not happen again.

Peter Foster Affair: Michelle Lee contacts the royal palace directly [-It looks like King-Father's public forum will never be heard by Cambodians]

07-09-2007
By Pen Bona
Cambodge Soir
Translated from French by Luc Sâr

By mail, the Deputy Director of ECCC/Coordinator UNAKRT was trying to moderate the reach of Peter Foster’s statement.

“From now on, it is necessary to clear up all eventual misunderstanding caused by Mr. Foster’s statement which was reported by The Cambodia Daily newspaper on 29 August,” Michelle Lee said. In a letter dated 06 September, sent to Kong Sam Ol, the minister of the royal palace, Michelle Lee indicated that Peter Foster, the UN spokesman of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, did not have any intention of attacking the honor of His Majesty the King-Father. “Nevertheless, I regret to bring to your knowledge the fact that Mr. Foster, as the UNAKRT (UN Assistance for the Khmer Rouge Tribunal) spokesman, is not authorized to exercise legal duties, and that, consequently, he is not authorized to follow up on the invitation made by His Majesty the King-Father,” Michelle Lee said, while adding that, in fact, only the ECCC judges have the competency to determine who should be heard as witness, and by doing so, they are obliged to respect the applicable procedural rules.

Through a communiqué posted on 30 August 2007, Norodom Sihanouk invited Peter Foster and other UN representatives to come and talk publicly with him on the Khmer Rouge affair on 08 September, at the royal palace. This invitation came at the heel of Peter Foster’s statement quoted by The Cambodia Daily, in which he announced the possibility of a summon of King-Father to appear at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal as a witness. King-Father immediately announced his position through his handwritten comments on the margin of Michelle Lee’s letter which was made public. “I have nothing to add to it. Consequently, I will have nothing more to say to these judges,” Sihanouk concluded.

UN ECCC officials send a letter back to the Hero-King

09-April-1973 - Samdech Head of State Norodom Sihanouk visits Cambodian Liberated Zone: Cambodian liberation combatants joyfully welcome Samdech Head of State Norodom Sihanouk. (Photo and Caption by Virtual Vietnam Archive)

Tribunal Officials Send Letter to Former King

Mean Veasna, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
06 September 2007

Tribunal officials have sent a letter to former king Norodom Sihanouk, the first correspondence through official channels following the monarch's invitation for talks.

It was unclear if the letter was an official decline to an open invitation to the Palace Sept. 8, but UN tribunal spokesman Peter Foster told the Cambodia Daily Thursday he had no authority to take part in discussions outside the purview of the court.

Controversy has surrounded the former king lately as to whether he is immune to tribunal proceedings seeking to prosecute former leaders of the regime.

Sihanouk sat at the head of a coalition that included the Cambodian communists prior to their takeover of the country in 1975. He has not been summoned to the courts—as defense or witness.

A palace official said Thursday the tribunal members should be honored by the invitation of the former king, a national "hero."

Cambodia's Khmer Rouge tribunal administration divided over corruption allegations [-Sean Visoth shows his true calling?]

Who's who? Nicholas Michel (C), a representative of U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan , and Michelle Lee (R), deputy director of the administration office of the Khmer Rouge tribunal watch as Sean Visoth (L), Director of the Khmer Rouge tribunal kneels down and prays, during the swearing in ceremony inside the royal palace in Phnom Penh July 3, 2006. Top Buddhist priests swore in Cambodian and foreign judges on Monday for the trials of surviving Khmer Rouge leaders accused of responsibility for the deaths of 1.7 million people. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

Wednesday, February 21, 2007
The Associated Press

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: Cambodian and foreign officials in the Khmer Rouge genocide tribunal were divided Wednesday over recent corruption allegations against the organization.

The Open Society Justice Initiative, a New York-based law group, alleged in a statement last week that Cambodian judges and other court personnel had kicked back some of their wages to Cambodian government officials in exchange for their positions on the court.

The OSJI has helped organize legal training for the tribunal's Cambodian staff in the past, according to the tribunal's Cambodian spokesman, Reach Sambath. The tribunal is being jointly run by Cambodian and U.N.-appointed staff.

Cambodian officials at the tribunal's administration office have strongly denied the OSJI's accusations.

Reach Sambath said Wednesday that Sean Visoth, the administration's Cambodian director, has decided to sever all dealings with the OSJI.

The spokesman said Sean Visoth has also sent a letter to OSJI Executive Director James A. Goldston accusing the group of being irresponsible in making the allegations.

"They released the statement without responsibility. Cooperation with an organization that shows such bad faith and bias is impossible," Reach Sambath said.

The tribunal was created by a 2003 agreement between Cambodia and the U.N. after years of difficult negotiations to bring those behind the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime to justice.

The radical policies of the now-defunct communist group, which held power in 1975-79, led to the deaths of about 1.7 million people from execution, overwork, disease and malnutrition.

Peter Foster, a U.N.-appointed tribunal spokesman, said Sean Visoth's decision was unilateral and does not keep the OSJI from having full access to the tribunal's premises and to other officials involved in the tribunal.

Foster said Michelle Lee, the U.N.-appointed deputy director of administration, has not issued any ban on OSJI.

"We still consider them a valuable partner in the process," he said.

If the OSJI's allegations turn out to have merit, "we believe they should be fully investigated," Foster said.

The corruption accusations could deal another blow to the already troubled tribunal, which is set to convene later this year after long delays.

However, there are concerns that further postponements could result from continuing disagreements between Cambodian and foreign judges on draft rules for the proceedings.

The tribunal has been set up to operate under Cambodia's judicial system, which is widely regarded as corrupt and susceptible to political influence.