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Cambodia's
Trials
International Herald Tribune
Saturday, March 26, 2005
On March 28 the United Nations
will hold a meeting at its headquarters in New York to raise funds for the Khmer
Rouge tribunal. To date, the Cambodian government and the United Nations have
raised enough money to pay for at least the first year of the trials - $39
million of an estimated $56 million - through contributions from Japan,
Australia, Great Britain and France.
We have come a long way toward realizing justice in the past months, but the UN
has stated that it won't proceed with the trials until all the funds are in
place - this means that an additional $17 million must be found.
I wish to encourage the donor community to support Cambodia and the UN in making
the tribunal a reality.
For a long time now, many nations have expressed concern that their money will
be wasted because the trials might not be fair given Cambodia's judicial system.
To counter these doubts, donors might consider pledging money for the tribunal's
second - and possibly third - years. They need not write the checks at this
point in time - countries could merely agree to provide funding should the
tribunals prove to be fair, transparent and allow the voices of the victims to
be heard.
Although there will certainly be disagreement about the outcome of the first
year's proceedings, there are many means available for reaching a broad
consensus. These might include assessments by the United Nations and royal
government, reports in the press, the evaluations of the local and international
nongovernmental organizations and human rights communities, and perhaps, most
important, the opinions of the Cambodian public on whether the trials are
serving them well.
It is my hope that the international community will begin to engage more widely
in addressing Asia's human rights abuses, becoming as involved here as it has in
Europe and Africa, for example. Helping Cambodians seek justice for the crimes
against humanity committed on our soil would ensure donors a place of honor in
history.
Youk Chhang, Phnom Penh, director, Documentation Center of Cambodia
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