Khmer Rouge Trial

Killing fields justice

2006-07-28T15:59:00.000+07:00

As Cambodia prepares to try two key Khmer Rouge leaders for war crimes, international ambivalence abounds by SAMER ELATRASHInside the Khmer Pagoda in Côte-des-Neiges, head monk Hok Savann sits wrapped in a saffron robe before a large statue of the Buddha, mulling over the newly inaugurated war crimes tribunal in Cambodia. A monk next to him impassively watches a newscast from a

Cambodia's former king questions necessity of Khmer Rouge tribunal

2006-07-21T15:57:00.000+07:00

Cambodia's former king said a U.N.-backed tribunal for former Khmer Rouge leaders will cost too much money and questioned whether it was worth it since the aging officials could die before a verdict.Former King Norodom Sihanouk said some consider the tribunal to be ''necessary, indispensable and beneficial'' because it will bring the surviving leaders to justice and help victims find peace.But

Ta Mok, 80; Key Figure in Cambodian Genocide

2006-07-21T15:51:00.000+07:00

By David Lamb, Special to The Times July 21, 2006 Ta Mok, a Khmer Rouge leader who played a key role in the deaths of an estimated 1.7 million Cambodians in the 1970s, died early today in a Phnom Penh military hospital, where he was awaiting trial on genocide charges.A frail, white-haired man, Ta Mok was believed to be 80. He maintained to the end that he bore no responsibility for

Former Khmer Rouge Leader Leaves Home

2006-07-12T11:03:00.000+07:00

By SOPHENG CHEANGThe Associated PressTuesday, July 11, 2006; 6:20 AMPHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- The former Khmer Rouge head of state left his home in the middle of the night in a pickup truck piled high with his belongings Tuesday, a neighbor said, a day after prosecutors began collecting evidence for the long-awaited trials of the regime's ex-leaders.Khieu Samphan, 75, is among the handful of Khmer

Chasing Cambodia's Ghosts

2006-07-10T17:08:00.000+07:00

A Canadian prosecutor seeks justice before Cambodia's newly-formed genocide tribunal BY KEVIN DOYLE Monday, Jul. 10, 2006The swearing-in on July 3 of 25 genocide-tribunal judges and prosecutors was a historic step toward justice for the estimated 1.7 million Cambodians killed under the Khmer Rouge. But the real work starts this week,

Cambodian retired king opposes DK tribunal, calling on saving money for poor

2006-07-10T14:52:00.001+07:00

Cambodian retired King Norodom Sihanouk announced that he opposes the newly inaugurated Democratic Kampuchea (DK) tribunal, saying it will only try a handful of those responsible for the regime and that its budget would be better spent on alleviating poverty, local media reported on Monday. While the tribunal is intended to try a handful of "old, sickly unrepentant individuals," the true number

Judges in Cambodia prepare for Khmer Rouge hearings

2006-07-10T14:52:00.000+07:00

A group of Cambodian and international judges have begun preparations to try former leaders of the Khmer Rouge.The communist government of the second half of the 1970s has been blamed for the deaths of up to two million people.Sworn in on Monday, the 17 Cambodian and 10 foreign jurists have met behind closed doors for the first of four days of discussions about the objectives of the tribunal,

Khmer Rouge genocide tribunal judges arrive in Cambodia

2006-07-10T14:50:00.000+07:00

[JURIST] Foreign judges who will preside over the trial of former Khmer Rouge [JURIST news archive] leaders arrived in Cambodia on Sunday in preparation for the genocide tribunal [task force official website; timeline] that is slated to begin proceedings [JURIST report] in mid-2007. The judges, who hail from Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Japan, Poland, Sri Lanka, the Netherlands, and the US

Khmer Rouge genocide tribunal judges sworn in at Cambodia royal palace

2006-07-10T14:48:00.000+07:00

Andrew Wood at 10:21 AM ET[JURIST] Seventeen Cambodian judges and 10 others from Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Japan, Poland, Sri Lanka, the Netherlands, and the US who will serve on the Khmer Rouge genocide tribunal [official task force website; timeline] were sworn in Monday in a symbolic ceremony at Phnom Penh's Silver Pagoda in the royal palace. The tribunal, which will prosecute former

Cambodia tribunal will set fate of Khmer Rouge leaders

2006-07-10T14:47:00.000+07:00

The Associated PressPHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA (Jul 5, 2006) Judges and prosecutors for a UN-backed tribunal in Cambodia began drawing up plans yesterday to try former Khmer Rouge leaders for genocide and crimes against humanity.The Cambodian and foreign judicial officials started four days of discussions on holding the trials, expected to start in 2007, said Reach Sambath, a spokesman for the

Genocide Trials of Cambodia's Khmer Rouge Leaders Officially Launched

2006-07-10T14:45:00.000+07:00

By Scott Bobb Bangkok03 July 2006 In Cambodia, the process of trying Khmer Rouge leaders accused of genocide officially began Monday as judges and prosecutors were sworn in. The court dates have yet to be set, but officials say they expect the trials to begin early next year.Seventeen judges from Cambodia and 10 others appointed by the United Nations took the oath of office Monday inside Phnom

Cambodia swears in tribunal

2006-07-10T14:43:00.000+07:00

Phnom Penh (dpa) - Cambodia took a final step towards finding long-awaited justice for former Khmer Rouge leaders Monday with a colourful swearing in ceremony for 10 foreign judges and prosecutors at the Royal Palace, marking the symbolic beginning of the tribunal. Cambodia's Supreme Council of Magistracy, headed by King Norodom Sihamoni, appointed 17 Cambodian and 13 international judges and

Backgrounder: Cambodia's Extraordinary Chambers for trial of former DK leaders

2006-07-10T14:42:00.000+07:00

Cambodian and international judges for the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia ( ECCC) were sworn in on Monday in the Royal Palace, marking the beginning of the trial process for senior leaders of the former Democratic Kampuchea. After the judges' swearing-in, it will enter the entire investigation phase which is expected to last for three to six months, with formal trials expected

Cambodia tries to lay 'killing fields' to rest at last

2006-07-10T14:37:00.000+07:00

War-crimes judges to be sworn in today amid prayers for 1.7 million victims NICK MEO Special to The Globe and Mail

Tribunal into Cambodia killings to begin

2006-07-10T14:30:00.000+07:00

10 July 2006 08:02A United Nations-backed tribunal in Cambodia is due today to begin an investigation into the genocide known as 'The Killing Fields' in which an estimated 1.7 million people died in the 1970s. Prosecutors are to question surviving members of the Khmer Rouge, who were in power at the time. The investigation follows six years of investigations between the UN and the government in

Khmer Rouge prosecutors say probe will take months

2006-07-10T14:28:00.000+07:00

By Ek MadraReutersFriday, July 7, 2006; 10:35 AMPHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Prosecutors investigating the Khmer Rouge genocide of the 1970s said on Friday it will take months to assemble cases against those responsible for the deaths of 1.7 million people."The investigation phase of any trial is a long process," Canadian prosecutor Robert Petit told reporters in Phnom Penh after a week-long meeting of

Prosecution stage of Khmer Rouge trial to begin Monday

2006-07-10T14:23:00.000+07:00

Jul 7, 2006, 10:29 GMT Phnom Penh - The prosecution stage of the long-awaited trial of former Khmer Rouge leaders will finally begin Monday, but indictments will be much slower to come, the international co-prosecutor of the Extraordinary Chambers, Robert Petit, said Friday. Speaking at a press conference in Phnom Penh introducing the judicial officers set to preside over the hearings, Petit

Prosecutors in Cambodia begin Khmer Rouge probe

2006-07-10T14:19:00.000+07:00

Prosecutors for Cambodia's new Khmer Rouge tribunal have started their probe of surviving leaders of the regime.Two of the UN-backed tribunal's prosecutors are deciding which of the men should face trial.They will collect evidence and documents before they issue the indictments.A total of 17 Cambodian and 10 UN-appointed foreign judges were sworn in last week.The Khmer Rouge has been blamed for

Four Judges and Top KRT Officials Will Attend Workshops in Bangkok, Thailand

2006-05-31T09:58:00.000+07:00

Sothea Tith Phnom Penh, Cambodia 25/05/2006Four Cambodian lawyers and top officials for the Khmer Rouge tribunal will attend a two-day workshop in Bangkok, Thailand Saturday to study the cases in East Timor in gaining experiences for the trial of the former Khmer Rouge leaders, alleges a spokesman for the Extraordinary Chambers. Khmer Rouge tribunal spokesman Reach Sambath says that this unique

Khmer king's brother opposes tribunal

2006-05-27T08:18:00.000+07:00

Phnom Penh (dpa) - Senior palace official and half-brother of Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni said Friday that he opposed a trial of former leaders of the Khmer Rouge regime, saying the 1975 to 1979 massacre was the result of foreign political manipulation. Prince Norodom Yuvaneath, a son of former king Norodom Sihanouk, told reporters he believed a trial of former leaders of the ultra-Maoist

Cambodia finally gets its day in court

2006-05-26T16:30:00.000+07:00

By Verghese MathewsPosted Thursday, 25 May 2006 More people in Cambodia have heard about Dame Silvia Cartwright in the past fortnight than at any time before, arguably, more than even when she was appointed the Governor-General of New Zealand in 2001, a position she will hold until August. Unexpectedly, quietly and slowly, Dame Silvia is coming into the lives of the Cambodian people, the

Khmer Rouge tribunal in brief

2006-05-24T16:54:00.000+07:00

Phnom Penh Post, Issue 15 / 10May 19 - June 1, 2006 Who knows what Here's a rundown on the educational background and language skills of the 17 Cambodian judges and prosecutors reported to have been selected as judicial officers for the Khmer Rouge Trial by the Supreme Council of Magistracy, according to the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development.* 11 persons speak none or little-to-fair

Cambodia judges' credibility questioned

2006-05-24T10:38:00.000+07:00

By KER MUNTHIT ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITERMonday, May 22, 2006 · Last updated 1:22 a.m. PT PHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- As preparations to try former Khmer Rouge leaders move forward, legal experts are concerned the dubious records of some Cambodian judges will cast doubt on the credibility of the country's war crimes tribunal. Cambodia and the United Nations agreed in 2003, after years of

Ex-KR Say Judges From CPP Would Be Biased

2006-05-24T10:18:00.000+07:00

By Thet SambathThe Cambodia DailyTuesday, May 23, 2006 In a rare and unusual meeting of minds, several ex-Khmer Rouge officials joined local and international human rights groups in questioning the selection of judges and prosecutors for the long-awaited tribunal that will prosecute their former leaders. Man Nim, a former Khmer Rouge military division commander who took orders directly from

Asian rights group doubts credibility of some Cambodia judges on Khmer Rouge tribunal

2006-05-23T11:29:00.000+07:00

[JURIST] Legal experts with the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) [advocacy website] have questioned the credibility of some of the Cambodian judges [AHRC statement] who have been approved to serve on a war crimes tribunal that will hear cases against former Khmer Rouge [Wikipedia backgrounder] leaders accused of genocide and crimes against humanity. Earlier this month, King Norodom Sihamoni [

Cambodian rally calls for Khmer Rouge trial to begin soon

2006-05-23T08:48:00.000+07:00

May 22, 2006 Choeung Ek, Cambodia - Some 1,000 Cambodians gathered at one of the Khmer Rouge's main execution sites on Saturday and called for a tribunal to open soon to prosecute former leaders of the genocidal regime. After years of wrangling, a joint UN-Cambodian tribunal is expected to start in July, but many Cambodians are angry that Khmer Rouge leaders -- among them Pol Pot, who died in

Sri Lankan Judge in Cambodia's War Crimes Tribunal

2006-05-23T08:46:00.000+07:00

Marwaan Macan-MarkarSaturday, 20 May 2006 BANGKOK: Chandra Nihal Jayasinghe chooses his words carefully to match the difficult task before him. He has just been named as one of the international jurists to preside over the special tribunal in Cambodia to try the surviving members of the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime. "This is actually a new dimension in the judicial endeavours that I have been

Attempting To Heal From the Khmer Rouge, One Person at a Time

2006-05-23T08:43:00.000+07:00

By Youk ChhangOpinionThe Cambodia DailyMonday, May 22, 2006 In 2004, a team from the Documentation Center of Cambodia visited the family of Srun Try (an alias) in a village two hours south of Phnom Penh. Srun Try joined the Khmer Rogue in 1974 as a child combatant. For reasons he still doesn’t understand, he was imprisoned a year later: “They shackled me, accusing me of running away from

‘Day of Hate’ Ceremony Held at Choeung Ek

2006-05-23T08:36:00.000+07:00

But Yun SameanThe Cambodia DailyMonday, May 22, 2006 Around 1,000 people gathered at the Choeung Ek “killing fields” on Saturday to take part in a government-organized ceremony to commemorate the day formerly known as the “Day of Heat” against the Khmer Rouge regime. First celebrated in 1984 as a national day for people to vent their anger against Pol Pot, “American imperialists” and “

Some Say Statue is Wrong Symbol for KR Trial

2006-05-23T08:22:00.000+07:00

By Yun SameanThe Cambodia DailyFriday, May 19, 2005 At an hour-long ceremony on May 12, spiritual medium Prum Phally summoned the spirit of Lokta Dambang Daek into the statue outside the Khmer Rouge tribunal premises in Kandal province. As the ceremony drew to an end, Prum Phally was sure that the spirit, known in English as Grandfather of the Iron Rod, had agreed to remain inside that 2-

Cambodia judges' credibility questioned

2006-05-22T17:30:00.000+07:00

By KER MUNTHITASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER PHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- As preparations to try former Khmer Rouge leaders move forward, legal experts are concerned the dubious records of some Cambodian judges will cast doubt on the credibility of the country's war crimes tribunal. Cambodia and the United Nations agreed in 2003, after years of negotiations, to establish the U.N.-backed tribunal to seek

UN urges Cambodia judicial reform

2006-05-22T16:24:00.000+07:00

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, said the justice system needed to address its lack of training, independence and integrity. Her comments came at the end of a five-day visit to Cambodia. Relations between the UN and Cambodia have been tense following earlier reports criticising the country's human rights record. The timing of Ms Arbour's comments

Cambodians mark 'Day of Anger' to remember victims of Khmer Rouge

2006-05-22T08:58:00.000+07:00

CHOEUNG EK, Cambodia (AP) - Cambodia remembered the victims of the Khmer Rouge regime with its annual "Day of Anger'' on Saturday, with some participants calling for a speedy convening of a United Nations-assisted tribunal to prosecute the movement's surviving leaders. About 1,000 Cambodians, including 270 Buddhist monks, gathered at Choeung Ek, a former Khmer Rouge "killing field'' dotted with

U.N.: Cambodia needs independent judiciary

2006-05-22T08:21:00.000+07:00

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia, May 19 (UPI) -- U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour is calling for an independent, professional judiciary in Cambodia. Wrapping up a one-week visit to Cambodia Friday, Arbour said Phnom Penh should realize the "capital importance" of such a judiciary not only for the consolidation of democracy but also for resolving issues of impunity, land conflicts

Cambodia Diary 4: Pol Pot's Brother: "We Just Tried to Survive"

2006-05-20T08:11:00.000+07:00

by Dan Southerland Prek Sbauv Village, Cambodia The brother of one of the world’s most notorious mass murderers is sleeping peacefully in his hammock. The war is over. The Khmer Rouge have come and gone. And life in this village now goes on much as it did some 40 years ago before Cambodia began its spiral into civil war, American bombing, widespread executions, forced labor,

CPP Leaders Favor Jan 7 Start for KR Tribunal

2006-05-19T14:41:00.000+07:00

By Prak Chan ThulThe Cambodia DailyThursday, May 18, 2006 Senior CPP officials said Wednesday that they would favor the Khmer Rouge tribunal beginning on a Jan 7, the anniversary of the overthrow of the Khmer Rouge regime in 1979 by an earlier incarnation of their ruling party. “Especially January 7 is good,” CPP Honorary President and National Assembly President Heng Samrin said by

UN Rights Chief Hosts Talk on Judicial Reform

2006-05-19T14:32:00.000+07:00

By Douglas GillisonThe Cambodia DailyThursday, May 18, 2006 The UN’s visiting High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour held a two-hour roundtable discussion on Wednesday evening with local NGO representatives, focusing on judicial reform, NGO officials said. “She didn’t say much, rather listened to all of us talking,” said Chhith Sam Ath, executive director of NGO Forum. “She said

Trying time for Cambodia's judiciary

2006-05-19T10:18:00.000+07:00

By Verghese Mathewspeaking Freely is an Asia Times Online feature that allows guest writers to have their say. Please click here if you are interested in contributing.Most Cambodians had never heard of Dame Silvia Cartwright until she

Officials confident Khmer Rouge tribunal 'just weeks away'

2006-05-19T08:08:00.000+07:00

ABC Asia Pacific TV / Radio AustraliaAfter years of bitter negotiations Cambodian and United Nation (UN) officials are confident a tribunal to prosecute former Khmer Rouge leaders is weeks away from starting.Tribunal spokesperson, Helen Jarvis, says with the appointments of the judicial officers, any doubts over the tribunal's start have been dispelled.Cambodia's highest legal body appointed 17

Tribunal Isn’t Place To Prove Competence

2006-05-18T15:17:00.000+07:00

Moeun Chhean Nariddh, Phnom PenhLetter to the EditorThe Cambodia DailyWednesday, May 17, 2006 It is sad that some officials have said the Khmer Rouge tribunal will determine whether the Cambodian judges are competent and will help them to improve themselves. It may be too late now to question their qualifications, but the tribunal should not be a place for the Cambodian judges to get work

KR Judges Say They Still Need More Training

2006-05-18T14:47:00.000+07:00

By Prak Chan Thul and Erik WassonThe Cambodia DailyWednesday, May 17, 2006 Several of the Cambodian Judges and prosecutors appointed by the government to the Khmer Rouge tribunal defended their reputations Tuesday, but expressed concern at their lack of preparedness for the upcoming trials. Speaking at a public discussion in Phnom Penh organized by the Open Society Justice Initiative,

Pol Pot’s Broken Heart Influenced His Actions, Biographer Says

2006-05-18T14:28:00.000+07:00

PHNOM PENH—Late Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot, whose regime presided over an estimated 1.7 million deaths in Cambodia, was significantly influenced in his actions by an unhappy love affair, his biographer says.Prominent Cambodian scholar Keng Vansak told RFA’s Khmer service in a recent interview that Pol Pot, known by the name Salot Sar before his rise to power, had married a woman five years older

Expert: Autonomy Top Criterion in KR Tribunal

2006-05-18T14:03:00.000+07:00

<>By Erik Wasson<>The Cambodia Daily<> Tuesday, May 16, 2006 The independence of judge and prosecutors will be the top criterion for determining whether the Khmer Rouge tribunal meets international standards, an international war crimes expert said in Phnom Penh on Monday. David Scheffer, former US ambassador at large for war crimes and current CNN International analyst for

Some Question KR Judges’ Soviet-Era Schooling

2006-05-18T11:42:00.000+07:00

By Prak Chan Thul and Whitney KvasgerThe Cambodia DailyTuesday, May 16, 2006 With a question mark hanging over the suitability of some Khmer Rouge tribunal appointees, opinions differed last week as to whether a communist bloc education emphasized the pursuit of truth and justice or loyalty to the ruling party and the security of the state. Of the 17 Cambodian judges and prosecutors appointed

Homo Sapiens/ Trying the masterminds of Cambodia genocide

2006-05-18T11:36:00.000+07:00

BY DAISUKE YAMAMOTO, THE ASAHI SHIMBUN While visiting Phnom Penh in the fall of 2000, Motoo Noguchi, a public prosecutor, took in two grisly sights that have become part of the usual tourist circuit for visitors to the Cambodian capital. He visited the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, a former high school that served as a prison during the murderous Khmer Rouge regime of the 1970s. More than

U.S. Embassy in Cambodia Assesses Khmer Rouge Tribunal Jurists List

2006-05-18T10:40:00.000+07:00

Sakada Chun Voice of America, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 10/05/2006 The U.S. Embassy in Cambodia Wednesday is assessing the jurists list for the Khmer Rouge tribunal, alleges an Embassy official.This procedure was done after there were some suspiscions about the tribunal might be politically inclined, international criminal code violations, and not enough qualifications for the sitting judges and

The Khmer Rouge, and a region, on trial

2006-05-11T14:32:00.000+07:00

By Yin SoeumSoutheast Asia May 11, 2006 PHNOM PENH and PAILIN - Cambodia is finally set to proceed with a United Nations-prescribed tribunal against former Khmer Rouge leaders for their alleged role in genocide and crimes against humanity, including culpability for the deaths of an estimated 1.7 million people.Whether the half-foreign, half-Cambodian court will arrive at a credible verdict is

Khmer Rouge prosecutors to start work in a few months

2006-05-11T14:30:00.000+07:00

PHNOM PENH, May 10 (Reuters) - Prosecutors will start work in a few months on indictments for the long-awaited trial of Pol Pot's top surviving henchmen for the 1970s Khmer Rouge genocide, court officials said on Wednesday. Those "most responsible" for the estimated 1.7 million who were executed or died of starvation, overwork or disease under the ultra-Maoist regime from 1975 to 1979,

ECCC Reports Progress; Mum On Criticism

2006-05-11T14:22:00.000+07:00

By WHITNEY KVASAGER AND PRAK CHAN THULTHE CAMBODIA DAILY Thursday, May 11, 2006 There were congratulations for countries providing judges and prosecutors to the Khmer Rouge tribunal, but little comment on the reservations expressed about some of the Cambodian legal contingent at a news conference at the Council of Ministers on Wednesday evening. Wednesday marked almost three months since

KR Tribunal Official Says May 4 Report Was Wrong

2006-05-11T11:15:00.000+07:00

Whitney KvasagerThe Cambodia DailyWednesday, May 10, 2006 The Khmer Rouge tribunal’s chief of public affairs on Tuesday cited an error in a May 4 story regarding the selection of tribunal judges and prosecutors as the reason for requiring that Cambodia Daily reporters submit all questions to the tribunal in writing. Responding to a Sunday request for clarification, Helen Jarvis wrote in an e-mail

'Killing Fields' judges are appointed in Cambodia

2006-05-09T17:07:00.000+07:00

2006/5/5By Ek Madra PHNOM PENH, Reuters Cambodia approved on Thursday the domestic and international judges who will try Pol Pot's top surviving henchmen for the 1970s Khmer Rouge genocide, in which an estimated 1.7 million people died. Justice Minister Ang Vong Vathana said the southeast Asian nation's top legal body, the Supreme Council of Magistracy, had appointed 13 international judges and

Pol Pot’s Broken Heart Influenced His Actions, Biographer Says

2006-05-09T17:04:00.000+07:00

2006.05.07 PHNOM PENH—Late Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot, whose regime presided over an estimated 1.7 million deaths in Cambodia, was significantly influenced in his actions by an unhappy love affair, his biographer says. Prominent Cambodian scholar Keng Vansak told RFA’s Khmer service in a recent interview that Pol Pot, known by the name Salot Sar before his rise to power, had married a

Cambodian king approves judges for DK tribunal

2006-05-09T11:42:00.000+07:00

PHNOM PENH, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni Sunday formally approved the Cambodian and international judges for a trial of former Democratic Kampuchea (DK), Reach Sambath, a press officer of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) said Monday. The 30 judicial officials for the Extraordinary Chambers to trial former leaders of DK were selected by

CAMBODIA: Cambodians outraged over Thai film set in genocide jail

2006-05-09T11:36:00.000+07:00

Cambodians call for a ban on all Thai products -- the premise of a Thai film depicting horrors of Tuol Sleng lies too close to home, they say South China Morning Post Monday, May 8, 2006 By Anne Hyland Phnom Penh --- Imagine a television reality show set in the Nazi concentration camp of Auschwitz, where ghosts of exterminated Jews haunt the contestants who are vying for prize money of about

NGOs Call for High Standards In KR Judges

2006-05-08T16:25:00.000+07:00

By Whitney Kvasager and Prak Chan ThulThe Cambodia DailyThursday, May 04, 2006 With the Supreme Council of Magistracy expected to finalize its shortlist of Khmer Rouge trial judges and prosecutors today, the Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee has outlined qualities it expects in appointees, and urged council members to make their selections wisely. Besides holding a university degree in

KR Trial Will Redeem Judges: Spokesman

2006-05-08T16:16:00.000+07:00

By Prak Chan ThulThe Cambodia DailySaturday and Sunday, May 6-7, 2006 The long-awaited Khmer Rouge tribunal will give Cambodian judges and prosecutors who have previously faced public criticism the chance to rebuild their reputations, tribunal spokesman reach Sambath said Friday. His statement came one day after Voice of America published the names of 18 Cambodian court officials it said

Nominee List For KR Trial Is Sent to King

2006-05-08T16:13:00.000+07:00

By Prak Chan Thul and Whitney KvasagerThe Cambodia Daily Friday, May 5, 2006 The Supreme Council of Magistracy selected its final national and international Khmer Rouge tribunal appointees as planned on Thursday morning, and sent the confidential list to King Norodom Sihanoni for approval, Justice Minister Ang Von Vathana said. “We approved the 13 foreign and 17 Cambodian judges and

KR Tribunal Spokesman Denies Confirming List

2006-05-08T16:09:00.000+07:00

By Whitney Kvasager and Yun SameanThe Cambodia DailyMonday, May 8, 2006 Khmer Rouge tribunal officials have denied confirming a list of tribunal judges and prosecutors published on the Voice of America Web site on Thursday, claiming that a spokesman had been misquoted and that new rules would apply to access tribunal information. Tribunal public affairs officer Peter Foster in an e-mail

ANNOUNCEMENT OF JUDGES IS MAJOR ADVANCE FOR KHMER ROUGE TRIBUNAL, BUT UNMET NEEDS REMAIN

2006-05-08T15:55:00.000+07:00

Contact: David Berry: +1 212 548 0385 (New York) New York, May 4, 2006-The appointment of judges and prosecutors to the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (EC) is a major step toward establishing the court that will try the architects of Cambodia's "killing fields," the Open Society Justice Initiative said today. Policies pursued by Khmer Rouge senior leaders and others most

NGOs Call for High Standards In KR Judges

2006-05-05T14:46:00.000+07:00

The Cambodia DailyThursday, May 04, 2006By Whitney Kvasager and Prak Chan Thul With the Supreme Council of Magistracy expected to finalize its shortlist of Khmer Rouge trial judges and prosecutors today, the Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee has outlined qualities it expects in appointees, and urged council members to make their selections wisely. Besides holding a university degree in

Top CPP official suggests politically charged dates for trial

2006-05-01T17:10:00.000+07:00

DEVELOPMENT WEEKLYMAY 22, 2006 The Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) has suggested that the trials of former Khmer Rouge leaders begin on politically charged dates in December or January, a CPP official announced May 16, newspapers reported the next day. "The national leadership and the CPP agree to insist that the Extraordinary Chambers open hearings on January 7, the day the country was

Judges for Khmer Rouge tribunal to be selected next month

2006-04-28T14:20:00.000+07:00

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- Long-awaited trials of surviving Khmer Rouge leaders over their brutal 1970s rule will move a crucial step forward next month when Cambodian and U.N. judges are selected for the tribunal, officials said Thursday. On May 4, the country's highest judicial body, the Supreme Council of Magistracy, will announce its selection of seven Cambodian judges, five U.N.-appointed

April 25 Symposium to Explore Victims’ Interests vs. Defendants’ Rights in Upcoming Trial of Khmer Rouge Leader

2006-04-25T16:11:00.000+07:00

Rutgers newark Newark, NJ, April 21, 2006 – International criminal tribunals for human rights violations increasingly grant the desire of victims to participate at some level in the trial process. Balancing the recognized interests of victims with the rights of defendants to a fair trial raises significant practical and legal challenges.On Tuesday, April 25, at Rutgers School of Law-Newark,

Genocide in Rwanda: Could it happen here?

2006-04-25T16:06:00.000+07:00

By Lee BycelI recently returned from Kigali, where the people of Rwanda observed the 12th commemoration of that nation's haunting genocide. On April 7, 1994, the nightmare began. Eight hundred thousand Rwandans were killed in 100 days. That event seems unfathomable now, but the pain in Kigali is still raw. At various memorial ceremonies, adults and children wailed at the loss of loved ones,

Kofi Annan Invited to Visit Cambodia

2006-04-25T15:34:00.000+07:00

The Cambodia Daily Saturday and Sunday, April 22-23, 2006By Erik Wasson and Prak Chan ThulUN Resident Coordinator Douglas Gardner has invited UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to visit Cambodia later this year, according to a copy of a letter obtained Friday. In his April 12 letter, Gardner praised the sending of Cambodian deminers to Sudan – an event Prime Minister Hun Sen marked at a

Rising visits to Pol Pot's grave sparks debate over making it a tourist site

2006-04-21T14:16:00.000+07:00

2006/4/20PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP)More foreign tourists are visiting the site of Pol Pot's cremation, sparking debate over whether the spot should be managed by a private tourism company, officials said Thursday. Private companies interested in managing the site have approached officials in Anlong Veng, the village near the Thai border where the former leader of the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime

Cambodians mourn anniversary of Khmer Rouge victory

2006-04-20T14:46:00.000+07:00

Apr 17, 2006, 9:40 GMT Phnom Penh - Cambodians marked the 31st anniversary of the Khmer Rouge victory which plunged the nation into one of the worst genocides of the last century Monday amidst renewed calls for a long-awaited trial of the regime's former leaders to be held swiftly. More than 200 people traveled to the Choeung Ek killing fields on the outskirts of the capital for a memorial

After 3 Decades, Tribunal Last Chance To Try the Khmer Rouge

2006-04-20T14:43:00.000+07:00

<>By Floyd Abrams and Diane OrentlicherOpinion The Cambodia DailyMonday, April 17, 2006 Thirty-one years ago this week, a peasant army clad in the black of the Khmer Rouge marched into Phnom Penh and quickly emptied Cambodia’s capital of human life. This is Year Zero,” Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot declared as Cambodia began one of the darkest chapters in world history. Over the next

Can Cambodia get justice?

2006-04-20T14:41:00.000+07:00

By Bronwyn Sloan breaking news Phnom Penh (dpa) - Former Khmer Rouge officer Him Huy says he has never heard of Serbia or Bosnia, much less Slobodan Milosevic. The 50-year-old Cambodian has no idea of the international consternation the death of Milosevic caused last month. Former Serbian nationalist Milosevic, the first head of state to be tried as a war criminal, was just 64 when he died in

The making of a Khmer Rouge ideologue

2006-04-20T14:40:00.000+07:00

FOCUS / CAMBODIA : 31 YEARS SINCE THE KHMER ROUGE TOOK CONTROLON APRIL 17, 1975 General news Tuesday April 18, 2006 Nuon Chea talks about his time as a student at Thammasat University, a civil servant of two ministries in Bangkok and a member of the Communist Party of Thailand; and what inspired him to join the Khmer Rouge By NUSARA THAITAWAT "Thammasat taught me to serve the people.

Psychosocial Support Needed for KR Tribunal

2006-04-11T15:38:00.000+07:00

By Dr Sotheara Chhim,Managing Director,Transcultural Psychosocial Organization Cambodia,Phnom PenhLetter to the EditorThe Cambodia DailyTuesday, April 11, 2006 With the tribunal for ex-Khmer Rouge leaders likely to start in the near future, there has been much attention from NGOs and donors in providing legal and human right services, but there has been very little attention paid to mental health

China boosts Cambodian relations with $600m pledge

2006-04-10T15:14:00.000+07:00

By Amy Kazmin in Bangkok Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao offered Cambodia $600m in loans and grant aid during a weekend visit intended to enhance Beijing’s strategic influence as a major patron of the impoverished south-east Asian country. China’s financial contribution to the cash-strapped Phnom Penh government is roughly equivalent to what other international donors,

Potential KR trial witnesses visit courtroom

2006-04-10T15:12:00.000+07:00

[Michelle Lee, left, at a blessing on March 31 outside the KRT's Extraordinary Chambers in Kambol, Kandal Province.] By Sam Rith At least 6,000 people from the provinces who suffered during the Pol Pot regime will have visited Phnom Penh by the end of the year to learn about the proceedings of the Khmer Rouge Trial, said Youk Chhang, director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam).

KR Tribunal Shouldn’t Rely On Spirit House for Honesty

2006-04-10T15:09:00.000+07:00

By Sokhet Ros, Phnom PenhLetter to the EditorThe Cambodia Daily Monday, April 10, 2006I was really surprised by “Spirit House Blessed to Keep Tribunal Honest” (April 1-2, pages 3), which stated that judges will ask all witnesses and suspects at the trial whether they have sworn to tell the truth in front of the spirit house. Judges and prosecutors assigned to the tribunal should work hard to

Judges, Prosecutors Discuss System’s Problems

2006-04-10T14:57:00.000+07:00

By Phann AnaThe Cambodia Daily Monday, April 10, 2006A two-and-a-half-day conference attended by judges and prosecutors from across Cambodia concluded on Friday, though several participants said they felt little had been achieved, as any power to bring change to the judiciary lay outside their control. Speaking to the conference held at the Council for the Development of Cambodia building,

Genocide survivors to spotlight Darfur horror

2006-04-07T16:50:00.000+07:00

Jim Doyle, Chronicle Staff Writer Thursday, April 6, 2006 A monthlong effort to focus attention on the atrocities being committed in Sudan will begin tonight with a gathering of survivors of the Holocaust and genocides in Rwanda, Cambodia, Armenia, Nanking and Bosnia at a San Francisco synagogue. Eltayeb Ibrahim, whose family has lost more than 200 relatives in

Members of Ex-KR Families Become Monks

2006-04-03T15:49:00.000+07:00

By Van RoeunThe Cambodia Daily Monday, April 03, 2006More that 300 young men and women and older people, most of them members of former Khmer Rouge families, were ordained into the monkhood on Friday in Pailin municipality, officials said on Sunday. Venerable Nhim Sothun, director of the Cambodian Students Association, said the novices are taking part in an 11-day novitiate during which they are

KR’s Leaders Are Still Hiding From History

2006-03-31T15:52:00.000+07:00

By Ra Chhayrann,Letter to the EditorThe Cambodia DailyMonday, March 20, 2006I am writing in response to a statement by Nuon Chea, Brother Number Two, in Friday’s story “Pailin Students: KR Atrocities Just a Myth,” (page 1).Nuon Chea was quoted as saying: The people who organized this forum did not joint the Khmer Rogue movement, so they cannot understand it. It’s like the difference between the

KR trial holds promise for court reform

2006-03-31T15:47:00.000+07:00

By Cat Barton Volume 15 Issue 05, March 10 - 23, 2006 The long-awaited trial of the leaders of the Khmer Rouge regime draws near. But the interaction between this groundbreaking legal event and the ongoing process of legal and judicial reform in Cambodia is complex and contested. As the trial captures increasing international attention, the Cambodian judiciary is finding itself under the

Awaiting justice in Cambodia

2006-03-31T15:35:00.000+07:00

By Ellen NakashimaThe Washington PostTuesday, March 21, 2006 - Page updated at 12:00 AMCambodia — Taing Kim Sam was raped by three Khmer Rouge soldiers when she was 18. Now 49, she has been waiting more than half her life for justice. She has deep reservations about whether her government can deliver, but it is finally about to try.On a recent Sunday, she strode into a spacious, air-conditioned

Rule of law an elusive concept in Cambodia

2006-03-31T15:26:00.000+07:00

In 1993, the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) reported that Cambodia’s institutions were “geared towards rigid political control by an authoritarian State backed by active military force and unwilling to accommodate alternative sources of authority.”More than ten years later, this year’s report of the Secretary General’s Special Representative for human rights in Cambodia

Damaged SML texts are restored

2006-03-31T15:10:00.000+07:00

Valuable Cambodian newspapers remain intactBY ROSS GOLDBERG; Staff Reporter Published Monday, March 27, 2006 Collections damaged in a January steam pipe burst that flooded Sterling Memorial Library appear to have been restored successfully, library staff said Friday. Following a two-month freeze-drying process at an off-campus facility, preservationists began to examine the collections last week

Judges Told Defamation Is Still a Criminal Offense

2006-03-31T15:01:00.000+07:00

By Phann Ana and Whitney KvasagerThe Cambodia DailyTuesday, March 28, 2006The Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Council of Magistracy have directed all judges to continue treating defamation as a serious criminal offense, slightly more than a month after Prime Minister Hun Sen called for defamation to be defamation to be decriminalized.In a letter received Friday, Minister of Justice Ang Vong

Khmer Rouge crimes to be tried in a year

2006-03-02T16:49:00.000+07:00

1 March, 2006 Between 1975 and 1979, the Khmer Rouge of Pol Pot killed two million people. Some Cambodians are for their trial. A well known psychiatrist counter1s: “I am worried the trials will reopen the wounds of torture victims.” Phnom Penh (AsiaNews/SCMP) – Around 400 Cambodians have gone to Phnom Penh to be among the first to see the new court which next year will try crimes

For Some KR Victims, Time has Run Out

2006-03-02T14:40:00.000+07:00

<>Letter to the Editor<>The Cambodia Daily<> Thursday, March 02, 2006By Dara P Vanthan, Deputy director in charge of outreach, Documentation Center of Cambodia We were in shock when we reached Khset village in Prey Veng province’s Kampong Ro district and learned that Bong Seang and Thoang Diek, who we invited to visit the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, which is the

Cambodian genocide survivors tour courtroom for Khmer Rouge trials

2006-03-02T14:34:00.000+07:00

By KER MUNTHIT Associated Press Writer KANDAL, Cambodia (AP) _ Survivors of Cambodia's genocidal Khmer Rouge on Sunday toured a courtroom set up to try surviving leaders, as an official assured them the perpetrators would still face justice almost three decades after the regime collapsed. Funding problems have prevented authorities from setting a date for the trials - to be convened by

Survivors of KR Era Get First Look at Trial Process

2006-03-02T14:18:00.000+07:00

The Cambodia DailyMonday, February 27, 2006By Douglas Gillison and Pin Sisovann Meach Rem could hardly breathe. The horror of her four children’s fate was beyond doubt. <>After seeing their faces in photographs at Tuol Sleng, the Khmer Rouge-era torture center in Phnom Penh that only 14 people are believed to have survived, the 65-year-old woman from Kandal province was overcome Saturday morning

Teacher Appointed KR Tribunal Press Officer

2006-02-10T10:04:00.000+07:00

The Cambodia DailyWednesday, February 08, 2006By Kay Kimsong and Erik WassonA Cambodian journalism teacher has been named the press officer for the upcoming Khmer Rouge tribunal, officials said Tuesday. Reach Sambath, 38, was a reporter for Agence France-Presse for 12 years, and is now a stringer for The New York Times and a teacher of journalism at the Cambodian Communication Institute of

U.N. office launches work in Cambodia for Khmer Rouge trial

2006-02-07T08:51:00.000+07:00

(Japan Economic Newswire Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)PHNOM PENH, Feb. 6_(Kyodo) _ A permanent U.N. administrative office began work in Phnom Penh on Monday to help open the planned genocide trial of the Khmer Rouge leadership. "I have very realistic hopes...we will make it happen," Michelle Lee, deputy director of the U.N. office, told reporters. Lee arrived in Cambodia on Saturday and the work

FAIR TRIALS MEAN JUSTICE FOR ALL

2006-02-07T08:28:00.000+07:00

Mutch Chantha Background The Government of Democratic Kampuchea, known as the Khmer Rouge, took power in Cambodia in 1975. During its three-year, nine-month reign (1975-1979), this government committed the most serious violations of human rights in the post-World War II world. When the regime fell, some three million Cambodian people had died from forced labor, starvation, and execution.

Cambodian director talks about his work and the ‘nuclear bomb’ that struck his homeland

2006-02-06T10:04:00.000+07:00

By Lekha ShankarThai Day He is recognized as the cinematic voice of Cambodia.Rithy Panh escaped from his native Cambodia in 1979, at the end of the the Khmer Rouge genocide, to neighboring Thailand. Then, he moved to Paris where he studied cinematography. He returned to his homeland more than two decades later in 1990.Since then, Panh has made nearly 10 documentary films on the genocide,

UN Delegate to KR Trial Arrives in Cambodia

2006-02-06T09:42:00.000+07:00

The Cambodia DailyMonday, February 6, 2006Pin SisovannMichelle Lee, the UN's representative to the Khmer Rouge tribunal, arrived in Cambodia on Saturday to take up residence in preparation for the long-awaited trials, a government official said. Sean Visoth, the Cambodian government's tribunal coordinator, confirmed Lee's arrival. A formal meeting between the UN dele¬gation head and Sean

High Time for Justice: The US and the Khmer Rouge Tribunal

2006-02-01T11:25:00.000+07:00

JURIST Special Guest Columnist Craig Etcheson, author of After the Killing Fields: Lessons from the Cambodian Genocide (2005) and a Visiting Scholar at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies, says the time has come for the United States to throw its full diplomatic weight behind the new Cambodia-UN Khmer Rouge Tribunal finally being set up in Phnom Penh...In the late

A Cambodian Judge’s Views on the Tribunal

2006-02-01T11:19:00.000+07:00

Terith ChyWhen thinking about the atrocities committed in the 20th century, the Khmer Rouge regime stands out as one of the worst. Some 30 years ago, the Khmer Rouge changed nearly every social system in Cambodia – education, religion, markets, and more – in an attempt to make it the world’s most advanced communist country in a matter of days. To achieve their agrarian revolution, they moved all

The Mil Ethnic Minority under Democratic Kampuchea

2006-01-31T08:35:00.000+07:00

Sophal Ly The Mil (or Milkh) is a little known ethnic minority in Cambodia. Their homeland is Chhok Trach (aka Klek Klok) village, about 30 kilometers east of O-Po village in Kratie province. The Mil left this village many years ago and moved to an area called Sre Changhab because of a smallpox epidemic and an invasion by the Phnong tribe (a Mon-Khmer tribe of eastern Cambodia) in which

Cambodian PM reverses position on lawsuits

2006-01-30T16:56:00.000+07:00

Associated PressPHNOM PENH, Cambodia - Cambodia's prime minister on Monday said he has been unable to honor his pledge to drop defamation suits against four of his critics because the court refused to allow it.Prime Minister Hun Sen's comments marked yet about-face in a high-profile case that has drawn international and domestic attention. Just a week ago, Hun Sen said he would drop charges

"Khmer Genocide Survivor Can't Get on With His Life"

2006-01-30T07:45:00.000+07:00

Date : 29/01/2006 , Sun A Newspaper Published byWorld Institute for Asian Studies. Vol. 5 No. 279 By Antonio Graceffo "I risked my life to get here, and I have done nothing with my time in America." Says taxi driver, Matt Sindvith. "I have seen women who were raped, or people who survived the war in Bosnia or Sarajevo. They were able to put that behind them. But I cannot. And, until I do

The victim who survived a Khmer Rouge prison

2006-01-30T07:39:00.000+07:00

By GEOFFREY YORKSaturday, January 28, 2006 Posted at 3:16 AM ESTFrom Saturday's Globe and MailPhnom Penh — For 12 days and 12 nights, the Khmer Rouge tortured Chum Mey with horrific brutality. They clubbed him with sticks, broke his fingers, pulled out his toenails with pliers and knocked him unconscious with electric shocks.He was a sewing-machine repairman who could not understand why the

Thirty years on, the nightmare of Pol Pot's terror haunts a widow in a Paris suburb

2006-01-27T10:21:00.000+07:00

France faces moment of truth over events that ended embassy siege in CambodiaJon Henley in ParisFriday January 27, 2006The GuardianThe last time she saw him he was standing on the tarmac at Phnom Penh airport, waving as the ageing Air Cambodia plane carrying her, her daughter, two nephews and three suitcases to safety shuddered into the sky, avoiding by some miracle the constant barrage of Khmer

Genocide, justice and fear

2006-01-26T08:24:00.000+07:00

January 25, 2006At a former military complex outside the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh last week, military authorities handed over a group of new buildings to a United Nations-Cambodian organization. The buildings will serve as a center for investigating and ultimately trying some of the surviving former leaders of the genocidal Khmer Rouge - 27 years after that radical Communist party