The Cambodian government’s refusal to cooperate in bringing Khmer Rouge leaders before the UN-backed tribunal would be the last straw after years of obstruction, delay, and corruption. If the government fails to act quickly on the judge’s charges, then it’s time the UN end its participation and for donors to stop funding the tribunal. Further support would just make a mockery of justice for millions of victims and their families.
UN, Donors Should End Tribunal Support Unless Charges Pursued
(New York) – The Cambodian government should act on charges issued against criminal suspects by an international judge at the Khmer Rouge tribunal, or the United Nations should withdraw its participation from the court and international donors should end their funding, Human Rights Watch said today.
On March 3, 2015, Judge Mark Harmon, the UN-selected co-investigating judge of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), created in 2006 to bring justice for victims of the Khmer Rouge, announced that he had charged in absentia two former local Khmer Rouge leaders, Im Chem and Meas Muth, with crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in 1975-79. The Cambodian co-investigating judge, following the policy of non-cooperation in these cases announced by Prime Minister Hun Sen, has refused to forward the cases to the police, while the police have reportedly refused to act on Harmon’s charges. Read the full article at Human Rights Watch.
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