January 17, 2007

Judges Meet to Break Impasse over Khmer Rouge Tribunal Rules

PHNOM PENH — Judges on Cambodia's Khmer Rouge tribunal have begun talks aimed at breaking an impasse over internal regulations which threatens to derail the UN-backed genocide trials, officials have announced.

Jurists failed last year to agree on the rules that would give shape to one of the decade's most anticipated courtroom dramas, forcing a delay and sparking claims of political interference in the highly-charged proceedings.

At the time, those close to the process said the mix of foreign and Cambodian judges appeared split along national lines.

The main obstacle was how to bring international judicial standards to Cambodia's legal system, which has been widely condemned as inept.

The judges also disagreed over the role of foreign defence counsel—an issue that has raised the ire of Cambodian lawyers, who say they should have the right to approve any international lawyers who wish to participate in the tribunal.

The nine-member rules committee which began meeting Tuesday is expected to resolve each disputed point, with a second plenary session of all the judges now scheduled for March, when the regulations are hoped to be adopted, tribunal spokesman Reach Sambath told AFP.

"Via Tuesday's meeting, we hope the judges will find a good resolution," he said, adding that the atmosphere of this meeting was "much more positive" than the reportedly hostile talks that took place last November.

"Both the Cambodian and international judges of the rules committee have a strong conviction to have good internal rules by March," Reach Sambath said.

Co-prosecutors began building cases against possible defendants last year, with the first trials expected to start by June, despite the delays, Reach Sambath said.

Up to two million people died of starvation, overwork and from execution during the 1975-79 rule of the communist Khmer Rouge, which abolished religion, property rights, currency and schools.

Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot died in 1998, and so far only two potential defendants have been arrested for crimes committed under the regime.

But one, military commander Ta Mok, died in July, and there are fears that other elderly regime cadres who are living freely in Cambodia could die before being brought to justice.

Agence France-Presse