And what are you going to do about it? Corruption and impunity have been a part of the Cambodian culture for a very long time. Do you think that a few bunch can get rid of it now?
On Feb 13, 8:36 pm, Khmer Blood <[email protected]> wrote: > For Immediate Release > > Khmer Rouge Tribunal's Credibility Jeopardized by Corruption and > Political Interference on Eve of First Trial > > Contact: Rachel Hart, +1 (212) 548-0378, +1 (917) 543-1126, > [email protected] > > > NEW YORK, February 12, 2009-Ahead of its first trial, the Cambodian > government and international actors must immediately address grave flaws > in the tribunal set up to try senior members of the Khmer Rouge for > crimes against humanity, warns a report released by the Open Society > Justice Initiative today. > > The long-awaited trial of Kaing Guek Eav (a.k.a. Duch), the commander of > the infamous Toul Sleng S-21 Prison where thousands of Cambodians were > tortured and killed, is scheduled to begin next Tuesday in the > Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia. The tribunal has > charged four other suspects in the murder of almost two million people > between 1975 and 1979. Recent reports, however, suggest the Cambodian > government is attempting to block further indictments. > > "The court must demonstrate that it is not a tool of the Cambodian > government and ensure a fair and transparent judicial process," said > James A. Goldston, executive director of the Open Society Justice > Initiative. "The court must show it is relying on law and facts, not > politics, in deciding how many suspects will be investigated." > > The court has also been plagued by unresolved allegations of corrupt > employment practices. A confidential United Nations report in August > 2008 detailed complaints of the court's staff paying kickbacks to > political overseers. To date, the United Nations and the Cambodian > government have yet to put in place a plan to address the problem. > > "The court should take aggressive action to respond to the allegations > of corruption and provide protection for whistleblowers," said Goldston. > "Donor governments supporting the court-including Japan, France, and the > United States-should continue to do so as long as the tribunal operates > as a court of law." > > Recent Developments at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of > Cambodia: February 2009 is the latest in a series of regular Justice > Initiative publications offering news, analysis, and recommendations on > the ECCC. Previous reports and other background information on the court > are available here: > > http://www.justiceinitiative.org/activities/ij/krt. > > Click here to read or download the full February > report:http://www.justiceinitiative.org/db/resource2/fs/?file_id=20443 > > The URL for this page > is:http://www.justiceinitiative.org/db/resource2?res_id=104202 > > ### > > The Open Society Justice Initiative, an operational program of the Open > Society Institute <http://www.soros.org> , pursues law reform activities > grounded in the protection of human rights, and contributes to the > development of legal capacity for open societies worldwide. The Justice > Initiative combines litigation, legal advocacy, technical assistance, > and the dissemination of knowledge to secure advances in the following > priority areas: anticorruption, equality and citizenship, freedom of > information and expression, international justice, and national criminal > justice. Its offices are in Abuja, Budapest, London, New York, and > Washington DC.www.justiceinitiative.org > <http://www.justiceinitiative.org/> . > > "My Khmer Compatriots, ask not what Cambodia and her People can do for you, > ask what you can do for Cambodia and her People" > > The Khmer Politicians have only interpreted the Cambodia and her beloved > people in various ways. > The point, however, is to change it... > ---Khmer Blood--- --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Cambodia Discussion (CAMDISC) - www.cambodia.org" group. This is an unmoderated forum. Please refrain from using foul language. Thank you for your understanding. Peace among us and in Cambodia. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/camdisc Learn more - http://www.cambodia.org -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
