|
Chronology |
|
|
CHRONOLOGY OF THE KHMER ROUGE TRIBUNAL
Compiled from news clips of the Documentation Center of Cambodia
|
|
|
April 30, 1994 |
The US Congress passes the
Cambodian Genocide Justice Act,
which states “it is the policy of the United States to support efforts
to bring to justice members of the Khmer Rouge for their crimes against
humanity committed in Cambodia between April 17, 1975, and January 7,
1979.”
|
|
|
January 13, 1995 |
The
Documentation Center of Cambodia
(DC-Cam) is officially established pursuant to the Cambodian Genocide
Justice Act, with a two-year, $499,283 grant to the Yale Cambodian
Genocide Program.
(Office
of Cambodian Genocide Investigations, EAP/CGI, Bureau of Asian and
Pacific Affairs, U.S. Department of State, document in the possession of
DC-Cam)
|
|
|
September 14, 1996 |
The
Cambodian government grants amnesty to Ieng Sary, former deputy prime
minister of Democratic Kampuchea (DK). The amnesty covered his 1979
conviction (Ieng Sary had been sentenced to death and the confiscation
of his personal property by the People’s Revolutionary Tribunal).
(Royal
Decree, 0996/72)
|
|
|
April 11, 1997 |
The UN
Commission on Human Rights adopts Resolution 1997/49. The resolution
requested the Secretary-General, through his special representative, to
examine any request for assistance in responding to past serious
violations of Cambodian and international law.
|
|
|
May 12, 1997 |
King
Norodom Sihanouk says he was willing to be judged alongside Khmer Rouge
leaders to answer his critics, who claimed he was partly responsible for
the genocide that took place between 1975 and 1978.
(Cambodia
Times, May 12, 1997)
|
|
|
June 11, 1997 |
Former
DK State Presidium Chairman Khieu Samphan announces that senior rebel
Son Sen and his wife Yun Yat were arrested for espionage and treason
against the Khmer Rouge movement. The Khmer Rouge had accused the two of
being spies for Second Prime Minister Hun Sen and the government of
Vietnam.
(The
Cambodia Daily, June 12, 1997)
|
|
|
June 15, 1997 |
Son Sen,
Yun Yat [Son Sen’s wife], and eight of their relatives are massacred.
(The
Nation, June 25, 1997)
|
|
|
June 21,1997 |
First
Prime Minister Norodom Ranariddh and Second Prime Minister Hun Sen
request the assistance of the UN and international community “in
bringing to justice those persons responsible for the genocide and
crimes against humanity” during the Khmer Rouge regime. The following is
the detailed content of the request for assistance:
Dear Mr. Secretary-General,
On behalf of the Cambodian Government and people, we write to
you to ask for the assistance of the United Nations and the
international community in bringing to justice those persons responsible
for the genocide and crimes against humanity during the rule of the
Khmer Rouge from 1975 to 1979.
The April 1997 resolution on Cambodia of the United Nations
Commission on Human Rights requests: “the Secretary-General, through his
Special Representative, in collaboration with the Centre for Human
Rights, to examine any request by Cambodia for assistance in responding
to past serious violations of Cambodian and international law as a means
of bringing about national reconciliation, strengthening democracy and
addressing the issue of individual accountability.”
Cambodia does not have the resources or expertise to conduct this very
important procedure. Thus, we believe it is necessary to ask for the
assistance of the United Nations. We are aware of similar efforts to
respond to the genocide and crimes against humanity in Rwanda and the
former Yugoslavia, and ask that similar assistance be given to Cambodia.
We believe that crimes of this magnitude are of concern to all
persons in the world, as they greatly diminish respect for the most
basic human right, the right to life. We hope that the United Nations
and international community can assist the Cambodian people in
establishing the truth about this period and bring those responsible to
justice. Only in this way can this tragedy be brought to a full and
final conclusion.
Please, Mr. Secretary-General, accept the assurances of our
highest consideration.
(signed): Prince Norodom Ranariddh
First Prime Minister
(signed): Hun Sen
Second Prime Minister
(http://www.khmerinstitute.org/docs/UNKRreportx.htm)
|
|
|
June 23, 1997 |
The
Secretary-General transmits the letter from the two prime ministers to
the presidents of the General Assembly and Security Council.
(A/51/930-S/1997/488
of 24 June 1997)
|
|
|
December 12, 1997 |
The UN
General Assembly adopts
Resolution 52/135,
which called on the Secretary-General to examine the request of
Cambodian authorities for assistance in responding to past serious
violations of Cambodian and international law. Below are some parts of
the Resolution:
Desiring
that the tragic history of Cambodia requires special measures to assure
the protection of the human rights of all people in Cambodia and the
non-return to the policies and practices of the past, as stipulated in
the Agreement signed in Paris in 1991;
…
Endorses
the comments of the Special Representative that the most serious human
rights violations in Cambodia in recent history have been committed by
the Khmer Rouge and that their crimes, including the taking and killing
of hostages, have continued to the present; and notes with concern that
no Khmer Rouge leader has been brought to account for these crimes;
Requests
the Secretary-General to examine the request by the Cambodian
authorities for assistance in responding to past serious violations of
Cambodian and international law, including the possibility of the
appointment, by the Secretary-General, of a group of experts to evaluate
the existing evidence and propose further measures, as a means of
bringing about national reconciliation, strengthening democracy and
addressing the issue of individual accountability.
|
|
|
April 15, 1998 |
Pol Pot
dies of heart attack at the age of 73 at Anlong Veng near the Thai
border, where he had been detained following his one-day trial on July
25, 1997.
(Bangkok
Post,
April 17, 1998)
|
|
|
July 13, 1998 |
Pursuant
to General Assembly Resolution 52/135 of 12 December 1997, the
Secretary-General appoints a three-member Group of Experts for Cambodia
to evaluate the existing evidence, to assess the feasibility of bringing
Khmer Rouge leaders to justice, and to explore options for bringing
Khmer Rouge leaders to justice before an international or national
jurisdiction.
(A/52/1007
of 7 August 1998)
|
|
|
July 31, 1998 |
The UN Secretary-General creates the
Group of Experts
consisting of Sir Ninian Stephen
(Australia, chairman), Judge Rajsoommer Lallah (Mauritius), and
Professor Steven Ratner (USA) to assess the feasibility of bringing
Khmer Rouge leaders to justice.
|
|
|
November 14, 1998 |
The
Group of Experts visits Cambodia and assessed the evidence held by the
Documentation Center of Cambodia.
(Raksmei
Kampuchea Daily, November 11, 1998)
|
|
|
December 26, 1998 |
The
Cambodian government announces the defection to the government of the
two top Khmer Rouge leaders, Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan.
(The
Cambodia Daily, December 28, 1998)
|
|
|
February 4, 1999 |
23
Cambodian families file a complaint in the Belgian court against former
Khmer Rouge leaders Nuon Chea, Khieu Samphan, and Ieng Sary, accusing
them of committing crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war
crimes. The plaintiffs were encouraged to lay charges after
Belgian-based victims of Pinochet successfully applied for an
international arrest warrant for the former Chilean dictator.
(Phnom
Penh Post, February 19 – March 4, 1999)
|
|
|
February 5, 1999 |
China voices opposition to the establishment of an international
tribunal for former Khmer Rouge leaders, saying it is an internal matter
for Cambodia. China’s Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan said that the trial
of Khmer Rouge leaders in an international court brokered by the UN was
the idea of Western countries, particularly the United States.
(Reported by Rita Patiyasevi and Marisa Chimprabha on February 6,
1999)
|
|
|
February 7, 1999 |
Ieng
Thirith, Ieng Sary’s wife and Minister of Social Action and Education
during DK, writes a letter in response to a February 5 article in The
Cambodia Daily entitled “Ieng Sary Warns of New Unrest over KR
Trial.” The article stated that Ieng Thirith is one of the four
surviving Khmer Rouge central committee members living in Pailin.
(Raksmei
Kampuchea Daily, February 11, 1999 &
The
Cambodia Daily,
February 5, 1999)
|
|
|
February 12, 1999 |
The Cambodian government incorporates what it calls the last remnants of
the Khmer Rouge into the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces.
|
|
|
February 18, 1999 |
The
Report of the Group of Experts for Cambodia Pursuant to General Assembly
Resolution 52/135
is published. The report recommended the creation of an international
tribunal and truth commission to deal with crimes of the Khmer Rouge
period.
|
|
|
March 6, 1999 |
Former
Communist Party of Kampuchea Standing Committee Member Chhit Choeun,
alias Mok and Ta Mok, is arrested by the Cambodian army under the 1994
Cambodian law banning the Khmer Rouge.
(Bangkok
Post,
March 7, 1999)
|
|
|
March 15, 1999 |
The
Report of the Group of Experts for Cambodia Pursuant to General Assembly
Resolution 52/135
is submitted to both the Security Council and the General Assembly. In
its report, the Group recommended the establishment of an international
tribunal to try the Khmer Rouge officials for crimes against humanity
and genocide committed from 17 April 1975 to 7 January 1979.
(A/53/850-S/1999/23/1)
|
|
|
May 5, 1999 |
Kaing
Guek Eav (aka Duch), former Khmer Rouge chief of Tuol Sleng Prison, is
quoted as saying that Nuon Chea ordered him to kill the foreigners at
Tuol Sleng and “burn their bodies with tires to leave no bones.”
(Far
Eastern Economic Review, May 13, 1999)
|
|
|
July 29, 1999 |
In a meeting with the Cambodian Permanent Representative, the Office of
Legal Affairs presents the UN proposal on the establishment of a mixed
tribunal for the prosecution of the Khmer Rouge leaders. (A note setting
out the main elements of the mixed tribunal was distributed.)
|
|
|
August 12, 1999 |
The
Cambodian National Assembly approves a new law extending the period of
pre-trial detention from six months to three years for people charged
with war crimes, crimes of genocide and crimes against humanity.
(Raksmei
Kampuchea Daily,
August 14, 1999)
|
|
|
August 13, 1999 |
A UN human rights official criticizes legislation approved by
the Cambodian National Assembly that allows a three-year pre-trial
detention period for suspects charged with genocide, war crimes and
crimes against humanity. Rosemary McCreery, director of the Cambodia
office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, stated that a
three-year detention period violates international standards of justice.
(The Cambodia Daily,
August
13, 1999)
The Cambodian government says it wants to maintain overall
control of a UN-backed international-style tribunal. Senior Minister Sok
An says the tribunal will take place in Cambodian court, but the
participation of foreign judges and legal experts will be accepted.
(The
Cambodia Daily, August 16, 1999)
|
|
|
August 20, 1999
|
The
Royal Government creates its “Task Force for Cooperation with Foreign
Legal Experts and Preparation of the Proceedings for the Trial of Senior
Khmer Rouge Leaders,” of which Sok An was appointed the chairman.
The Task Force commenced its work by drafting the law. This first draft
law was produced in August 1999 and presented to a United Nations
delegation led by H.E. Ralph Zacklin, deputy of Under Secretary-General
Hans Corell, in charge of legal affairs of the United Nations.
The Cambodian Draft Law received legal and other technical contributions
from experts from France, India, Russia and Australia, and the United
States, in addition to input from the United Nations.
The first UN delegation, sent in August 1999, studied the first draft
law and presented its own draft. At that time there was no consensus.
One major difference was that Zacklin wanted foreign judges to hold the
majority, while Cambodia claimed that Cambodian judges must be in the
majority.
(www.cambodia.gov.kh/krt/english/chrono.htm)
|
|
|
August 25-31, 1999 |
The
first UN mission to
Cambodia
is proposed to conduct negotiations on the legal and practical aspects
of establishing a mixed tribunal under Cambodian law and meeting
international standards of justice; comments on the draft Cambodian law
were submitted.
|
|
|
August 31, 1999 |
UN and
Cambodian officials end a week of negotiations without reaching an
agreement on how to set up a genocide tribunal. UN Assistant Secretary
for Legal Affairs Ralph Zacklin said that if the Cambodian government
does not meet conditions that the UN believes necessary for a tribunal,
“The UN will simply cease to follow this process.” The UN delegation
summarized its main message:
...If
the trial of the Khmer Rouge leaders is to meet international standards
of justice, fairness and due process of law, and gain the support and
legitimacy of the international community, it is vital that the
international component of the tribunal be substantial and that it be
seen to be effective on the international as well as the national plane.
This cannot be achieved by merely adding a number of foreign judges to
the composition of the existing court system. Only a special,
sui-generis tribunal, separate from the existing court system, in
which Cambodians and non-Cambodians would serve as judges, prosecutors
and registry staff accomplish this.”
(click
here to get full text) |
|
|
September 6, 1999 |
Ta Mok
and Duch are charged with “genocide” under Decree No. 1 issued on August
15, 1979.
(Prosecutor’s
Order No. 044/99, Military Court)
|
|
|
September 18, 1999 |
Former
Khmer Rouge leaders Ieng Sary and Nuon Chea, now allies of the Hun Sen
government, issue a statement suggesting the possibility of a return to
civil war if a tribunal is held. The statement also criticized demands
by human rights groups and opposition politicians that Nuon Chea and
Ieng Sary be tried.
|
|
|
September 20, 1999 |
While
attending the 54th UN General Assembly, Hun Sen delivers a
document to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan outlining three options for
UN involvement in a tribunal: 1) provide a legal team and participate in
a tribunal conducted in Cambodia’s existing courts; 2) provide legal
advice without direct participation in the tribunal; 3) withdraw
completely from the proposed tribunal.
(The
Cambodia Daily, September 20, 1999)
|
|
|
September 23, 1999 |
Returning from talks with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on how to try
Pol Pot’s former henchmen, top government officials vow to proceed with
a trial on their own terms. Instead of assembling an international-style
tribunal proposed by the UN, Cabinet Minister Sok An said the government
will seek advice from independent US and French legal experts to secure
the legitimacy critics say Cambodian courts lack. “We will continue to
work on our own draft,” said Sok An, “I promise to keep [the UN]
informed on our progress.”
(The
Cambodia Daily, September 24, 1999)
|
|
|
October 8, 1999 |
The US
State Department drops the Khmer Rouge from their list of terrorist
organizations, because “it no longer exists as a viable terrorist
organization.”
(The
Cambodia Daily,
October 8, 1999)
|
|
|
October 19, 1999 |
Hun Sen
endorses a US proposal for a tribunal with three Cambodian judges and
two UN-appointed judges. Decisions would require a “supermajority,” in
which at least one of the UN-appointed judges would have to agree with
any verdict handed down by the tribunal.
(The
Cambodia Daily,
October 20, 1999)
|
|
|
December 20, 1999 |
The
Cambodian government sends the UN the draft law outlining how to try
one-time Khmer Rouge leaders in a special session of Phnom Penh court
with a majority of Cambodian judges and a prosecuting team of one
foreign judge and one Cambodian. Cambodia will adopt the law with or
without UN approval, said Prime Minister Hun Sen.
(The
Cambodia Daily,
December 22, 1999)
|
|
|
December 23, 1999 |
Sok An
says, “UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan made his comments on the draft,
indicating that the UN chose the second option of our memorandum.” (He
was referring to the three options Hun Sen proposed to Annan in
September 20th.)
|
|
|
December 24, 1999 |
The
Cambodian government amends the draft tribunal law so that tribunal
expenses previously to be paid by the UN trust fund would be paid for by
a combination of donations from the UN, NGOs and individual countries,
and would include an effort from the Cambodian government. The amendment
stated that if other countries want to send judges or prosecutors to the
proceedings, those countries must pay their own expenses.
(The
Cambodia Daily,
December 25-26, 1999)
|
|
|
December 27, 1999 |
Benson
Samay, Ta Mok’s lawyer, says he plans to issue subpoenas to several
former world leaders, including three former US presidents, in order to
question them on their support of the DK regime from 1975 to 1979. Among
those he planned to subpoena are Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and George
Bush, as well as Margaret Thatcher and Henry Kissinger.
|
|
|
December 28, 1999 |
A second
draft tribunal law is sent to the UN Secretariat with another request to
respond promptly.
|
|
|
January 5, 2000 |
UN Legal
Counsel Hans Corell meets with Ambassador Ouch Borith, the permanent
representative of Cambodia to the UN, to hand over the UN’s comments on
the second draft law concerning the tribunal.
(The
Associated Press,
January 6, 2000)
|
|
|
January 6, 2000 |
The
Cambodian Cabinet approves the draft law to try surviving Khmer Rouge
leaders for genocide, despite lingering UN concerns over the limits
placed on international jurists.
(South
China Morning Post,
January 7, 2000)
|
|
|
January 14, 2000 |
The
Cambodian Cabinet amends the draft tribunal law to allow for the
participation of one foreign judge in the investigation process.
|
|
|
January 18, 2000 |
The UN
receives the translation of the amended draft law for a Khmer Rouge
tribunal.
|
|
|
January 19, 2000 |
Sok An
tells reporters that he submitted the draft tribunal law to Prince
Norodom Ranariddh for debate in the Cambodian National Assembly.
(Kyodo,
January 19, 2000)
|
|
|
January 27, 2000 |
Cambodia’s first public forum for discussion of a Khmer Rouge tribunal
is held in the northwestern town of Battambang. About 100 people,
including former mid-ranking Khmer Rouge officials, attended the talk.
(Reuters,
January 27, 2000)
|
|
|
February 4, 2000 |
Former
top Khmer Rouge leader Khieu Samphan says he is willing to come forward
and speak out in a public forum.
(Phnom
Penh Post, February 4-17, 2000)
|
|
|
February 8, 2000 |
Prime Minister Hun Sen gives the strongest signal yet he is not
prepared to surrender control of a Khmer Rouge trial to the United
Nations, dimming hopes of an international genocide tribunal. Speaking
to reporters after a closed-door party meeting, Hun Sen blasted UN
demands for an international “killing fields” trial as hypocrisy, and
urged the world to pay more attention to Cambodia’s appalling poverty
instead. “I have a strongest message: the world should pay attention to
peace, national reconciliation, national unity, economic development and
reducing poverty rather than the Khmer Rouge trial,” said the prime
minister.
(AFP, February 9, 2000)
Kofi Annan says that he does not agree with the draft tribunal
law approved by the Cambodian government. He identified four fundamental
issues: guarantees that those indicted would be arrested; no amnesties
or pardons; the appointment of independent, international prosecutors;
and the appointment of a majority of foreign judges.
(Kyodo
News Agency,
February 10, 2000)
|
|
|
February 10, 2000 |
Hun Sen
rejects Kofi Annan’s response on Cambodia’s draft law on Khmer Rouge
trials, saying it was unfair to Cambodia. In a letter to the
Secretary-General, the prime minister stated that he did not welcome the
gap in the positions between the UN and Cambodia, in particular, in the
light of the positions taken by other Member States.
(Xinhua,
February 10, 2000)
|
|
|
February 12, 2000 |
On the
sidelines of a UN trade conference in Bangkok, Kofi Annan says he is
optimistic that a new UN mission to Cambodia will resolve differences
with the government over establishing a tribunal.
(AFP,
February 11, 2000)
|
|
|
February 14, 2000 |
Former
US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger scoffs at suggestions that he
should testify for the defense in a Khmer Rouge genocide trial, saying
his Cold War policies sought to stop the Cambodian guerrillas. “I would
be a much better witness for the prosecution than I would be for the
defense,” Kissinger says. “And I believe all the people in this region
who know anything about Cambodia would support this.”
(Associated Press,
February 14, 2000)
|
|
|
March 6, 2000 |
Hun Sen
criticizes the UN saying that three former UN Secretaries General should
be held accountable for the Khmer Rouge’s occupation of Cambodia’s UN
seat during the late 1970s and 1980s. Prince Ranariddh told reporters
that he understood the “reality” of Hun Sen’s position, but that he and
his father, King Sihanouk, hoped a compromise could be reached.
|
|
|
March 16, 2000 |
UN and
Cambodian negotiators hold their first meeting in the latest round of
negotiations to discuss outstanding differences on the format of a Khmer
Rouge tribunal. Four critical issues were on the table: who will name
the suspects in the trial, whether the Cambodian government will arrest
all suspects, whether lingering government deals with the Khmer Rouge
will protect some former rebels from being prosecuted, and how the
trial’s foreign and Cambodian judges will be appointed.
(The
Cambodia Daily, March 16, 2000)
|
|
|
March 21, 2000 |
Letters
are exchanged between UN Under-Secretary General for Legal Affairs Hans
Corell and Sok An on the questions of amnesty, co-prosecutors and their
power to act independently in case of disagreement; the question of the
dispute-settlement mechanism was still pending.
|
|
|
March 22, 2000 |
Following a week of negotiations, Cambodia and the UN announce that they
failed to reach agreement on how to convene a joint tribunal of Khmer
Rouge leaders.
|
|
|
April 10, 2000 |
King
Sihanouk declares he is willing to face either a Cambodian-run or
international genocide tribunal to explain his role during the DK
regime.
(The
Nation,
April 11, 2000)
|
|
|
April 19, 2000 |
Annan
writes to Hun Sen in response to the Cambodian leader’s expressed
backing of a US plan to resolve the sensitive issue of how to handle
indictments in the proposed joint tribunal. “I have not examined it
yet,” Cambodian chief negotiator Sok An said of Annan’s letter. “Only
thoroughly examining it will give comments and elaboration on the
process.” Annan told reporters at UN headquarters, “There have been
several proposals put on the table to break the one impasse we have –
the impasse on how you handle a situation where one of the prosecutors
disagrees with the other” and how an effective review mechanism could
work.
(The
Cambodia Daily,
April 22-23, 2000)
|
|
|
April 22, 2000 |
Hun Sen
responds to the Secretary-General’s letter of 19 April in which he
stated that the exchange of letters between the UN and Cambodia could
not be executed before the Law is adopted. He proposed a “special
chamber” formula to settle disagreements between the co-prosecutors.
|
|
|
April 25, 2000 |
Annan
sends a second letter to Hun Sen in response to his letter of 22 April
urging him to accept the UN proposal.
|
|
|
April 27, 2000 |
Hun Sen
responds to Annan’s April 25 letter requesting an extension of the
temporal jurisdiction of the Extraordinary Chambers to begin in 1970.
|
|
|
Apri1 29, 2000 |
Hun Sen agrees to accept a proposal put forward by US Senator John
Kerry. Under the proposal, a panel of judges — three Cambodian and two
foreign—would rule on disputes regarding indictments. Four judges would
need to be in agreement to block a case from proceeding.
|
|
|
May 17, 2000 |
Annan
writes to Hun Sen seeking confirmation that Hun Sen accepts, through
Senator Kerry, the proposal made in the Secretary-General’s letter of
April 19 regarding the mechanism to resolve any differences between the
co-investigating judges and the co-prosecutors, and that the temporal
jurisdiction of the Extraordinary Chambers be limited to 1975-1979.
|
|
|
May 19, 2000 |
Hun Sen
sends a letter to Kofi Annan expressing his support for the compromise
formula brokered by Kerry in April to try Khmer Rouge leaders.
(Raksmei
Kampuchea Daily,
May 26, 2000)
|
|
|
July 6, 2000 |
The UN
and Cambodian government finalize the details of a draft accord for the
tribunal. The envisaged tribunal would be a Cambodian court with the
participation of international judges and prosecutors.
|
|
|
July 7, 2000 |
Hans
Corell presents a draft Memorandum of Understanding that would govern
cooperation between the UN and Cambodia on the establishment and
operation of a tribunal. The Memorandum was to be signed by the UN and
Cambodia after the Cambodian parliament passed the tribunal into law.
Corell and Om Yintieng, a top advisor to Hun Sen, toured the Chaktomok
Theater, a possible venue for the tribunal, before the UN legal team
leaft Cambodia.
|
|
|
September 24, 2000 |
Hun Sen
indicates that former Khmer Rouge Foreign Minister Ieng Sary should not
be brought to trial on charges of genocide. (In 1979, Ieng Sary was
sentenced to death in absentia along with Pol Pot, but was granted
amnesty by King Sihanouk after he defected to the government in 1996.)
He added that it would be up to the courts and the National Assembly,
which was considering a draft law on a Khmer Rouge tribunal, on what to
do with Ieng Sary.
(The
Cambodia Daily, September 25, 2000)
|
|
|
October 17, 2000 |
Prince Ranariddh tells reporters that King Sihanouk had
expressed a wish to see the tribunal delayed because he was concerned
about peace and stability in the country. The prince also said that the
draft bill on the tribunal was not likely to be adopted this year
because the government was more concerned about the recent floods.
|
|
|
October 18, 2000 |
Hun Sen
announces on national radio his intention to push the tribunal law
forward. He stated, “We need to have a court soon or the ghosts of the
Khmer Rouge will haunt us.”
(The
Associated Press, October 18, 2000)
|
|
|
November 2, 2000 |
Eleven
nations including Japan, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, submit a
resolution to the UN Human Rights Commission requesting the Cambodian
government to set up a court to try the Khmer Rouge.
|
|
|
November 20, 2000 |
According to newspaper reports, US Senator John Kerry’s one-day visit to
Cambodia may have revived government efforts toward the formation of the
Extraordinary Chambers. Kerry left with firm promises from Sok An, Hun
Sen and Prince Ranariddh that the tribunal process would move forward
following a schedule that could allow the National Assembly to pass the
law in December.
(Phnom
Penh Post,
November 24-December 7, 2000)
|
|
|
November 28, 2000 |
The
Legislative Committee of the Cambodian Parliament and the Government
Task Force conclude their discussions on the tribunal draft law. The law
was then ready to be debated by the National Assembly.
(www.cambodia.gov.kh/krt/english/chrono.htm)
|
|
|
November 28, 2000 |
In an
interview with Japanese television, Hun Sen reaffirms that trying Ieng
Sary may create problems for Cambodia. However, he stated, “Touching
Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea would be no problem.”
(Associated Press,
December 3, 2000)
|
|
|
December 4, 2000 |
UNGA
A/RES/55/95
Paragraph 18: Welcomes the successful conclusion of the talks
between the Government of Cambodia and the United Nations Secretariat on
the question of the trial of the Khmer Rouge leaders who are most
responsible for the most serious violations of human rights, appeals
strongly to the Government to ensure, including by facilitating the
expedited completion of the necessary legislative process as soon as
possible, that those Khmer Rouge leaders are brought to account in
accordance with international standards of justice, fairness and due
process of law, encourages the Government to continue to cooperate with
the United Nations on this issue, and welcomes the efforts of the
Secretariat and the international community in assisting the Government
to this end;
(www.cambodia.gov.kh/krt/english/chrono.htm)
|
|
|
December 19, 2000 |
Ieng
Sary informs the media that he has been contributing to national
rebuilding and reconciliation since his defection in September 1996. He
also said that he was only in charge of foreign affairs during DK and
was not responsible for the genocide.
|
|
|
December 29, 2000 |
The
Cambodian National Assembly receives the tribunal draft bill from the
government Task Force. All 98 of the 122 Assembly members present voted
for the first chapter of Khmer Rouge tribunal law. The law was expected
to be passed in full in early January.
(The
Cambodia Daily, December 30-31, 2000)
|
|
|
January 2, 2001 |
The
Cambodian National Assembly unanimously approves the draft law to
establish the Extraordinary Chambers to try the Khmer Rouge leaders.
(Washington Post,
January 3, 2001)
|
|
|
January 3, 2001 |
The
United States welcomes steps by Cambodia’s National Assembly to
establish means to investigate and prosecute senior Khmer Rouge leaders
for crimes committed during 1975-79.
(South
China Morning Post,
January
3, 2001)
|
|
|
January 9, 2001 |
Hans
Corell dispatches a letter to the Cambodian government expressing his
disapproval of the approved draft law. The UN proposed changes to 18 of
the 49 articles of the draft law. Corell also stated that the draft law
lacked a provision to ensure adequate UN oversight guaranteeing that
prosecutors have authority to pursue suspects who are under amnesty.
|
|
|
January 9, 2001 |
An
unofficial translation of the Law as adopted by the National Assembly on
January 2, 2001 is received from the UN Human Rights Office in Phnom
Penh. In a letter of January 9, 2001, Corell raised concerns with regard
to some of its provisions.
|
|
|
January 15, 2001 |
The
Cambodian Senate unanimously approves the draft tribunal law.
(The
Cambodia Daily, January 16, 2001)
|
|
|
January 19, 2001 |
Hun Sen
announces that Khieu Samphan, who was DK head of state from April 1976
to January 1979, had sent him a message saying that he was willing to
face the tribunal if necessary.
(Raksmei
Kampuchea,
January 21, 2001)
|
|
|
February 9, 2001 |
Corell requests an official translation of the adopted law.
|
|
|
February 12, 2001 |
The
Constitutional Council approves the draft law. Yong Sem, a member of the
Council, concluded that the law is “legitimate under constitutional
law.” However, the Council noted a technical discrepancy in Article 3 of
the draft law, which proposed the death penalty as the maximum
punishment. Since the death penalty had been abolished under the current
Cambodian Constitution, the Council announced it would send the draft
law back to Parliament for amendment.
(www.cambodia.gov.kh/krt/english/chrono.htm)
|
|
|
February 23, 2001 |
Hun Sen
announces that the draft law must go back to the drafting stage and be
debated by Parliament again due to the technical discrepancy identified
by the Constitutional Council, which cited a technical error in the
legislation that made reference to the 1956 penal code, which contains
the death penalty. The fact that the law had to go through the National
Assembly for the second time disappointed the UN. “It seems like we are
now starting at the bottom of the ladder again,” UN spokesman Fred
Eckard told reporters in New York.
(The
Cambodia Daily, February 26, 2001)
|
|
|
April 25, 2001 |
Hun Sen says he wants to keep the bones of Khmer Rouge victims
as evidence for a planned trial of Khmer Rouge leaders, after which the
fate of the remains could be decided by a public referendum. The prime
minister also said that the law would be debated a second time by the
Council of Ministers before June, after which the law would be passed on
to the National Assembly.
(The Cambodia Daily, April 26, 2001)
The UN
Human Rights Commission adopts a resolution sponsored by Japan urging
the Cambodian government to set up a genocide tribunal as soon as
possible.
|
|
|
May 18, 2001 |
Hun Sen
denies accusations by reporters that China is pressuring the Cambodian
government over the issue of the tribunal. Instead, he said, “the people
who put pressure on me have been [UN Secretary-General] Kofi Annan and
[Chief UN Legal Officer] Hans Corell and Americans like [US senator]
John Kerry.”
(Far
Eastern Economics Review, May 24, 2001)
|
|
|
May 21, 2001 |
Kofi
Annan urges the Cambodian government to expedite the tribunal law. Annan
told reporters that his office had not heard anything from the Cambodian
government about the tribunal for about six months.
|
|
|
June 1, 2001 |
Hun Sen
pledges that he will ratify the Rome Statute of the International
Criminal Court. If approved by the Parliament, Cambodia would be the
first country in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to ratify
the statute. The Prime Minister stated, “Cambodia will benefit the most
because of its incomparable experience of genocide in recent years.”
|
|
|
June 4, 2001 |
DC-Cam
Director Youk Chhang asks Thammasat University to hand over the records
of Nuon Chea, who studied law at the university on an academic
scholarship in the 1940s and later worked for a time in the Thai Foreign
Ministry, saying they may contain vital evidence for the Khmer Rouge
tribunal.
(Bangkok
Post,
June 5, 2001)
|
|
|
June 8, 2001 |
In a
letter to Sok An, Corell reiterates the needs for an official
translation of the law and consistency between the two instruments.
|
|
|
June 12, 2001 |
Hun Sen
announces to international donors at the two-day Consultative Group
Meeting held in Tokyo that Cambodia planned to enact the tribunal bill
soon. The prime minister said that he had deep respect for justice, and
that a Khmer Rouge tribunal could begin by the end of the year.
(The
Cambodia Daily,
June 15, 2001)
|
|
|
June 17, 2001 |
Former
Khmer Rouge chief ideologist and Brother Number Two, Nuon Chea, says he
will face the court and would accept its legitimacy. However, Nuon Chea
insisted he had no knowledge of the killings until after his defection
to the government in December 1998.
(The
Cambodia Daily, June 19, 2001)
|
|
|
June 22, 2001 |
The
Cambodian government amends the tribunal draft law, replacing the death
penalty with life in prison as the maximum punishment. Hun Sen also
expressed optimism that the tribunal could take place by the end of this
year.
(The
Cambodia Daily,
June 23-24, 2001)
|
|
|
June 22, 2001 |
UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights’ special representative for Cambodia,
Peter Leuprecht, says Ieng Sary should be tried for crimes committed
during 1975-79, and that if the trial is limited to Ta Mok and Duch, it
would not be sufficient.
(The
Cambodia Daily,
June 25, 2001)
|
|
|
June 27, 2001 |
In
response to recent media statements that a tribunal could start this
year, the UN issues a press release stating that no internationally
recognized trials could start until the Memorandum of Understanding
between the UN and Cambodia was signed and ratified.
(Bangkok
Post, August 5, 2001)
|
|
|
June 28, 2001 |
Sihanouk
assures the UN’s Peter Leuprecht that he would sign into law a bill to
set up a UN-assisted tribunal to bring Khmer Rouge leaders to justice.
|
|
|
June 29, 2001 |
Hun Sen
says that if the UN is unhappy about the bill, it can withdraw from the
tribunal. “If you don’t join, it’s better for me. I am going to
implement an agreement between the government and you,” he stated.
(The
Cambodia Daily, June 30-July 1, 2001)
|
|
|
June 30, 2001 |
Ranariddh reiterates Hun Sen’s position that Cambodia will not bow to UN
demands regarding the tribunal bill. He stressed that “Cambodia will
have no further negotiation” and “whether the UN accepts this law or not
is their problem.”
(Reuters,
June 30, 2001)
|
|
|
July 2, 2001 |
In his
letter to Corell, Sok An states his understanding of the relationship
between the Law and the Agreement. While accepting the principle that
they should be in conformity with each other, he rejected the notion of
“imposition.”
|
|
|
July 6, 2001 |
In his
response, Corell reiterates the need for consistency between the two
documents.
|
|
|
July 11, 2001 |
The
National Assembly approves legislation to establish a tribunal for Khmer
Rouge leaders. After the approval, Sok An told reporters that he and
Hans Corell “will continue to negotiate more after the law comes into
effect.”
|
|
|
July 12, 2001 |
Sihanouk
announces that he will not involve himself with the tribunal process,
especially over the issue of “whether to try Ieng Sary, Noun Chea and
Khieu Samphan.”
(The
Cambodia Daily,
July 13, 2001)
|
|
|
July 13, 2001 |
The
Cambodian Senate receives the revised Khmer Rouge tribunal legislation.
|
|
|
July 16, 2001 |
The War
Crimes Research Office at American University releases a report by
Stephen Heder and Brian Tittemore outlining charges and available
evidence related to the possible prosecution of seven living leaders of
the Khmer Rouge. The leaders examined in the report are Nuon Chea, Ieng
Sary, Khieu Samphan, Ta Mok, Kae Pauk, Sou Met, and Meah Mut.
|
|
|
July 18, 2001 |
Hun Sen
announces that the indictment of Khmer Rouge leaders is a decision to be
made by the court, and not by scholars. The prime minister characterized
the findings as foreign interference in Cambodia’s legal system.
(Associated Press,
July 18, 2001)
|
|
|
July 23, 2001 |
The
Cambodian Senate unanimously approves the new tribunal legislation.
After the vote, Sok An told reporters he was optimistic that Cambodia
and the UN would reach a resolution and that, “the date of the trial now
depends on these negotiations.”
(Reuters,
July 24, 2001)
|
|
|
July 30, 2001 |
Hun Sen
says in a speech at a teacher’s college that the “government has not yet
ordered the arrests of Khieu Samphan, Nuon Chea or Ke Pauk,” suggesting
that the arrests need to be balanced with peace and national
reconciliation.
(AFP,
July 31, 2001)
|
|
|
August 1, 2001 |
Sok An
indicates that the Cambodian government was still seeking the UN’s
participation in a genocide tribunal. In a speech given in his home of
Takeo province, he said, “we need a partnership between the Cambodian
government and the United Nations in the process of the trials of the
Khmer Rouge leaders.”
(Deutsche
Presse-Agentur, August 2, 2001)
|
|
|
August 7, 2001 |
The
Constitutional Council approves the second draft of a law that would
establish a tribunal for leaders of the Khmer Rouge regime.
(The
Cambodia Daily, August 8, 2001)
|
|
|
August 10, 2001 |
King
Sihanouk signs landmark legislation “on the Establishment of
Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia for Prosecuting Crimes
Committed during the Period of Democratic Kampuchea—April 17, 1975 to
January 6, 1979.”
(Associated Press,
August 10, 2001)
|
|
|
August 14, 2001 |
Hun Sen
says at an inauguration ceremony, which included some of the country’s
former Khmer Rouge military commanders, that at least the ten top
leaders of the Khmer Rouge would be tried at the proposed tribunal, and
that lower- and mid-level cadres would not be among the dozen leaders to
be tried for crimes against humanity: “Don’t be afraid. Don’t run into
the jungle. This trial is just for some top Khmer Rouge leaders.”
(The
Voice of Cambodia, August 14, 2001)
|
|
|
August 16, 2001 |
US
Ambassador Kent Wiedemann states that the government had given a clear
written promise that Ieng Sary can be brought before a Khmer Rouge
tribunal and that the US would withdraw its support for the tribunal if
Ieng Sary was not tried.
(The
Cambodia Daily,
August 17, 2001)
|
|
|
August 18, 2001 |
Sok An
submits to the UN the Law on the Establishment of the Extraordinary
Chambers, as adopted on August 10, 2001, in its Khmer version, with a
note that the unofficial translation of the Law in both English and
French is being finalized.
|
|
|
August 20, 2001 |
Hun Sen
states that Khieu Samphan could not avoid facing trial despite his
denial of involvement in genocide. Prompted by Cambodia’s passage of the
tribunal law, a copy of which was sent to the UN in New York, Khieu
Samphan denied he ordered killings during DK.
(South
China Morning Post, August 21, 2001)
|
|
|
August 30, 2001 |
The UN
receives the official translations from Khmer to English and French
under cover of a letter from Sok An to the UN’s Hans Corell.
|
|
|
August 30, 2001 |
Two US
senators recommend that the UN not take part in a proposed trial of
former Khmer Rouge leaders if the Cambodian government refused to allow
safeguards ensuring high legal standards.
(The
Cambodia Daily,
September 8-9, 2001)
|
|
|
August 31, 2001 |
The
Cambodian military says it removed tanks and artillery from a former
Khmer Rouge stronghold, but denies the move was to avoid violence ahead
of planned genocide trials.
|
|
|
September 13, 2001 |
Ke Pauk,
former Khmer Rouge deputy military commander, denies any involvement in
the atrocities that claimed the lives of more than 1 million Cambodians,
saying he was a very small member and standing in a very small part of
the country. He also denied rumors that he was seeking a visa to travel
to China.
(The
Cambodia Daily,
September 13, 2001)
|
|
|
October 2, 2001 |
Sok An
extends an invitation to Hans Corell to come to Cambodia to finalize the
Articles of Cooperation.
|
|
|
October 8, 2001 |
Hun Sen
tells US Ambassador Kent Wiedemann he is “anxious to go to trial” using
legislation approved by the government and signed by King Sihanouk in
August. The Cambodian government sent an invitation to the UN to
continue discussions on the tribunal, pushing ahead the final process of
setting up trials.
(The
Cambodia Daily,
October 10, 2001)
|
|
|
October 10, 2001 |
In an
October 10 letter to Sok An, Hans Corell states that for the UN a number
of issues of concern remained. Principal among them was which document –
the Law or agreement between the government and the UN – would govern
the conduct of the Extraordinary Chambers in the event of a disagreement
between the two documents.
(Briefing
by Hans Corell, February 8, 2002)
|
|
|
October 15, 2001 |
The
United Kingdom donates $500,000 to the UN to help fund the trials of
Khmer Rouge leaders in Cambodia, becoming the first country to
officially offer financial assistance to the proposed tribunal. “At the
moment, the British government has placed half a million dollars with
the UN in New York to provide for a Khmer Rouge trial process in
Cambodia,” said British Ambassador Stephen Bridges.
(United
Nations Foundation, UN Wire,
October 15, 2001)
|
|
|
November 2, 2001 |
Japan plans to nominate Kuniji Shibahara, a professor of law at
Gakushuin University, to serve as a judge at a tribunal.
(The
Japan Times Online,
November 3, 2001)
|
|
|
November 23, 2001 |
In a letter to Hans Corell, Sok An states, “While the Articles
of Cooperation may clarify certain nuances in the Law, and elaborate
certain details, it is not possible for them to modify, let alone
prevail over, a law that has just been promulgated.”
Sok An
acknowledges receipt of the letter and revised draft Agreement, stating
that his response is still partial; he raised in this connection an
objection to the primacy of the Agreement over the Law.
|
|
|
November 25, 2001 |
Negotiations between Cambodia and the UN on setting up the
tribunal stall over which language to use as the official one.
(Cambodia Today, Phnom Penh,
November 26, 2001)
|
|
|
December 14, 2001 |
The
Royal Government of Cambodia issues a circular on the preparation of
remains of the victims of the DK genocide (1975-1978) and preparation of
Anlong Veng to become a region for historical tourism.
|
|
|
December 18, 2001 |
In a
letter to Sok An, Corell indicates that a comprehensive response will be
sent once the Cambodian team completes its review of the UN comments.
|
|
|
December 19, 2001 |
United
States Conference Report on H.R.2506, Foreign Operations, Export
Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2002
(December 19, 2001) “conditions assistance to any Khmer Rouge tribunal
established by the Government of Cambodia on a determination and
clarification to congress that the tribunal is capable of delivering
justice for crimes against humanity in an impartial and credible
manner.”
-----
UNGA A/RES/56/169
Section IV: Khmer Rouge tribunal
Paragraph 2: Welcomes the promulgation of the Law on the
Establishment of Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia for
the Prosecution of Crimes Committed during the Period of Democratic
Kampuchea, noting with appreciation the general provisions and
competence of the Law and its provision for a role for the United
Nations, appeals to the Government of Cambodia to ensure that the senior
leaders of Democratic Kampuchea and those who were most responsible for
the crimes and serious violations of Cambodian penal law, international
humanitarian law and custom and international conventions recognized by
Cambodia are brought to trial in accordance with international standards
of justice, fairness and due process of law, encourages the Government
to continue to cooperate with the United Nations on this issue, welcomes
the efforts of the Secretariat and the international community in
assisting the Government to this end, urges the Government and the
United Nations to conclude an agreement without delay so that the
Extraordinary Chambers can start to function promptly, and appeals to
the international community to provide assistance in this regard,
including financial and personnel support to the Chambers;
(www.cambodia.gov.kh/krt/english/chrono.htm)
|
|
|
January 21, 2002 |
Foreign
Minister Hor Nam Hong expresses pessimism about the tribunal, reasoning,
“Due to the UN bureaucracy, there will be no hope that the trial of the
Khmer Rouge leaders will be in process soon, and that the Khmer Rouge
leaders might die before an agreement between the UN and the government
of Cambodia is reached on the establishment of the Khmer Rouge
tribunal.”
(Raksmei
Kampuchea Newspaper,
January 25, 2002)
|
|
|
January 22, 2002 |
Sok An
faxes a three-page letter to the UN “to eliminate suspicion and express
clearly” the government’s position on the make-up of the tribunal.
(The
Cambodia Daily,
January 23, 2002)
|
|
|
February 8, 2002 |
The
Secretary-General instructs his legal counsel, Hans Corell, to deliver a
letter to the Cambodian government informing them that the UN will no
longer negotiate with the government on establishing a special court to
try Khmer Rouge leaders. In a daily press briefing, Corell stated, “At
the instruction of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the
United Nations will no longer continue negotiations with the Royal
Government of Cambodia towards the establishment of the Extraordinary
Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia for the Prosecution of Crimes
Committed During the Period of Democratic Kampuchea.”
(The
Cambodia Daily,
February 8, 2002)
|
|
|
February 10, 2002 |
Sok An
says the Cambodian government regrets the UN decision announced on
February 8. “The Cambodian government is keeping its door open for
further negotiations. We have not closed the door like Mr. Corell did.”
(The
Cambodia Today,
February 10, 2002)
|
|
|
February 11, 2002 |
An Amnesty International press release states: “The
announcement that the United Nations is pulling out of its cooperation
with Cambodian authorities to bring suspected perpetrators of gross
human rights violations from the Khmer Rouge era to justice came as no
surprise. The net result of these years of work is that Cambodian people
are still no closer to achieving justice, and that is the real tragedy.”
Hun Sen calls on the UN to reconsider its withdrawal from talks
on bringing former Khmer Rouge leaders to trial, urging the world body
not to “fall into the wrong path again” with the country’s former
rulers. He told reporters that Cambodia could wait “two or three more
months” for the UN to change its mind, but said his government will not
wait indefinitely.
(CNN.com./WORLD,
February 11, 2002)
|
|
|
February 12, 2002 |
In a statement in response to the UN’s announced pullout from
tribunal negotiations, Sok An says: “The Royal Government of Cambodia
remains committed to seeking justice for the crimes perpetrated by the
Khmer Rouge, on behalf of the Cambodian people and of humanity as a
whole. We believe that the Law promulgated on 10 August 2001 provides a
sound foundation for such a process based within the Courts of Cambodia
with international participation and meeting internationally accepted
standards, and we earnestly hope that the United Nations will be a part
of this process.”
The United States encourages the UN not to abandon efforts to
participate in the tribunal.
(Wire-News from the AP,
February 12, 2002)
Sok An writes to Hans Corell expressing dismay at the
announcement of UN withdrawal from the negotiations, and the earnest
hope that the UN will return to task of finalizing the Article of
Cooperation and establishing the Extraordinary Chambers.
(Phnom
Penh Post, February 15-28, 2002)
|
|
|
February 14, 2002 |
Lawyers
seek Ta Mok’s release after the UN drops out of the Khmer Rouge trial
process. Ta Mok, 75, was jailed in 1999 in Phnom Penh pending trial for
his role in the 1975-79 regime. Under Cambodian law, Ta Mok must be
formally charged or freed by March 6.
(Reuters,
February 15, 2002)
|
|
|
February 15, 2002 |
Khmer
Rouge Brigadier General Ke Pauk, 68, dies of natural causes. Suffering
from high blood pressure and diabetes, he went to Thailand for medical
treatment in January, suffered a stroke and returned to Anlong Veng in
northern Cambodia, where he died.
(Reuters,
February 16, 2002)
|
|
|
February 20, 2002 |
The European Union urges the UN not to give up on negotiations
with Cambodia over establishing the tribunal.
(Reuters, February 21, 2002)
Fourteen Sam Rainsy Party parliamentarians ask Hun Sen and two
other top government officials to appear at the National Assembly to
explain why negotiations with the UN over the tribunal had apparently
failed.
(The
Cambodia Daily,
February 22, 2002)
|
|
|
April 26, 2002
|
UN
Commission on Human Rights E/CN.4/2002/89
Paragraph 18: Appeals to the Government of Cambodia to ensure
that the senior leaders of Democratic Kampuchea and those who were most
responsible for the crimes and serious violations of Cambodian penal
law, international humanitarian law and custom, and international
conventions recognized by Cambodia are brought to trial in accordance
with international standards of justice, fairness and due process of
law, in this connection recognizes the need for the Government of
Cambodia and the United Nations to cooperate, appeals to the parties to
resume discussions on the establishment of a tribunal for such a purpose
and also appeals to the international community to provide assistance in
this regard;
(www.cambodia.gov.kh/krt/english/chrono.htm)
|
|
|
March 13, 2002 |
Kofi
Annan says Cambodia must change its position if it wants the UN to help
set up a war crimes tribunal for Khmer Rouge leaders. “About a dozen
ambassadors came to see me on this issue, and they felt that we should
reconsider. I advised them that I thought it would be more effective if
they undertook a démarche in Phnom Penh and persuaded Prime
Minister Hun Sen to change his position and attitude, and to send them a
clear message that he is interested in a credible tribunal which meets
international standards—that they needed to start there.”
(United
Nations SG/SM/8160, 13 March 2002—Transcript of Press Conference by
Secretary-General Kofi Annan at Headquarters)
|
|
|
March 15, 2002 |
The
Royal Government of Cambodia Task Force on the Khmer Rouge Trial states
that the UN Secretary-General’s March 13, 2002 statement reflects
misunderstandings of the Cambodian government position. “The Khmer Rouge
Law, which was itself the product of those negotiations, provides checks
and balances between the numbers and decision-making powers of the
Cambodian and foreign judges, investigating judges and prosecutors; and
provides specific guarantees of legal rights for defendants. Cambodia
has expressed its willingness to spell out these rights in even more
detail in the Articles of Cooperation. The UN has not identified any
violations of internationally accepted standards in the Cambodian Khmer
Rouge Law, and has not responded to the letter from the Royal Government
of Cambodia dated 22 January 2002 in which a detailed response was given
to the 11 points raised by His Excellency Hans Corell.”
(Statement from the Royal Government of Cambodia Task Force on the Khmer
Rouge Trial, Phnom Penh, March
15, 2002)
|
|
|
March 20, 2002 |
Hun Sen
says the UN has three months to re-enter talks with Cambodia to set up a
trial of surviving Khmer Rouge leaders. He stated that if further talks
do not materialize by the deadline, Cambodia will consider other options
to bring justice for the 1.7 million people who died under the brutal
ultra-Maoist regime—a foreign-assisted trial or a Cambodia-only
tribunal. “I wish to declare again that the door is still open for three
more months. Our patience is limited. We do not want anyone to walk out.
We want them to participate.”
(Cambodia
Today, March 20, 2002)
|
|
|
April 9, 2002 |
New Delhi
pledges support for continuation of the mixed Khmer Rouge trial if the
UN permanently withdraws. On a visit to Cambodia, Indian Prime Minister
Atal Bihari Vajpayee pledged India would send a judge for the trials if
the UN maintained its decision to pull out.
(The
Cambodia Daily, April 10, 2002)
|
|
|
July 2, 2002 |
Hun Sen
indicates his willingness to compromise in order to restart the stalled
negotiations. He offered to amend the government’s tribunal law.
(The
Cambodia Daily,
July 4, 2002)
|
|
|
July 3, 2002 |
UN Human Rights Envoy Peter Leuprecht expresses hope that the
stalled tribunal will go forward and says that a number of “friendly”
countries continue to try to get the UN and the government together to
further discuss a joint trial.
(The Cambodia Daily, May 4, 2002)
The UN rejects Cambodia’s call to revive stalled plans for the
tribunal, saying it needs more assurances that Cambodia would conduct a
fair trial of the leaders of the “killing fields.”
(Reuters,
July 4, 2002)
|
|
|
July 12, 2002
|
A letter
from Kofi Annan to Hun Sen states that the 8 February decision to end
negotiations was “based on the fact that the good offices I had offered
did not come to fruition” and that “... in order for me to engage in any
further negotiations, I need a clear mandate from the General Assembly
or the Security Council. If such a mandate were given, I would be
prepared to engage in further talks with the Government of Cambodia in
order to fulfill the mandate.”
(www.cambodia.gov.kh/krt/english/chrono.htm)
|
|
|
August 18, 2002 |
A letter
from Hun Sen to Kofi Annan states: “we look forward to the swift
conclusion of such preliminaries as you deem necessary for the United
Nations to return to the table so that we may conclude our negotiations
with an agreement that satisfies both parties, and then move on to the
actual establishment of the Extraordinary Chambers.”
(www.cambodia.gov.kh/krt/english/chrono.htm)
|
|
|
August 20, 2002 |
Annan
tells Cambodia he will resume talks on genocide trials if UN Member
States want him to do so. He wrote to Hun Sen, saying that in order for
him to engage in further negotiations, he needed “a clear mandate from
either the General Assembly or the Security Council.”
(Reuters,
August 21, 2002)
|
|
|
August 27, 2002 |
“A
meeting in New York, called by Japan, held at the Japanese Mission,
attended by interested states, as follows: France, United Kingdom,
Canada, Australia, United States, EU, South Korea, Japan, ASEAN
(Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and Cambodia). It was a
preliminary meeting to exchange views as to what the international
community can do to revive the negotiations.”
(www.cambodia.gov.kh/krt/english/chrono.htm)
|
|
|
November 21, 2002 |
The UN
General Assembly passes a resolution requesting the Secretary-General to
resume negotiations, without delay, to conclude an agreement with the
government of Cambodia based on previous negotiations, and to establish
Extraordinary Chambers consistent with the provisions of the present
resolution, so that the Extraordinary Cambers may begin to function
promptly. The resolution was passed with 39 countries abstaining.
|
|
|
November 30, 2002 |
Khieu
Samphan says that he and other senior Khmer Rouge leaders are prepared
to give evidence on the internal workings of the highly secretive
ultra-Maoist regime, headed by Brother Number One Pol Pot, if a South
Africa-style truth commission is set up.
(AFP,
December 1, 2003)
|
|
|
December 2, 2002 |
Hun Sen says his government is awaiting the passage of the
resolution in “upcoming weeks. What we are concerned about is the
survival of the Cambodian people and that they are free from the hands
of Pol Pot.”
(AFP,
December 2, 2002)
|
|
|
December 19, 2002 |
The UN
passes a mandate requiring UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to return to
the negotiating table with the government of Cambodia. The resolution,
which ordered Annan to restart talks “without delay,” passed by a vote
of 150-0, with 30 nations abstaining.
(The
Cambodia Daily,
December 20, 2002)
|
|
|
December 23, 2002 |
Benson
Samay, Ta Mok’s lawyer, calls for the temporary release of his client on
health and humanitarian grounds.
|
|
|
December 25, 2002 |
Prince
Ranariddh says, “The government must make concessions to the UN if the
restarted Khmer Rouge trial talks are to proceed. Both the UN and
Cambodia already know each other’s stance. If we return just to talk
from the same angle, the stance that brought us to a standstill
before...we might as well not have negotiations.”
|
|
|
January 6, 2003 |
Responding to the Secretary-General’s invitation, a Cambodian delegation
led by Sok An arrives in New York and schedules seven meetings – one
with the Secretary-General and six with representatives of the UN
Secretariat, led by Hans Corell – to prepare for a resumption of
negotiations for Khmer Rouge trials in accordance with General Assembly
Resolution 57/228 of 18 December 2002.
|
|
|
March 17, 2003 |
The UN
and Cambodia hammer out an agreement to set up a special genocide court
for former Khmer Rouge leaders. The UN legal team and Cambodia’s chief
negotiator adopted and supported the Articles of the Agreement. The
draft agreement was to be approved by the UN General Assembly and the
Cambodian National Assembly before work could proceed on actually
setting up the court.
|
|
|
March 18, 2003 |
The
British Embassy in Phnom Penh issues a press release welcoming the
signing of the draft agreement and expressing the UK’s continued
commitment to support a UN-sponsored tribunal. Commenting on the
agreement, Foreign Office Minister Mike O’Brien was optimistic that the
tribunal would at last bring closure to a tragic period of Cambodia’s
recent history, and bring to account those most responsible for the
atrocities committed under the Khmer Rouge regime, stating that it would
provide an opportunity for the Cambodian people to come to terms with
their past and to move towards reconciliation.
(British
Embassy, Phnom Penh, Press Release, March 18, 2003)
|
|
|
March 21, 2003 |
Amnesty
International (AI) says it is deeply concerned about provisions in the
draft agreement “that reflect a significant retreat from current
international law and standards.” It stated that the agreement’s
deficiencies were so serious that it “would oppose the United Nations
signing the agreement without major revision.” However, the draft
provisions AI welcomed included the exclusion of amnesty or pardon for
anyone investigated or convicted of crimes covered by the agreement, a
clause which potentially applies to anyone previously granted an amnesty
by the Cambodian authorities (draft Article 11); provisions that all
proceedings be held in public (draft Article 12.2); and the exclusion of
the death penalty (Article 10), which is consistent with other
international courts.
|
|
|
March 28, 2003 |
Cambodia’s
Cabinet approves a draft agreement with the UN on setting up a trial of
former Khmer Rouge leaders.
(The
Hindu International,
March 29, 2003)
|
|
|
March 31, 2003
|
The UN
Secretary-General issues a Report to the General Assembly (A/57/769),
making some criticisms of the Draft Agreement. He estimated that the
Extraordinary Chambers would cost over $19 million and proposed United
Nations’ funding via assessed (not voluntary) contributions.
(www.cambodia.gov.kh/krt/english/chrono.htm)
|
|
|
May 1, 2003 |
The
Third Committee of the UN General Assembly adopts the resolution
approving the Agreement between the Royal Government of Cambodia and the
UN concerning the Prosecution under Cambodian Law of Crimes Committed
during the Period of Democratic Kampuchea.
|
|
|
May 2, 2003 |
The
Third Committee adopts a resolution approving the Draft Agreement and
stating that the United Nations should fund the Extraordinary Chambers
by voluntary contributions.
(www.cambodia.gov.kh/krt/english/chrono.htm)
|
|
|
May 13, 2003
|
The 85th
Plenary Session of the 57th General Assembly adopts Resolution 57/228B
approving the Draft Agreement and voluntary contributions.
(www.cambodia.gov.kh/krt/english/chrono.htm)
|
|
|
June 6, 2003 |
The UN
and Cambodian government sign the Agreement at Chaktomuk Theater, Phnom
Penh.
(Raksmei
Kampuchea Daily,
June 6, 2003)
|
|
|
June 16, 2003 |
The
Royal Government of Cambodia submits to the National Assembly the
Agreement between the United Nations and the Royal Government of
Cambodia Concerning the Prosecution under Cambodian Law of Crimes
Committed during the Period of Democratic Kampuchea.
(The
Cambodia Daily, June 19, 2003)
|
|
|
June 19, 2003
|
Australia
pledges AU $1.5 million for the Extraordinary Chambers in addition to
the AU $266,000 already provided in various forms of technical
assistance related to the Khmer Rouge trials.
(www.cambodia.gov.kh/krt/english/chrono.htm)
|
|
|
July 1, 2003 |
Khieu
Ponnary, the first wife of former Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot, dies at
the age of 83 in Pailin.
(Raksmei
Kampuchea Daily, July 5, 2003)
|
|
|
August 13, 2003 |
Thousands of documents alleging Khmer Rouge-perpetrated atrocities are
dispatched to the United States, Britain and France, after a series of
security threats. DC-Cam Director Youk Chhang says 70 percent of the
evidence is now safely secured in those countries.
(AFP,
August 13, 2003)
|
|
|
November 11, 2003 |
After
studying the three-year plan for the tribunal, the UN agrees that
expenditures should be $40 million. The UN suggests it will pay $20
million and the Cambodian side the other $20 million, said Om Yentieng,
adviser to Hun Sen and tribunal task force member.
(The
Cambodia Daily, November 12, 2003)
|
|
|
November 19, 2003 |
The US
Congress passes a resolution (H. CON. RES. 83) honoring victims of the
Khmer Rouge. The resolution states the US is committed to pursuing
justice for the victims. US Congressman Dana Rohrabacher says the
resolution marks US recognition of its role in the Indochina conflict
from which the Khmer Rouge regime emerged.
(The
Cambodia Daily, November 26, 2003)
|
|
|
December 7, 2003 |
Karsten
Herrel, head of a five-member trial organizing team, says both the UN
and Cambodian government were starting from the assumption that the
Extraordinary Chambers will be operational in 2004.
(Reuters,
December 7, 2003)
|
|
|
December 10, 2003 |
Kofi
Annan says the process of setting up the tribunal will only begin once
pledges for the first three years of the court’s operation have been
received and enough money for its first year of operation has been
deposited in a trust fund.
(Associated
Press, December 18, 2003)
|
|
|
December 17, 2003 |
Khieu
Samphan, the Khmer Rouge’s head of state, visited his office earlier
this year to seek legal assistance ahead of a planned tribunal, says the
director of the Cambodian Defenders Project.
(Associated Press,
December 18, 2003)
|
|
|
December 19, 2003 |
Australia
issues a statement saying that it has earmarked US $2.1 million for the
joint Cambodian-international courts.
|
|
|
December 22, 2003 |
Following Khieu Samphan’s solicitation of legal aid, his next-door
neighbor and fellow revolutionary Nuon Chea says he would represent
himself if tried for crimes against humanity and genocide.
(The
Cambodia Daily, December 22, 2003)
|
|
|
December 29, 2003 |
In an
open letter, Khieu Samphan denies having any part in the deaths of more
than 1 million Cambodians during the DK regime, but admits the regime
performed “systematic killings.”
(The
Cambodia Daily, December 31, 2003)
|
|
|
March 10, 2004 |
A UN
legal team arrives in Cambodia to hammer out plans for the tribunal
before submitting a full budget proposal to the Secretary-General.
(The
Cambodia Daily, March 11, 2004)
|
|
|
March 12, 2004 |
King
Sihanouk lashes out at the publishing of testimonies by former Khmer
Rouge leaders in which they claim they are innocent of the atrocities
committed during the period 1975 to 1979. Branding their crimes
“Satanic,” the King claimed that by making public declarations of
innocence, they do not need to ask to be pardoned for their crimes.
(The
Cambodia Daily, March 13-14, 2004)
|
|
|
March 18, 2004 |
Karsten
Herrel, the head of a UN delegation, says during a second mission to
Phnom Penh to prepare for a trial of Khmer Rouge leaders, that tribunal
expenses will be “on the higher side” of $50 million. Herrel declined to
give precise budget figures, saying some “cost elements are not totally
known.”
(The
Cambodia Daily, March 19, 2004)
|
|
|
March 25, 2004 |
108th US Congress (2d Session--H.CON.RES.399)
Resolved by the House of
Representatives (the Senate concurring),
That the
Congress — (1) urges the President to
encourage the National Assembly of Cambodia to ratify the agreement
between the United Nations and the Royal Government of Cambodia to
establish a tribunal, the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of
Cambodia for the Prosecution of Crimes Committed during the Period of
Democratic Kampuchea, for the prosecution of surviving leaders of the
Khmer Rouge regime of Democratic Kampuchea who committed genocide and
other crimes against humanity between April 17, 1975, and January 7,
1979; and (2) urges the President, after such agreement is ratified, to
provide support for the establishment and financing of the Extraordinary
Chambers, consistent with the Cambodian Genocide Justice Act (22
U.S.C.2656 note).
(http://thomas.loc.gov/home/gpoxmlc108/hc399_ih.xml)
|
|
|
April 3, 2004 |
Long Beach,
California
lawmakers press President Bush to help fund a tribunal to prosecute
surviving Khmer Rouge leaders. Congresswoman Juanita Millender- McDonald
and Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, who together represent one of the
country’s largest Cambodian communities, said justice for Khmer Rouge
survivors is long overdue.
(Long
Beach Press Telegram,
April 3, 2004)
|
|
|
April 7, 2004 |
Seventeen civic leaders and a member of parliament sign a petition
asking an Appeals Court prosecutor to issue arrest warrants for three
surviving top Khmer Rouge leaders.
(Kyodo
News,
April 7, 2004)
|
|
|
April 8, 2004 |
US
Secretary of State Colin Powell says international judges may give the
only semblance of credibility to a tribunal for the Khmer Rouge leaders.
Powell was testifying at a Congressional hearing in which a senator
asked why the US supported a “flawed” Khmer Rouge tribunal based on
“Cambodia’s broken judicial system.” “I have the same concerns as you
have about the preponderance of justices being Cambodians who might not
mete out justice in the way we would like to see it meted out,” said
Powell, “But we will have international judges on the court as well so
at least these aging defendants will be brought before a tribunal.”
(AFP,
April 8, 2004)
|
|
|
April 9, 2004 |
The
general prosecutor of the Appeals Court asks prosecutors in Battambang,
Banteay Meanchey and Siem Reap to bring charges against Khieu Samphan
and Nuon Chea, and asks the magistrate to issue arrest warrants in
accordance with the rule of proceedings. “As for Ieng Sary, it is
necessary first to examine the royal amnesty decree.”
(The
Cambodia Daily, May 31, 2004)
|
|
|
April 17, 2004 |
King
Sihanouk marks the 29th anniversary of Phnom Penh’s fall to
the Khmer Rouge by calling for the cremation of the victims of the
killing fields and dismissing the proposed UN-backed tribunal. “We are
Buddhists whose belief and customs since ancient times have always been
to cremate the corpses and then bring the remains to be placed in the
stupa at the pagoda,” he wrote in Khmer. He also criticized the
tribunal, saying it would only insult the dead victims. “The
international [community] and the United Nations provide huge funds for
this tribunal process. I foresee that it will just be comical, an insult
to the suffering souls of the victims,” wrote the king.
(The
Cambodia Daily, April 19, 2004)
|
|
|
April 20, 2004 |
In a
message on his website, King Sihanouk says the Khmer Rouge tribunal
cannot be taken seriously unless it is held at The Hague, owing to
Cambodia’s dysfunctional legal system. “The entire world, including the
newspapers that I read regularly, qualifies our body of magistrates and
judges as ‘notoriously corrupt and incompetent’.”
(The
Cambodia Daily, April 22, 2004)
|
|
|
April 27, 2004 |
Khieu
Samphan issues an open letter addressing the public’s opinion of him and
claiming that his image has risen in the estimation of many Cambodians.
“More of our compatriots than before, including the monks, have
expressed their sympathies to me, and I do not need to say everything
that other people have told me every day along the road, smiling at me
and telling me they have read my book,” the letter says.
(The
Cambodia Daily, April 28, 2004)
|
|
|
April 28, 2004 |
King
Sihanouk says in a message on his website that he wants to testify at
the Khmer Rouge tribunal. “I testify before the court not only one time
but every time the court holds a hearing for questioning this person,
and that person, every day, every week, every month, every year, as long
as I am alive.”
(The
Cambodia Daily, April 28, 2004)
|
|
|
May 14, 2004 |
Cambodia’s
longtime Minister of Economy and Finance Keat Chhon says he is willing
to appear as a witness at a planned UN-funded tribunal. He stated that
he would also testify to defend his name if the tribunal chooses to
indict him due to his past affiliation with the Khmer Rouge. The
French-educated minister, whose service to the Khmer Rouge included a
stint as interpreter for Pol Pot, left the movement in the mid-1980s.
(Dow
Jones Newswires,
May 16, 2004)
|
|
|
May 24, 2004 |
Deputy
Prime Minister Sar Kheng approves the establishment of a special
committee to ensure security for participants in the tribunal. The
committee will be headed by Interior Ministry Secretary of State Em Sam
An. Deputies would include Deputy Director General of National Police
Mao Chandara, RCAF Deputy Commander-in-Chief Pol Saroeun, Deputy
Director General of National Police Neth Savoeun, and RCAF Deputy Joint
Chief of Staff Nov Sam. The committee would also include a
representative from the Ministry of Finance and governors of provinces
and municipalities where witnesses and suspects reside, according to Mao
Chandara.
|
|
|
May 30, 2004 |
Prosecutors from Banteay Meanchey, Battambang and Siem Reap provinces
ignore an April Appeals Court order to arrest former Khmer Rouge leaders
Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea. Yam Yeth, Battambang prosecutor, said he
had received the April 9 order, but has not carried it out. “Only the
special judge for the international Khmer Rouge tribunal can issue the
warrant to arrest.” So Vat, Siem Reap prosecutor, also confirmed that he
had received the warrant order from the general prosecutor, but said he
lacked both documented evidence against the former leaders and the funds
to properly investigate them. Om Yentieng, an advisor to Hun Sen and
vice chairman of the Task Force in charge of organizing the tribunal,
said he was “surprised” by the Appeals Court’s decision to issue a
warrant, while opposition party lawmaker Son Chhay complained that
government officials have pressured provincial authorities not to arrest
the former leaders. “Those prosecutors should be punished because they
didn’t respect the order made by the general prosecutor.”
(The
Cambodia Daily, May 31, 2004)
|
|
|
June 5, 2004 |
Hun Sen says Cambodia’s courts have no jurisdiction to order
the arrests of former Khmer Rouge leaders, saying only the UN-sponsored
tribunal will have the power to bring them to justice. “No arrests will
be made until the tribunal is set up. Ratification of the tribunal will
be the first order of business for a newly formed National Assembly.” He
stated that he was not worried that Khieu Samphan or Nuon Chea would try
to flee the country to avoid a tribunal. “They don’t know where to go.
They will face the tribunal.”
(The Cambodia Daily, June 7, 2004)
The estimated cost of the proposed Khmer Rouge trial is now
over $60 million, $10 million more than the initial forecast. Trial Task
Force Secretariat Member Dr. Helen Jarvis confirmed the estimated cost
was now over $60 million and subject to discussion and review by
potential donors, the government and UN.
(Phnom
Penh Post,
June 4-17, 2004)
|
|
|
July 20, 2004
|
Australia
pledges another AU $5 million for the Extraordinary Chambers in addition
to the AU $1.5 million previously announced. The total of AU $3 million
(US $2.2 million) was additional to the AU $266,000 already provided in
various forms of technical assistance related to the Khmer Rouge trials.
(www.cambodia.gov.kh/krt/english/chrono.htm)
|
|
|
August 5, 2004 |
Sean
Visoth, executive secretary of the government’s Khmer Rouge Task Force,
says the UN team led by Karsten Herrel will arrive Cambodia on August 23
to wrap up the tribunal budget. He added that the three-year trial is
expected to cost $57 million, and the final cost is to be further worked
out with donor countries or a group of interested states.
(Kyodo
News,
August 5, 2004)
|
|
|
August 6, 2004
|
The
Council of Ministers approves two draft laws:
a) Amendments to the 2001 Law on the Establishment of the Extraordinary
Chambers;
b) Ratification of the Agreement between the RGC and the UN signed on 6
June 2003.
The amendments approved are for the purpose of harmonising the EC Law
with the Agreement, and that they reflect those proposed by Hans Corell
on 28 May 2003. In addition, the extension of the statute of limitations
under Article 3 is proposed to be changed from 20 to 30 years.
(www.cambodia.gov.kh/krt/english/chrono.htm)
|
|
|
August 23, 2004 |
Thirty
judges and prosecutors chosen by the Supreme Council of Magistracy begin
a two-week course on international humanitarian law at the Royal School
of Judges and Prosecutors. According to a statement from the UN
Development Programme, which assisted the training, the judges and
prosecutors would be introduced to issues including war crimes,
genocide, and crimes against humanity, fair trial and due process.
(The
Cambodia Daily, August 25, 2004)
|
|
|
August 25, 2004 |
The
National Assembly’s Legislation Commission returns to the government’s
Tribunal Task Force a draft bill that would establish the tribunal with
some criticism of the draft’s content. “The bill has a lot of mistakes,
and there needs to be a lot of changes. The commission already sent it
back to the government to make changes,” said Commission Chairman Ek Sam
Ol. But Task Force Executive Secretary Sean Visoth said that the errors
were spelling mistakes that could be easily fixed: “The commission only
asked for correction on some spelling mistakes.”
(The
Cambodia Daily,
August 27, 2004)
|
|
|
September 13, 2004 |
After
announcing the return of a UN delegation to prepare the budget and
logistics for the tribunal, government officials abruptly cancel the UN
team’s visit. The visit was to be postponed until the National Assembly
ratified legislation to establish the tribunal. Prime Minister Hun Sen’s
adviser Om Yentieng said the team would be invited back once the bill
was passed. “I think the suspension will not be a waste of time,” he
added.
(The
Cambodia Daily, September 13, 2004)
|
|
|
September 16, 2004 |
Hun Sen
says Cambodia will not pay its share for the long-delayed trial of
former Khmer Rouge leaders. “Soon there will be talks about the money. I
would like to say that Cambodia can offer only the meeting hall and to
pay for the water and electricity and security guards…”There is no way
they can ask Cambodia to pay for the trial... If you want a trial, you
have to pay. We have to be clear on this,” adding that, “Cambodia can
run the trial, but they say they don’t believe that Cambodia can deliver
justice.”
(AFP,
September 16, 2004)
|
|
|
October 2, 2004 |
“Kofi
Annan asked Cambodia’s government to send a letter to the United
Nations, after ratifying the UN agreement, so that he can call on or
hold a meeting with donors to seek a budget to support the trial,” says
Foreign Minister Hor Nam Hong. The UN Secretary-General told reporters
that only then can the UN seek donors for the estimated $50 million
needed to try the Khmer Rouge leaders.
(Reuters,
October 2, 2004)
|
|
|
October 4, 2004 |
All 107
members of the 123-seat National Assembly vote to ratify the Agreement
between the UN and Royal Government of Cambodia concerning the
prosecution under Cambodian law of crimes committed during Democratic
Kampuchea. “What we have been waiting for so long has happened today,”
Prime Minister Hun Sen says after the vote.
(Documentation Center of Cambodia, Searching for the Truth,
English Edition, Issue 58, October 2004)
In a press conference held in front of the National Assembly
after a meeting to ratify the agreement between the UN and Cambodian
government, Hun Sen announces he will give all government officials and
Cambodians a day off on the first day of the Khmer Rouge tribunal. The
announcement was made in response to a July request by Youk Chhang to
establish a “Day of Remembrance and Justice.”
(Searching for the Truth,
English Edition,
Issue
58, October 2004)
A letter
from Prime Minister Hun Sen is sent to Mr. Kofi Annan, United Nations
Secretary-General, on the adoption by the National Assembly of Cambodia
of the draft law approving the Agreement between the United Nations and
the Royal Government of Cambodia concerning the prosecution under the
Cambodian law of crimes committed during the period of Democratic
Kampuchea.
(www.cambodia.gov.kh/krt/english/chrono.htm)
|
|
|
October 5, 2004 |
96 of 98
National Assembly members vote in favor of the adoption of Amendments to
29 Articles of the Law on the Establishment of the Extraordinary
Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia for the Prosecution of Crimes
Committed during the Period of Democratic Kampuchea. The 29 Articles are
2, 3, 9, 10, 11, 14, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 29, 31, 33, 34, 35,
36, 37, 39, 40, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, and 47. The overall amendments
pertain to technical aspects of the special court, such as structure,
jurisdiction and procedures.
(Searching for the Truth,
English Edition,
Issue 58, October 2004)
|
|
|
October 18, 2004 |
Two
weeks after presiding over the National Assembly’s ratification of the
agreement and amendments to articles of the statute to prosecute
ex-Khmer Rouge leaders, Assembly President Prince Ranariddh dismisses
the tribunal’s value, saying its projected budget would be better spent
on improving the nation’s agricultural sector. “If I had $55 million, I
would use the money to develop the country. It is more beneficial than
prosecuting the aging leaders of the Pol Pot regime,” he told reporters
outside the Assembly. “There are two kinds of justice: the justice for
the victims, and another justice for the poor people. Fifty million
dollars is too much. How many canals could we dig with that money?” he
added.
(The
Cambodia Daily, October 19, 2004)
|
|
|
October 19, 2004 |
The
UN-RGC agreement approved by the National Assembly on October 4 is
promulgated by acting Head of State Chea Sim.
(Royal
Decree, 1004/004)
|
|
|
October 22, 2004
|
The
Constitutional Council approved the amended law as being in conformity
with the Constitution.
(www.cambodia.gov.kh/krt/english/chrono.htm)
|
|
|
October 27, 2004 |
The
amended Khmer Rouge law approved by the National Assembly on October 5
is promulgated by acting Head of State Chea Sim.
(Royal
Decree, 1004/006)
|
|
|
November 8, 2004 |
The
Cambodian government releases a statement announcing its completion of
the legal legwork for the tribunal.
(The
Cambodia Daily, November 8, 2004)
|
|
|
November 16, 2004
|
Deputy
Prime Minister Sok An sends a letter to Under-Secretary-General and
Legal Counsel of the United Nations, Mr. Nicolas Michel, advising him
that, in accordance with Article 32 of the Agreement, the legal
requirements in Cambodia for entry into force had been complied with.
(www.cambodia.gov.kh/krt/english/chrono.htm)
|
|
|
December 2, 2004 |
Hun Sen
expresses concern that the UN’s unwillingness to pay for the tribunal
would delay the process long enough that former Khmer Rouge leaders
would die before going on trial. “Right now we have the law to prosecute
the Khmer Rouge, but the United Nations claims that they do not have the
budget,” said the Prime Minister at the December 2 anniversary of the
Kampuchea National United Front for National Salvation. “People and I
are concerned that former Khmer Rouge leaders will die before the
prosecution. This is our concern; the budget is the UN’s burden,” he
added.
(The
Cambodia Daily, December 3, 2004)
|
|
|
December 10, 2004 |
The
final working budget for a three-year tribunal is set at just $56.272
million, say UN and government representatives, before stating that the
trial’s site will likely be moved to the newly constructed Royal
Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) headquarters on the outskirts of the
capital. The UN team would return to New York to present the new budget
numbers to Secretary-General Kofi Annan before the world body begins
fundraising, UN task force coordinator Mohammed Said told reporters at
the Council of Ministers. Sean Visoth, secretary of the government’s
Tribunal Task Force, said Cambodia would shoulder about $13 million of
the budget, a significantly larger portion than the $7 million the
government had been bargaining for. The budget was whittled down from
$57 million to over $56 million, which Said called “peanuts” in
comparison to the cost of other international tribunals. Some of those
savings may result from a government-proposed change of venue for the
trial, which was originally slotted to take place at Phnom Penh’s
Chaktomuk Theater and the National Cultural Centre. The new RCAF
headquarters has sufficient facilities to house all the proceedings,
Sean Visoth said.
(The
Cambodia Daily, December 11-12, 2004)
|
|
|
December 15, 2004 |
Prince
Ranariddh says a different location from RCAF headquarters is needed to
ensure “a true international standard of justice…For me, any place
outside the military barracks must be better.”
(The
Cambodia Daily, December 16, 2004)
|
|
|
December 16, 2004 |
Prince
Ranariddh says Cambodia and the UN will not be able to begin a planned
international criminal tribunal unless Japan pays at least half of the
required $56 million. “If Japan does not finance half of the budget, we
will not be able to start the trial,” said the prince.
(Japan
Today,
December 16, 2004)
|
|
|
December 17, 2004 |
France
pledges EUR 3 million (US $4 million) towards the planned tribunal,
which is expected to cost US $56 million (EUR 42 million). Xavier
Darcos, minister delegate for cooperation and development, said France
would contribute EUR 1 million per year for the estimated three years of
proceedings.
(AFP,
December 17, 2004)
|
|
|
January 8, 2005 |
Hun Sen
blasts the international community for quickly aiding countries that
were hit by the December 26 tsunami while all but ignoring Cambodia in
the aftermath of the Khmer Rouge regime. “The number of people killed by
the tsunami was less than 10 percent of the extent of the damage and
loss of lives during Pol Pot’s regime,” he said. “No one wants the Khmer
Rouge to be prosecuted more than Hun Sen,” he added.
(Kyodo
News,
January 8, 2005)
|
|
|
January 23, 2005 |
Retired
King Norodom Sihanouk says that the prosecution of only a handful of
former DK leaders would be a “comedy and hypocrisy.” Instead of spending
more than $56 million to establish the tribunal and “to support, for 3
years, its judges in luxury,” he suggested it may be more judicious to
provide families of Khmer Rouge victims with fertile land and irrigation
systems. “The question is to know whether condemnation by the famous
Khmer-UN tribunal of five or six Khmer Rouge would be sufficient to
appease my spirit,” the king wrote on his website.
(The
Cambodia Daily, January 25, 2005)
|
|
|
January 27, 2005 |
Sihanouk
warns of a possible revolt against the government by ex-Khmer Rouge
hard-liners if their leaders are prosecuted by a UN-backed tribunal.
(The
Cambodia Daily, January 28, 2005
|
|
|
January 28, 2005 |
Britain
announces a US $940,000 contribution to support the tribunal.
(ABC
Radio Australia,
January 28, 2005)
|
|
|
January 29, 2005 |
Hun Sen
urges donor nations to quickly put forth funds for the tribunal before
the chance to try ageing former Khmer Rouge leaders is lost.
(The
Cambodia Daily, January 31, 2005)
|
|
|
February 9, 2005 |
Japan
commits $21.5 million for the tribunal and says it will give the money
to the UN by the end of March.
(The
Cambodia Daily, February 10, 2005)
|
|
|
March 7, 2005 |
Prince
Sisowath Thomico, private secretary to retired King Norodom Sihanouk,
declares his intention to sue Foreign Affairs Minister Hor Nam Hong to
discover the fate of his deceased parents – if and when a Khmer Rouge
tribunal is established. Expressing doubt over the UN and government’s
will to hold the long-awaited tribunal, Prince Thomico said he wishes to
find justice for his late parents, Prince Sisowath Methavi and Princess
Nanette Methavi, the older sister of Queen Norodom Minineath.
(The
Cambodia Daily,
March 9, 2005)
|
|
|
March 11, 2005 |
A
Cambodian military court investigating judge says Ta Mok and Kaing Guek
Eav, alias Duch, were charged in February with war crimes and harming
foreign nationals during the regime’s rule from 1975 to 1979.
(ABC
Radio Australia,
March 11, 2005)
|
|
|
March 15, 2005 |
Foreign
Affairs Minister Hor Nam Hong responds to statements made by Prince
Thomico, warning that he would seek massive monetary compensation for
any complaints lodged against him at a future tribunal. Asked to comment
on Prince Thomico’s public statement on his intention to file a
complaint against the foreign minister, Hor Nam Hong told reporters that
anyone who brings forth such a case should be prepared to pay.
(The
Cambodia Daily, March 17, 2005)
|
|
|
March 21, 2005 |
“To
date, the Cambodian government and the UN 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,” says Youk Chhang, Director of the
Documentation Center of Cambodia. He appealed for more contributions and
involvement from the international community in making the long-awaited
tribunal a reality. “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,”
he said. “Helping Cambodians see justice for the crimes against humanity
committed on our soil would ensure donors a place of honor in history.”
(Searching
for the Truth, English Edition, First Quarterly 2005)
|
|
|
March 22, 2005 |
Retired
King Sihanouk says he could contribute $10,000 on behalf of Prince
Sisowath Thomico if Foreign Affairs Minister Hor Namhong were to sue the
prince for defamation, according to the retired king’s pen pal, Ruom
Ritt.
(The
Cambodia Daily, March 22, 2005)
|
|
|
March 25, 2005 |
Canada announces it will contribute C $2 million (US $1.64 million) to
the UN toward the establishment and operation of the Extraordinary
Chambers – C $1 million for the first year, and C $500,000 each for the
second and third years.
(Press Release of the Canadian Embassy in Phnom Penh,
March 25, 2005)
The Cambodian government announces that it can only shoulder
$1.5 million of its expected share of $13.3 million and calls for more
funding from interested states to bridge its shortfall of $11.8 million.
Senior Advisor to Hun Sen, Om Yentieng, said Cambodia’s contribution
will in fact cover $6.7 million in cash and in kind, as far as the
security and premises excluded from the total budget are concerned.
(The
Associated Press,
March 27, 2005)
|
|
|
March 28, 2005 |
Member states of the UN pledge a total of $38.48 million
towards the establishment of the Extraordinary Chambers, $4.52 million
short of the goal of $43 million. The pledges
were:
|
|
|
|
Japan
|
$21,600,000 |
|
|
|
|
France |
$4,800,000 |
|
|
|
|
United Kingdom |
$2,870,000 |
|
|
|
|
Australia |
$2,350,000 |
|
|
|
|
Netherlands
|
$2,000,000 |
|
|
|
|
Canada |
$1,610,000 |
|
|
|
|
Norway
|
$1,000,000 |
|
|
|
|
Germany |
$1,000,000 |
|
|
|
|
Denmark |
$525,000 |
|
|
|
|
Austria |
$360,000 |
|
|
|
|
Sweden |
$150,000 |
|
|
|
|
Republic of
Korea
|
$150,000 |
|
|
|
|
Luxemburg |
$66,000 |
|
|
|
|
The US representative stated that in the past ten years, the US
has “paid $7 million toward documentation and research costs for the
crimes committed in Cambodia,” and that “legislative restraints made it
impossible to pledge moneys towards the Tribunal.”
(UN Press Release, L/3082)
Youk
Chhang,
DC-Cam director, says he is confident that the shortfall will be met,
and that the Cambodian government should consider asking the private
sector in the Kingdom to bridge the gap.
(AFP,
March 29, 2005)
|
|
|
April 11, 2005 |
The
Belgian government pledges $193,500 for a future Khmer Rouge tribunal.
Jeroen Cooreman, deputy head of mission for the Belgian Embassy in
Bangkok, wrote in an e-mail that Belgium could not make the announcement
at a pledging conference at the UN headquarters on March 28 because “the
decision had not been officially taken yet at the time of the pledging
conference.”
(The
Cambodia Daily, April 12, 2005)
|
|
|
April 17, 2005 |
DC-Cam appeals to governments that had embassies in Cambodia
during DK or followed events from embassies in Bangkok, organizations
and individuals to provide materials they possess on the regime to the
Extraordinary Chambers. He also thanked Dr. Steve Heder of the
University of London and former Officer in Charge of the Cambodia Office
of the United Nations Center for Human Rights David Hawk for providing
their Khmer Rouge-related files in anticipation of the tribunal, and
expressed his hope that others would follow their lead.
(Searching for the Truth,
English Edition,
Issue No. 64, April 2005)
|
|
|
April 21, 2005 |
The US
State Department issues a statement: “For the United States to
contribute to this process, we believe, as U.S. law stipulates, that the
tribunal must meet internationally recognized standards of justice. As
the tribunal moves forward, we will engage with the Government of
Cambodia, the United Nations, and interested countries to achieve this
goal.”
(Press
Release 2005/438, April 21, 2005)
|
|
|
April 22, 2005 |
The
Vietnamese government replies to DC-Cam’s April 17 appeal for relevant
Khmer Rouge materials, stating: “Your letter will be forwarded to the
relevant authorities of Viet Nam. I am confident that it will attract
their attention.”
|
|
|
April 25, 2005 |
In
response to DC-Cam’s April 17 appeal for relevant Khmer Rouge materials,
Germany sends documents to DC-Cam.
|
|
|
April 29, 2005 |
The agreement between the UN and Cambodia to set up the
Extraordinary Chambers takes effect. On April 28, 2005 the
Secretary-General of the United Nations wrote a letter to Hun Sen,
informing him that the legal requirements on his side had been met.
According to Article 32 of the Agreement, it therefore entered into
force on April 29, 2005, the day following his notification, given that
H.E Sok An had, on November 16, 2004, informed H.E. Nicolas Michel that
the legal requirements on the Cambodian side had been met.
(Press Release of the Office of the Council Ministers,
May 3, 2005)
According to a UN press statement, sufficient pledges and
contributions were now in place to fund the staffing of the two
Extraordinary Chambers.
(UN News Center,
April 29, 2005)
The European Commission pledges $1.3 million to Cambodia’s
Khmer Rouge tribunal.
(AFP,
April 29, 2005)
|
|
|
April 30, 2005 |
Cambodia
welcomes a UN announcement that enough money is on hand to set up the
tribunal.
(ABC
News Online,
April 30, 2005)
|
|
|
May 6, 2005 |
France
announces it will allocate an additional $1.3 million in 2005 for the
tribunal as an advance on its trial contribution for 2006. “In doing so,
France wishes to encourage its partners to increase their efforts so
that the necessary credits are in hand for the start of the three-year
proceedings,” said the statement of the French Ministry of Foreign
Affairs.
(The
Cambodia Daily, May 7-8, 2005)
|
|
|
May 9, 2005 |
In
response to DC-Cam’s April 17 appeal for relevant Khmer Rouge materials,
Great Britain sends documents to DC-Cam.
|
|
|
May 19, 2005 |
The
United States says it will not be involved in the Khmer Rouge tribunal
unless it proves to be fair and free from political manipulation and
influence.
“The U.S. wants to be in the position where we will be able to support
this politically and financially,” Pierre Richard Prosper, U.S.
ambassador-at-large for war crimes issues, told reporters during a
two-day visit to Phnom Penh. “What we want to avoid is some of the
problems that exist in the ordinary judiciary being transferred to the
Khmer Rouge tribunal,” he said. “It must be free from corruption. It
must be free from political manipulation or influences and must be
transparent,” Prosper added.
(Reuters,
May 19, 2005)
|
|
|
May 20, 2005 |
Some 1,000 Cambodians gather at one of the Khmer Rouge’s infamous
“killing fields” to remember the victims of the 1975-79 regime amid
calls for its former leaders to face trial soon. Relatives of victims,
students, government officials and monks attend the ceremony, held
annually to mark the date Pol Pot’s ultra-Maoists collectivized
agriculture, at the Choeung Ek fields southwest of the capital.
(AFP, May 20, 2005)
|
|
|
May 30, 2005 |
Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An calls on foreign diplomats in
Phnom Penh to help the country pay its share ($13.3 million) of the
costs of a tribunal to try former Khmer Rouge leaders. Sean Visoth,
Secretary of the government’s tribunal task force, said that India,
Singapore and Thailand showed their interest in providing technical
support. He added that the European Union is still deciding whether to
give the $1.3 million it has pledged to the United Nations or the
Cambodian government.
(Voice of America, Phnom Penh, May 31, 2005)
|
|
|
June 2, 2005
|
Diplomatic corps and representatives from 13 embassies in Phnom Penh
join a visit to the proposed Extraordinary Chambers site at Kambol.
(www.cambodia.gov.kh/krt/english/chrono.htm)
|
|
|
June 5, 2005 |
Several prominent Cambodian businessmen say they would donate money to
help cover the government’s $11.8-million shortfall for the Khmer Rouge
tribunal if the government makes an official request. “I will donate
money [to the tribunal] in order to help the government,” Said Sok Kong,
director of Sokimex Company. He adds that he didn’t believe he would be
the only business leader prepared to pitch in. Kith Meng, chairman of
Royal Group of Companies, echoed the statement, “If [Hun Sen] comes up
with a policy or a formal request, we would have no objection.”
(The Cambodia Daily, June 6, 2005)
|
|
|
June 6, 2005 |
Sam Rainsy Party spokesman Ung Bun-Ang calls on the government of
Cambodia to organize a national fund-raiser to make up the
shortfall—which the government said is the final hurdle to seeing the
long-awaited tribunal take place. “It seems that everybody has been
contributing to fund the Khmer Rouge trial except the Cambodian people
here and abroad,” Sam Rainsy Party spokesman Ung Bun Ang said in a
statement.
(The Cambodia Daily, June 7, 2005)
|
|
|
June 7, 2005 |
Nuon Chea admits that his health is weakening and high blood pressure is
causing him problems. But he said he was trying to stay healthy in case
he was called to appear at the long-stalled Khmer Rouge tribunal. “I am
taking care of myself and my health, because I am preparing myself to go
to court,” he stated. “But I do not know how long I can stand in it.”
(The Cambodia Daily, June 8, 2005)
|
|
|
June 8, 2005 |
Prime Minister Hun Sen rejects proposals for a national fund-raiser to
help cover the government’s $11.8-million shortfall for the Khmer Rouge
tribunal budget, a move that some observers believe casts doubt on the
government’s commitment to the long-awaited trial. Commenting on a
proposal to raise money for the Khmer Rouge tribunal from local
Cambodian contributions, Hun Sen said: “I think such a proposal is not
acceptable. Cambodian people earn money just to live.” Om Yentieng, a
member of the government’s Khmer Rouge task force, said afterwards that
there would be no appeal to the country’s wealthy business leaders—or
anyone else—for help.
(The Cambodia Daily, June 9, 2005)
|
|
|
June 10, 2005 |
Japan is unable to provide direct financing to cover
Cambodia’s $11.8m Khmer Rouge tribunal funding shortfall, but is
studying the possibility of making funds available through Japan’s
bilateral assistance to Cambodia, Japan’s foreign ministry says. “The
government of Japan, through Foreign Minister [Nobutaka] Machimura,
would like to see the Khmer Rouge tribunal be commenced as soon as
possible,” Hatsuhisa Takashima told reporters at a press conference, “In
order to do so the government of Japan is willing to discuss in
detail...the arrangement with which Japan would have some mode of
financing it through the bi-lateral arrangement between Cambodia and
Japan.”
(The Cambodia Daily, June 11-12, 2005)
|
|
|
June 21, 2005 |
Foreign Minister Hor Namhong states that another barrier to the
establishment of a Khmer Rouge tribunal was removed with the
announcement that Cambodia will use a special fund set up by the
Japanese government to pay its remaining share of the Khmer Rouge trial
budget. “They [the Japanese government] have already offered. We will
use this money, so we hope that the Khmer Rouge tribunal can proceed
soon,” said the minister.
(The Cambodia Daily, June 22, 2005)
|
|
|
June 22, 2005 |
Hor Namhong’s announcement that Cambodia will use a special fund set up
by Japanese government to pay its remaining share of the Khmer Rouge
trial budget comes as a surprise to the Japanese embassy in Phnom Penh.
The embassy’s political affairs officer, Fumio Goto, said Japan’s
bilateral aid program would not cover all of Cambodia’s costs, and he
asked other countries to contribute as well. “Because this is not only
Japan who assists the Khmer Rouge tribunal,” he said. “So we understand
that now the Cambodian government is prepared, just appeal to all donor
countries to assist the Cambodian portion.”
(Voice of America, June 22, 2005)
|
|
|
June 27, 2005 |
Germany pushes the Khmer Rouge tribunal closer to commencement
with the announcement of an additional $1.9 million contribution toward
trial’s $56.3 million budget.
(The Cambodia Daily, June 28, 2005)
|
|
|
June 30, 2005 |
The UN approves the newly constructed Royal Cambodian Air Force
headquarters on the capital’s outskirts as the location for the planned
Khmer Rouge tribunal. The decision was made during a closed-door meeting
in New York on June 30 between the UN and representatives from countries
that are involved in the tribunal, a diplomat said on condition of
anonymity.
(The Cambodia Daily, July 20, 2005)
|
|
|
June 30, 2005 |
The UN calls on member countries to submit the names of international
judges and prosecutors they would like to see nominated for the Khmer
Rouge tribunal. The UN Secretariat sent a letter to member countries on
June 30, with nominations for the positions – a total of nine from the
international community – to be submitted by August 29. “On behalf of
the Secretary-General [Kofi Annan], I have the honor to invite your
government to suggest the names of individuals whom the
Secretary-General might nominate for appointment,” wrote Nicolas Michel,
the UN’s undersecretary-general for legal affairs. The international
court officials will make $129,400 per year calculated upon how long
they actually work, the letter said. The officials will start at
different times and serve for varying lengths of time depending on the
phase – investigation, trials and appeals - of the tribunal they are
involved in.
(The Cambodia Daily, August 3, 2005)
|
|
|
June 2005 |
Youk Chhang, director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia, calls on
the governments of ASEAN to participate more in the process of the Khmer
Rouge tribunal by providing such much-needed assistance as technical
assistance, documentation (providing Khmer Rouge-related documents to
the tribunal), counseling (helping people suffering from post-traumatic
stress disorder or PTSD), computers, transportation (large vans or small
buses for bringing people from the countryside to attend the trials in
the capital), and radios.
(Searching
for the Truth, English Edition, Second Quarter 2005)
|
|
|
July 14, 2005 |
The government is still waiting for international donors to cover
Cambodia’s $11.8-million Khmer Rouge tribunal budget shortfall and for
the UN to appoint a deputy coordinator before moving forward, a
government official says at a conference on the tribunal. “Once we get
news from the UN [on who will be the deputy coordinator], then Cambodia
will look for its own coordinator,” said Sean Visoth, secretary for the
government’s Khmer Rouge tribunal task force. “We are waiting for the
UN.” The UN posted an advertisement for the deputy coordinator position
in April. Applications were due by May 8. According to officials, the UN
received more than 100 applications. Japanese Ambassador Fumiaki
Takahashi said at the conference, held at the University of Cambodia,
that it was in the “final stages” of deciding who would get the job.
(The Cambodia Daily, July 15, 2005)
|
|
|
July 25, 2005 |
Ian Pearson, Britain’s Foreign Office Minister for Trade, said following
a meeting with Prime Minister Hun Sen to discuss the trial that “Britain
will contribute about $2.6 million to the long-awaited Khmer Rouge
tribunal. We’ve said we’ll commit [$2.6 million] over the next three
years...to the international side of the tribunal,” he said.
(The Cambodia Daily, July 26, 2005)
|
|
|
August 1, 2005 |
Haruhisa Handa, the Japanese philanthropist, religious leader,
self-styled business guru and author also known as Toshu Fukami,
announces a $1.3 million compensation and memorial fund for victims of
the Khmer Rouge. Haruhisa Handa, who is also the founder of the Japanese
Blind Golf Association, is providing $300,000 for the fund, while his
welfare organization, World Mate, will be footing the rest of the bill,
he said. Survivors of the regime will be invited to apply for money from
the fund, which aims to initially give $100 per family to 10,000
families. “If I get more donations, I can give more money for people,”
Haruhisa Handa said.
(The Cambodia Daily, August 2, 2005)
|
|
|
August 4, 2005 |
“With less than one month until the closing of the nomination
process for the election of judges and prosecutors to the new
Extraordinary Chambers, Amnesty International is calling on all states
to nominate their most highly qualified candidates to the Extraordinary
Chambers. Given serious weaknesses in the national judicial system,
Amnesty International was dismayed by a decision to appoint a majority
of Cambodian judges to serve on the Extraordinary Chambers. Eleven of
the 19 judges and one of the two co-prosecutors will be Cambodian.
Amnesty International considers that the Cambodian judicial system
continues to be weak and subject to political pressures, especially in
high-profile cases. It is currently unable to ensure that trials are
conducted in a manner that would conform to international law and
standards of fairness.”
(Amnesty
International, 4 August 2005, News Service No: 211, AI Index: ASA
23/004/2005(Public))
|
|
|
August 15, 2005 |
Prime Minister Hun Sen says that problems in establishing the
Khmer Rouge tribunal are giving him a “headache” and warns there won’t
be a trial if the government’s share of the trial’s budget is not
covered by the international community.
(The Cambodia Daily, August 16, 2005)
|
|
|
August 25, 2005 |
The United Nations announces that Michelle Lee of China will
coordinate UN assistance to the Khmer Rouge tribunal. Effective
September 1, 2005 she will serve as the international deputy director of
the Office of Administration. She joined the UN in 1974 and most
recently has been in charge of administrative support services for the
UN genocide tribunal for Rwanda in Arusha, Tanzania, since July 2003.
Previously she was chief of the administrative division at the UN’s
regional Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific in
Bangkok from February 2001 to July 2003.
(AP,
August 26, 2005)
|
|
|
August 29, 2005
|
Prime Minister Hun Sen welcomes the
appointment of China’s Michelle Lee by the United Nations as coordinator
for UN-Cambodian efforts in setting up a tribunal for former Khmer Rouge
leaders. “We welcome any step made by the United Nations. Any
appointment made available to any nationality by the United Nations is
welcomed,” Hun Sen told reporters, adding
that the United Nations has its own regulation that any person employed
by this body has to be committed to UN interests.
(Kyodo,
August 29, 2005)
|
|
|
September 20, 2005
|
French President Jacques Chirac meets Cambodian Prime Minister
Hun Sen for talks on bilateral cooperation
and efforts to bring surviving leaders of the genocidal Khmer Rouge
regime to justice.
(ABC
Radio Australia, September 20, 2005)
|
|
|
September 23, 2005
|
The new US Ambassador to Cambodia says the time has come for
bringing former Khmer Rouge leaders to justice. “It must be a genuine
tribunal. If we can be assured with the international standard, the
American government will support it. What we need is a real trial, not a
pretend trial,” he said.
(Kyodo,
September 23, 2005)
|
|
|
October 7, 2005
|
India contributes $1 million to the Cambodian side of the budget for the
coming Khmer Rouge trials.
(www.hindu.com/2005/10/08/stories/2005100803181300.htm)
|
|
|
October 25, 2005
|
Fugitive former Khmer Rouge commander
Chhouk Rin is arrested near the Thai
border in Oddar
Meanchey province. The arrest followed a request by French
President Jacques Chirac for Chhouk
Rin’s arrest during a September 21 meeting
with Prime Minister Hun Sen in Paris.
Chhouk Rin had
been on the run since February, when the Supreme Court rejected his
final appeal against a life sentence issued in 2002 for his role in the
1994 murders of three backpackers from Australia, Britain and France who
were taken hostage following a train attack and later executed on Vince
Mountain in Kampot province.
(The
Cambodia Daily, October 26, 2005)
|
|
|
November
12, 2005 |
His Majesty King
Norodom
Sihamoni signs Royal Decrees appointing His Excellency Sean
Visoth
as director of the Office of Administration of the Extraordinary
Chambers, and assigning Ms. Michelle Lee as deputy director, a position
to which she was appointed on October 14 by the Secretary-General of the
United Nations.
(Royal Decree,
NS/RKT/1105/462 &
NS/RKT/1105/466)
|
|
|
November 20, 2005
|
Retired King Norodom Sihanouk
accuses Richard Nixon, former US president, and Henry Kissinger, his
then secretary of state, of serving the interests of the Khmer Rouge
during their military activities in Cambodia. Documents released last
week in the US detailed Nixon’s deceptions during the US “secret war” in
Cambodia in the early 1970s, when the US launched a heavy bombing on the
country. “By using the Lon Nol-ists and
Sirik Matak-ists
to ‘eliminate’ the [Sangkum
Reastr Niyum]
and Norodom Sihanouk, the NIXON-KISSINGER
were, in the end, serving the vital interests of the Khmer Rouge,
Pol Pot and Pol
Pot communism,” Norodom Sihanouk wrote in
the margins of a newspaper posted on his Web site.
(The
Cambodia Daily, November 22, 2005)
|
|
|
November
23, 2005
|
UN moves ahead with Cambodian trials court
for Khmer Rouge leaders
“23 November 2005 - United Nations efforts helping Cambodia to
set up special mixed courts to try ageing former leaders of the Khmer
Rouge accused of killing hundreds of thousands of civilians during the
1970s are gaining momentum as Secretary-General Kofi Annan considers
nominees for the tribunals’ international components.
“A short list <http://www.un.org/law/khmerrougetrials/>
of candidates will be interviewed in early December for the posts of
International Judges, International Co-Prosecutor, International
Co-Investigating Judge and International Judges of the Pre-Trial
Chamber, spokesman Stephane Dujarric told the daily noon briefing in New
York.
“The UN and Cambodia signed the landmark agreement to set up a trial
court and a Supreme Court within the Cambodian legal system to
‘prosecute those most responsible for crimes and serious violations of
Cambodian and international law between 17 April 1975 and 6 January
1979.’
“The courts will comprise a mix of international and Cambodian judges.
According to the agreement - which stresses the impartiality and
independence of the prospective jurists - decisions in the two chambers
would be taken by majorities of four judges and five judges,
respectively.
International Judges
“The Agreement provides, in Article 3, for a Trial Chamber,
composed of three Cambodian judges and two international judges, and a
Supreme Court Chamber, composed of four Cambodian judges and three
international judges.
“In accordance with Article 3, paragraph 5, of the Agreement,
these five international judges are to be appointed by the Supreme
Council of the Magistracy of Cambodia from a list of not less than seven
nominees forwarded by the Secretary-General.
“The other nominees are to remain available for appointment as
international judges in the event of a vacancy. They may also be
designated to serve as alternate judges in specific cases, in accordance
with Article 3, paragraph 8, of the Agreement.
“Acting on behalf of the Secretary-General, the Legal Counsel
has established the following short-list of individuals whom the
Secretary-General might possibly nominate for appointment as
international judges or, in the alternative, as judges of the Pre-Trial
Chamber:
·
Silvia CARTWRIGHT: New Zealand governor general
·
Rowan DOWNING: Australian member of Queens Counsel, legal
adviser
·
Claudia FENZ: Austrian former international judge at the UN
Mission in Kosovo
·
Chandra JAYASINGHE
·
Martin KAROPKIN: New York City Criminal Court judge, acting
judge of New York Supreme Court
·
Agnieszka KLONOWIECKA-MILART: Polish former international judge
at the UN Mission in Kosovo
·
Jean-Marc LAVERGNE
·
Fred McELREA: New Zealand, Auckland District Court Judge
·
Adel Ibrahim MAGED: Egyptian judge, The International Criminal
Court and National Sovereignty
·
Motoo NOGUCHI
·
Robert SPEAR.
“The individuals concerned are being invited for interviews in
New York in December 2005.
“Click here for information on
qualifications
and
conditions of service.
International Co-Prosecutor
“The Agreement provides, in Article 6, for a Cambodian prosecutor and an
international prosecutor, serving as co-prosecutors.
“In accordance with Article 6, paragraph 5, the international
co-prosecutor is to be appointed by the Supreme Council of the
Magistracy of Cambodia from a list of two nominees forwarded by the
Secretary-General.
“The other nominee is to be appointed as a reserve
international co-prosecutor to fill the post of international
co-prosecutor in the event a vacancy or the need arises.
“Acting on behalf of the Secretary-General, the Legal Counsel
has established the following short-list of individuals whom the
Secretary-General might possibly nominate for appointment as
international co-prosecutor:
·
Maria BENEDETTI
·
Charles CARUSO
·
Paul COFFEY
·
Dermot GROOME
·
Robert PETIT
·
Jude ROMANO
“The individuals concerned are being invited for interview in
New York in December 2005.
“Click here for information on
qualifications
and
conditions of service.
International Co-Investigating Judge
“The Agreement provides, in Article 5, for a Cambodian
investigating judge and an international investigating judge, serving as
co-investigating judges.
“In accordance with Article 5, paragraph 5, the international
co-investigating judge is to be appointed by the Supreme Council of the
Magistracy of Cambodia from a list of two nominees provided by the
Secretary-General.
“The other nominee is to be appointed as a reserve
international co-investigating judge, to fill the post of international
co-investigating judge, should the need arise.
“Acting on behalf of the Secretary-General, the Legal Counsel
has established the following short-list of individuals whom the
Secretary-General might possibly nominate for appointment as
international co-investigating judge:
·
Abdulkadir KAYA
·
Agnieszka KLONOWIECKA-MILART
·
Marcel LEMONDE
“The individuals concerned are being invited for interview in
New York in December 2005.
“Click here for information on
qualifications
and
conditions of service.
International Judges of the Pre-Trial Chamber
“The Agreement provides, in Article 7, for a Pre-Trial Chamber,
consisting of three judges appointed by the Supreme Council of the
Magistracy of Cambodia and two judges appointed by the Supreme Council
of the Magistracy upon nomination by the Secretary-General.
“The Pre-Trial Chamber is to be convened, and its judges to
serve, only if and when needed, in order to settle differences between
the co-prosecutors or between the co-investigating judges.
“Acting on behalf of the Secretary-General, the Legal Counsel
has established the following short-list of individuals whom the
Secretary-General might possibly nominate for appointment either as
international judges or, alternatively, as judges of the Pre-Trial
Chamber:
·
Silvia CARTWRIGHT
·
Rowan DOWNING
·
Claudia FENZ
·
Candra JAYASINGHE
·
Martin KAROPKIN
·
Agnieszka KLONOWIECKA-MILART
·
Jean-Marc LAVERGNE
·
Fred McELREA
·
Adel Ibrahim MAGED
·
Motoo NOGUCHI
·
Michael PROULX: Canadian former Quebec Appeals Court judge
·
Phillip RAPOZA: US Massachusetts Appeals Court judge, formerly UN judge
in East Timor
·
Robert SPEAR
“The individuals concerned are being invited for interview in
New York in December 2005.”
“Click here for information on
qualifications
and
conditions of service.
|
|
|
November
25, 2005
|
The Secretariat of the Task Force on the
Khmer Rouge tribunal issues a press release stating that His Majesty
King
Norodom
Sihamoni
signed Royal Decrees appointing His Excellency Sean
Visoth
as Director of the Office of Administration of the Extraordinary
Chambers, and assigning Ms. Michelle Lee as Deputy Director, a position
to which she was appointed on 14 October by the Secretary-General of the
United Nations.
With regard to its budget issues, the
government still lacks $10.8 million, and is appealing to other
governments to help fill in this gap.
(Secretariat of the Task Force,
Press Release,
November 25, 2005)
|
|
|
December
1, 2005
|
Total
contributions to the United Nations side of the Extraordinary Chambers’
budget increase, with recent pledges by Armenia ($1,000), Namibia ($500)
and Ireland ($300,000).
(www.cambodia.gov.kh/krt/english/chrono.htm)
|
|
|
December
6, 2005 |
DC-Cam’s
director Youk Chhang appeals to the Cambodian Government to negotiate
with the French Government for the return of 35 mm films to Cambodia as
these may be used in the Khmer Rouge trials. The films were known to
have been sent to France for restoration in 1998. He said he had
negotiated with several French officials for the return of the films,
but the French side responded that it is an individual matter.
(Rasmey
Kampuchea, December 8, 2005)
Michelle
Lee, the UN’s representative to the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, arrives in
Phnom Penh to conduct a two-week mission (from December 6-16) that may
represent the first solid step toward making the trials become a
reality.
(The
Cambodia Daily, December 7, 2005)
|
|
|
December
9, 2005 |
Michelle
Lee, in a
joint statement
with the director of the office of administration for the Khmer Rouge
Tribunal, says that the principal remaining obstacle relates to the
budget issue. “At the present moment the $43 million on the United
Nations side of the budget is almost fully subscribed, but the Cambodian
side still lacks $10.8 million,” Lee wrote in the statement, adding that
the Cambodian Government is appealing for urgent help to fill this gap.
|
|
|
December
10, 2005 |
The
Australian Government announces a grant of AU $48,306 to the Secretariat
of the Task Force to launch regional outreach forums in provincial
capitals throughout the country. This grant was awarded as part of the
Human Rights Small Grants Scheme 2005-06, and was additional to a grant
of US $19,960 awarded in October under the Australian Embassy’s Human
Rights and Governance Fund for reprinting and distribution to each
school classroom in Cambodia of the Secretariat’s highly regarded
information booklet “An Introduction to the Khmer Rouge Trials,”
published in 2004 with assistance from AusAID.
(www.cambodia.gov.kh/krt/english/chrono.htm)
|
|
|
December
12, 2005 |
Michele
Lee, deputy director of the office of administration for the Khmer Rouge
Tribunal, and her team visit the Documentation Center of Cambodia for
the purpose of evaluating its resources and facilities for the operation
of the tribunal, which is expected to begin to function soon.
Ms. Lee
was leading the UN Start-Up Assessment Mission to Cambodia, 6-16
December 2005 consisting of seven members, who include four newly
appointed Chiefs of Security, Information and Communications Technology,
Budget and Finances and General Services, as well as officials from the
United Nations Headquarters in New York – Anne-Marie Ibanez from the
Department of Political Affairs, acting as spokesperson for the Mission,
and David Hutchinson from the Office of Legal Affairs.
|
|
|
December
14, 2005 |
The
United Nations is seeking another way to use a sum of money to help pay
for the planned Khmer Rouge tribunal. Whether or not this world body can
use this sum is still a matter. The money, totaling around US $6.9
million (Euro 5.7 million), is interest that has accumulated from
contributions various countries made to the UN’s peacekeeping mission in
Cambodia in the early 1990s, said Michelle Lee, head of the UN
administrative team.
(The
Associated Press,
December 16, 2005)
|
|
|
December
16, 2005 |
Director
of the Documentation Center of Cambodia Youk Chhang writes a letter to
the Bangkok Post outlining a number of steps the government of
Cambodia could take so that the Khmer Rouge tribunal’s current budget
obstacle can be removed. These include: 1) accept Japan’s offer to cover
the shortfall; 2) appeal through the press, make a sincere and formal
request and disseminate it widely, both locally and internationally, if
it truly wants Cambodians to donate funds; and 3) locate funding from
its own budgetary resources for the tribunal. He added that donor
countries might consider contributing on a year-by-year basis if they
are afraid that their money might be wasted in Phnom Penh.
(Bangkok
Post,
December 16, 2005)
|
|
|
December
28, 2005
|
The
European Commission pledges US $1.2 million to help cover the
government’s share of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal.
(The
Cambodia Daily, December 29, 2005)
|
|
|
January 10, 2006 |
The
Documentation Center of Cambodia receives the first formal request from
Dr. Steve Heder on behalf of the United Nation Assistance to the Khmer
Rouge Tribunal (UNAKRT) on how he could gain remote access to DC-Cam’s
summarized files and translations that already exist.
(An
E-mail from Dr. Steve Heder dated January 10, 2006)
|
|
|
January 18, 2006
|
Thailand donates US $25,000 to the Khmer Rouge Tribunal.
|
|
|
January 18, 2006
|
Part of the High Command Headquarters of the Royal Cambodian
Armed Forces at Kambol is handed over to the Royal Government Task Force
for the Khmer Rouge trials. Two buildings and their surrounds are to be
dedicated for use as the premises of the Extraordinary Chambers.
(Statement on the Handover of the Remises for the
Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, by His Excellency Sean
Visoth, Director of the Office of Administration and Executive Secretary
of the Royal Government Task Force for the Khmer Rouge Trials)
|
|
|
February 5, 2006
|
Michelle Lee, the UN’s representative to the Khmer Rouge
tribunal, arrives in Cambodia to take up residence in preparation for
the long-awaited Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia.
(The
Cambodia Daily, February 6,
2006)
|
|
|
February 7, 2006
|
Reach Sambath, a Cambodian journalism teacher, is named the
press officer for the upcoming Khmer Rouge Tribunal. He was a reporter
for Agence France-Press for 12 years, and is now a stringer for The
New York Times and a teacher of journalism at the Cambodian
Communication Institute of the Royal University of Phnom Penh. He holds
a degree in journalism from California State University, Fullerton, a
bachelor’s degree in horticulture from India and a master’s degree in
journalism from Columbia University in New York.
(The
Cambodia Daily, February 8, 2006)
|
|
|
February
8, 2006 |
Nuon Chea, Brother No. 2 after Pol Pot of the Khmer Rouge
regime, clears the rumors about his death that swept the country on
Tuesday night. “I am not dead,” he said.
(The
Cambodia Daily, February 9, 2006)
|
|
|
February
9, 2006 |
The administrative heads of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal state that
judges and prosecutors are expected to be in place by the first half of
this year and that the long awaited trials should commence in 2007.
Michelle Lee, ECCC’s deputy director, comments on the budget
issue that by February 15, the tribunal staff will know whether 29
donors to Cambodia have agreed to transfer UNTAC-era trust funds
totaling $6.9 million to make up Cambodia’s budgetary shortfall.
Sean Visoth announces that Deputy Director of National Police
Mao Chandara has been named the tribunal’s security chief.
(The
Cambodia Daily, February 10, 2006)
|
|
|
February 20, 2006
|
The Cambodian and UN administrators of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal
are still waiting to receive approval from 27 countries to release $6.9
million from an UNTAC-era UN trust fund to help pay for the trials,
according to the court’s spokesman Reach Sambath. “We have confirmed
that Britain and Japan have approved the transfer,” he says, “We are
very optimistic that there will be no problem. The trial will go ahead
as scheduled.”
(The
Cambodia Daily, February 21, 2006)
|
|
|
February 25-26, 2006
|
Four-hundred and eighty people from across Cambodia, including
Buddhist nuns, Cham Muslims, students and researchers – some of whom
could be called on to testify at the trials – spend two days revisiting
the scenes of Khmer Rouge atrocities (Tuol Sleng prison, Choeung Ek) and
the venue of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia
(ECCC), asking questions about the courts established to bring victims
justice. The visit was arranged by the Documentation Center of Cambodia.
(The Cambodia Daily, February 27, 2006)
|
|
|
March 8, 2006
|
United Nations Assistance to the Khmer Rouge Trials
The Secretary-General wrote on March 8, 2006 to Prime Minister Hun Sen
of Cambodia, submitting his nominees for international judges,
international co-investigating judge, international co-prosecutors and
Pre-Trial Chamber judges of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of
Cambodia for the Prosecution of Crimes Committed During the Period of
Democratic Kampuchea.
The Agreement that was concluded between the United Nations and the
Royal Government of Cambodia in 2003 provides for a Trial Chamber,
composed of three Cambodian judges and two
international judges, and a Supreme Court Chamber, composed of four
Cambodian judges and three
international judges. The Agreement provides that these five
international judges are to be appointed by the Supreme Council of the
Magistracy of Cambodia from a list of not less than seven nominees
forwarded by the Secretary-General.
The Secretary-General on March 8, 2006 forwarded the following list of
seven nominees for international judges:
Ms. Silvia Cartwright (New Zealand)
Ms. Claudia Fenz (Austria)
Mr. Chandra Nihal Jayasinghe (Sri Lanka)
Mr. Martin Karopkin (United States of America)
Ms. Agnieszka Klonowiecka-Milart (Poland)
Mr. Jean-Marc Lavergne (France)
Mr. Motoo Noguchi (Japan)
The Agreement also provides for one Cambodian investigating judge and
one international investigating judge, serving as co-investigating
judges. The international co-investigating judge
is to be
appointed by the Supreme Council of the Magistracy of Cambodia from a
list of two nominees submitted by the
Secretary-General. The other nominee is to be appointed as the
reserve international co-investigating judge.
The Secretary-General on March 8, 2006 submitted the following
nomination for international co-investigating judge:
Mr. Marcel Lemonde (France)
The Secretary-General promised to submit an additional nominee for
reserve international co-investigating judge at a later date.
The Agreement further provides for one Cambodian prosecutor and one
international prosecutor, serving as co-prosecutors. The international
co-prosecutor is to be appointed by the Supreme Council of the
Magistracy of Cambodia from a list of two nominees forwarded by the
Secretary-General. The other nominee is to be appointed as the reserve
international co-prosecutor.
The Secretary-General forwarded the following list of nominees for
international co-prosecutor:
Mr. Paul Coffey (United States of America)
Mr. Robert Petit (Canada)
Finally, the Agreement provides for a Pre-Trial Chamber of five judges;
three appointed by the Supreme
Council of the Magistracy and two appointed by the Supreme Council of
the Magistracy upon nomination by the Secretary-General.
The Secretary-General on March 8, 2006 forwarded the names of the
following two nominees for appointment as judges of the Pre-Trial
Chamber:
Mr. Rowan Downing (Australia)
Ms. Katinka Lahuis (Netherlands)
The Secretary-General has requested Prime Minister Hun Sen to transmit
his nominations to the Supreme Council of the Magistracy of Cambodia.
There is not yet any indication when Cambodia’s Supreme Council of the
Magistracy will announce whom it is appointing from among these
nominees.
(UN
Press Statement,
March 8, 2006)
|
|
|
March
14, 2006 |
The
United Nations and Cambodian Government today signed agreements putting
in place the legal foundations for the administrative set-up and
operations of the Extraordinary Chambers to try Khmer Rouge leaders,
accused of horrific crimes, including mass killings, during the 1970s.
One of the agreements signed today concerns supplementary arrangements
on the facilities, utilities and services the Cambodian Government would
provide for the premises of those Chambers; the other deals with safety
and security arrangements, Stephane Dujarric told reporters.
(UN News, March 14, 2006)
|
|
|
April 6,
2006 |
Khieu
Samphan and Nuon Chea, Khmer Rouge surviving leaders, want to become
monks in order to educate their bodies and minds in Buddhist ways,
according to authorities in Pailin.
(Kampuchea
Thmey Daily, April 7, 2006)
|
|
|
April 8,
2006 |
Updated
Tribunal Funding
(Source:
Helen Jarvis/ECCC, April 8, 2006)
|
|
|
April
17, 2006 |
Cambodia
mourns 31st anniversary of the Khmer Rouge coming to power.
|
|
|
April
21, 2006 |
A
European Union delegation led by Mark Tarabela, says during a visit to
Cambodia that the EU will support the Khmer Rouge Tribunal when the
Cambodian and international sides submit new proposals.
(VOA,
April 21, 2006)
|
|
|
April
24, 2006 |
Retired
King Norodom Sihanouk decried what he says was a growing revisionist
movement to cast the late Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot as a national hero.
He responded to media reports about a Buddhist ceremony held on the
eighth anniversary of Pol Pot’s death in Oddar Meanchey province’s
Anlong Veng district, on April 15. Followers of Pol Pot brought
offerings of food and incense to the site of his cremation on April 15,
as did superstitious people hoping he would offer them luck. “They make
pilgrimages to the tomb of the new ‘Tevoda’ [God] Pol Pot to burn sticks
of incense and candles so that the beloved Pol Pot should experience
Heaven in stead of Hell and so that as soon as possible he should be
reborn on our earth.” He added that he hoped that if Pol Pot were to
return, the current government would remain in power.
(The
Cambodia Daily, April 25, 2006)
|
|
|
April
26, 2006 |
The
Supreme Council of Magistracy will choose the Cambodian and
international judges and prosecutors for the Khmer Rouge Tribunal on May
4, Minister of Justice Ang Vong Vathana says.
(The
Cambodia Daily, April 27, 2006)
|
|
|
May 7,
2006 |
National
and international judges and prosecutors for the Extraordinary Chambers
in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) selected by the Supreme Council of the
Magistracy on May 4 are appointed by Preah Reach Kret (Royal Decree)
NS/RKT/0506/214 of His Majesty Norodom Sihamoni, King of Cambodia. Below
is the official list:
1.
Judges in the Trial Chamber:
Mr. Nil Nonn |
(Cambodia) |
Mr. Thou Mony |
(Cambodia) |
Mr. Ya Sokhan |
(Cambodia) |
Ms. Silvia Cartwright |
(New Zealand) |
Mr. Jean-Marc Lavergne |
(France) |
Reserve |
Mr. You Ottara |
(Cambodia) |
Ms. Claudia Fenz |
(Austria) |
2.
Judges in the Supreme Court Chambers:
H.E. Kong Srim |
(Cambodia) |
Mr. Som Sereyvuth |
(Cambodia) |
Mr. Sin Rith |
(Cambodia) |
Mr. Yar Narin |
(Cambodia) |
Mr. Motoo Noguchi |
(Japan) |
Ms. Agnieszka Klonowiecka-Milart |
(Poland) |
Mr. Chandra Nihal Javasinghe |
(Sri Lanka) |
Reserve |
Mr. Mong Monichariya |
(Cambodia) |
Mr. Martin Karopkin |
(USA) |
3.
Co-Investigating Judges:
Mr. You Bun Leng |
(Cambodia) |
Marcel Lemonde |
(France) |
Reserve |
Mr. Thong Ol |
(Cambodia) |
International |
(To be announced) |
4.
Co-Prosecutors:
Ms. Chea Leang |
(Cambodia) |
Mr. Robert Petit |
(Canada) |
Reserve |
H.E. Chuon Sun Leng |
(Cambodia) |
Mr. Paul Coffey |
(USA) |
5.
Pre-Trial Chamber:
H.E. Prak Kimsan |
(Cambodia) |
H.E. Ney Thol |
(Cambodia) |
Mr. Huot Vuthy |
(Cambodia) |
Mr. Rowan Downing |
(Australia) |
Ms. Katinka Lahuis |
(Netherlands) |
Reserve |
Mr. Pen Pichsaly |
(Cambodia) |
International |
(None) |
(Official
May 8 ECCC list)
|
|
|
May 10,
2006 |
Michelle
Lee and her Cambodian counterpart Sean Visoth, top ECCC officials, tell
a press conference that there has been another delay for the trials to
start in June due to a shortage of qualified Cambodian staff. They added
that they hope the situation would be rectified by July, although it
could be later.
(Bangkok
Post, May 11, 2006)
|
|
|
May 11,
2006 |
Speaking at a graduation ceremony at the Royal School for
Administration, Prime Minister Hun Sen criticizes those who have
questioned the qualifications of the judges and prosecutors appointed to
the Khmer Rouge Tribunal.
(The
Cambodia Daily, May 11, 2006)
|
|
|
May 12,
2006 |
The statue of Lokta Dambang Daek (Grandfather with the Iron
Staff) was inaugurated in Kandal province on Friday morning. According
to Cambodian legal regulations, witnesses have to swear to tell the
truth before the statue before testimony is given.
(The
Cambodia Daily, May 13-14, 2006)
|
|
|
May 17,
2006 |
The UN´s High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour hosts
a two-hour talk on judicial reform and tours the Tuol Sleng Genocide
Museum with Youk Chhang, director of the Documentation Center of
Cambodia.
(The
Cambodia Daily, May 18, 2006)
|
|
|
May 24, 2006 |
Cambodia’s 17 new judges and prosecutors for the ECCC are
officially introduced to the ECCC’s administrative officials. Five of
them were invited to a forum, “Conference on East Timor Lessons Learned”
to be held in Bangkok on May 28-29, organized by the East-West Center
and Berkeley War Crimes Studies Center.
(The Cambodia Daily, May 25, 2006).
|
|
|
June 15,
2006 |
The
Royal Government of Cambodia and United Nations Development Programme
sign an agreement that will channel approximately $6.3 million to the
ECCC. US $5 million will come from Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Australia,
Japan, New Zealand, Ireland, Canada, United Kingdom, Netherlands,
France, and Germany, which were contributed UNTAC operations, and €1
million will come from European Commission member states. Cambodia’s
contribution to the ECCC is $13.3 million; these latest contributions
reduced the shortfall on the Cambodian side to $4.96 million.
(Remarks
by H.E. Sok An, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Royal
Government Task Force, and Douglas Gardner, UNDP Resident
Representative and UN Resident Coordinator at the signing ceremony)
|
|
|
June 16,
2006 |
Thiounn
Thioeunn, the Khmer Rouge’s health minister who earned a medical degree
from France, dies of natural causes at the age of 86 in Phnom Penh. His
brother Thiounn Prasith was Cambodia’s ambassador to the United Nations
from 1978-1992, when the Khmer Rouge represented the country at the
world forum. Another brother, Thiounn Mumm, also served in senior
positions with the Khmer Rouge. Both brothers, who are younger than
Thiounn Thioeunn, are believed to be alive (Thiounn Prasith was last
reported to be living in New York. After his diplomatic stint ended, he
was allowed to remain there based on his wife’s employment at the UN).
(Sopheng
Cheang, AP Writer, June 21, 2006)
|
|
|
June
26-27, 2006 |
DC-Cam
organizes a visit to Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, Choeung Ek, and the
ECCC premises for 530 commune chiefs from 12 provinces.
|
|
|
July 3, 2006 |
17 Cambodian and 8 international judges and prosecutors chosen
to preside over the Khmer Rouge Tribunal take their oaths of office at a
ceremony held at the royal palace.
(The
Cambodia Daily, July 3, 2006)
|
|
|
July 6,
2006 |
Duch’s lawyer, Kar Savuth, says he would boycott the trials
because nearly all Cambodian judges on the Khmer Rouge Tribunal had lost
relatives to the regime.
(Reuters,
July 6, 2006)
|
|
|
July 7,
2006 |
To ensure former Khmer Rouge leaders have an adequate defense,
the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia will set up a
defenders office staffed by foreign lawyers, the ECCC announces at a
press conference. Rupert Skilbeck, the principal defender leading the
office, said that the Law on the Bar Association must be amended to
allow foreign attorneys to serve as co-defense counsel in Cambodia and
that 15 attorneys would staff the ECCC defense office to ensure “an
equality of arms” between the prosecution and the defense at the
Tribunal.
(The
Cambodia Daily, July 8-9, 2006)
|
|
|
July 8,
2006 |
Retired King Norodom Sihanouk announces that he opposes the
newly inaugurated Khmer Rouge 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.
(The
Cambodia Daily, July 10, 2006)
|
|
|
July 11,
2006 |
Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith accuses reporters of
“psychologically harassing” and “intimidating” former Khmer Rouge
leaders, adding that efforts to report on their movements as part of a
so-called “Khmer Rouge watch” could jeopardize the Tribunal.
(The
Cambodia Daily, July 12, 2006)
Ta Mok’s niece, Ven Ra, says that Ta Mok told her that the
military court had denied him proper medical treatment for months when
she met him over the weekend. “He told me that he had asked the people
who look after him to send him to the hospital for three months before
they sent him to the hospital.”
(The Cambodia Daily, July 12, 2006)
|
|
|
July 12,
2006 |
Nuon Chea, former Khmer Rouge Brother Number Two, clears the
rumor that he and Khieu Samphan, Khmer Rouge head of state, have tried
to flee. “I would like to express that former leaders of Democratic
Kampuchea are not deserting our nation and people and we are in the
country.”
(The
Cambodia Daily, July 13, 2006)
|
|
|
July 15, 2006
|
Despite the fact that he opposes the Extraordinary Chambers in
the Courts of Cambodia, former King Norodom Sihanouk wrote a statement
that he is willing to give statements in the court. “I am not lacking
the courage to go to answer before the tribunal. My family, my wife’s
family and many people who supported Norodom Sihanouk were tortured and
killed by Khmer Rouge Pol Pot.” However, Information Minister Khieu
Kanharith said the government does not want the retired King to appear
before the tribunal because he is the symbol of national unity.
(The
Cambodia Daily, July 19, 2006)
|
|
|
July 21,
2006 |
Ta Mok, age 81, dies in Preah Ket Mealea Military Hospital at
4:45 am, seven years, four months and two weeks after being captured and
imprisoned without trial by the government. Ta Mok died from old age and
tuberculosis, said a doctor who declined to give his name.
(The Cambodia Daily, July 22-23, 2006)
|
|
|
July 24,
2006 |
Ta Mok’s body was buried in Anglong Veng, Oddor Meanchey
province.
(Rasmei Kampuchea Daily, July 25, 2006)
DC-Cam begins its two-week training course for twelve police
officers on methods for investigating crimes committed by the Khmer
Rouge, and interviewing victims and suspects.
(The Cambodia Daily, July 26, 2006)
|
|
|
July
24-25, 2006 |
512
commune chiefs from across the country visit Tuol Sleng Genocidal
Museum, Choeung Ek Killing Fields, and the ECCC. They also talked to
parliamentarians who were involved in the drafting of the Khmer Rouge
Tribunal statute, Tribunal officials and the US ambassador to Phnom
Penh.
(Searching for the Truth,
English Edition,
Issue 79, July 2006)
|
|
|
August
17-24, 2006 |
Under a
DC-Cam outreach project, 142 student volunteers from various
universities in Phnom Penh travel to 16 provinces to disseminate
information on Khmer Rouge Tribunal. They also interviewed survivors of
Democratic Kampuchea. The information distributed included
Introduction to the Khmer Rouge Trials, two pamphlets published by
DC-Cam containing the Khmer Rouge Law, the UN-government agreement on
the Tribunal, and various speeches and articles related to the tribunal.
|
|
|
August 29, 2006 |
The ECCC invites private companies to bid for the right to
construct a pre-trial detention center for Tribunal defendants. Tribunal
spokesman Reach Sambath said that the detention center would be built
within the tribunal compound in Kandal province. The center is necessary
because the ECCC is located outside the city and the Tribunal does not
want to have to ferry suspects back and forth from the court, he said.
(The Cambodia Daily, August 29, 2006)
|
|
|
October 30, 2006 |
The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia launches a
new Website for the public.
The website,
www.eccc.gov.kh, offers audio and video recordings of trial
proceedings and court orders. It will soon be available in French, in
addition to Khmer and English.
(The Cambodia Daily, October 30, 2006)
|
|
|
November 3, 2006 |
The Khmer Rouge Tribunal released the draft of its internal
rules for the public to consult. The draft rules define the roles of
judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, suspects, witnesses and victims
appearing before the ECCC.
There are measures like voice distortion and concealing
physical features for the protection of witnesses. A $10,000 fine is in
place if the identity of a witness is revealed. The draft rules also
allow the involvement of victims as civil parties for damage claims.
(The Cambodia Daily, November 4-5, 2006)
|
|
|
November 12, 2006 |
The ECCC completes the construction of a four-cell detention
center; each cell is equipped with air-conditioning and a hot water
system. The construction costs of $45,000 were covered by Japan.
(The Cambodia Daily, November 13, 2006)
|
|
|
November 16, 2006 |
The Cambodian Bar Association announces that the Khmer Rouge
Tribunal’s draft rules violate Cambodian law, and demands a greater role
in defending the Khmer Rouge’s likely suspects. Ky Tech, the
Association’s president, threatened to sue foreign lawyers practicing at
the Tribunal if the Association’s demands are not met.
(The Cambodia Daily, November 17, 2006)
|
|
|
November 20, 2006 |
ECCC officials debate the court’s internal rules. More than 20
external comments on the Draft Rules were submitted to the Courts.
(The Cambodia Daily, November 21, 2006)
Ieng Sary, 77, the Khmer Rouge Brother Number 3, suffered heart
trauma and is flown to Bangkok where he was treated for over a week.
(Phnom Penh Post, Issue 15/24, December 1-14, 2006)
|
|
|
November 22, 2006 |
Ky Tech, president of the Cambodian Bar Association, again
threatens to sue anyone who participates in a five-day training course
in international criminal law being offered by the Defense Office of the ECCC and the International Bar Association. He said that the training
violates Cambodian domestic law and named those who would participate in
the training as “extremists.”
(The Cambodia Daily, November 23, 2006)
|
|
|
November 23, 2006 |
The Cambodian Bar Association will order its members not to
participate the training held by the Khmer Rouge Tribunal’s Defense
Office and the International Bar Association. The CBA called the course
“illegal.”
(The Cambodia Daily, November 24, 2006)
|
|
|
November 24, 2006 |
The International Bar Association announces the cancellation of
its training program for Cambodian attorneys due to the hindrances posed
by the Cambodian Bar Association.
(International Herald Tribune, November 24, 2006)
|
|
|
November 25, 2006 |
National and international judicial officers of the ECCC
announce the failure to adopt the Internal Rules for the ECCC due to
disagreement on several key issues:
1)
How to integrate Cambodian law and international standards
2)
The role of the Defense Support Unit, including the issue of how defense
lawyers will be qualified
3)
The role of the co-prosecutor and its impact on the voting procedure
4)
How the Extraordinary Courts will operate within the Cambodian court
structure
(Joint Statement by National and International Judicial
Officers of the ECCC, Phnom Penh, November 25, 2006)
(http://www.eccc.gov.kh/english/cabinet/press/15/PRESSRELEASE_PLENARY_in_ENG_FRENCH_.pdf)
|
|
|
December 5, 2006 |
Brad Adams, Asia director of Human Rights Watch, criticizes
political interference by the Cambodian government in adopting the
ECCC’s rules, saying that it will further delay the process.
(Human Rights Watch, December 5, 2006)
Cabinet Minister Sok An writes the UN asking to open a dialogue
to resolve the acrimonious dispute over the role of the defense Support
Section of the ECCC. In a letter addressed to Nicolas Michel,
undersecretary general counsel at the UN in New York, Sok An said that
“the administration, role and functions of the ECCC’s defense support
section, as well as its relationship with the Bar Association of
Cambodia, were not outlined in the agreement between Cambodia and the
UN.”
(The Cambodia Daily, December 18, 2006)
|
|
|
December 6, 2006 |
The ECCC demands proof of Human Rights Watch allegations. Huot
Vuthy, a pre-trial chamber judge, criticized Human Rights Watch and
demanded proof of the interference of the Cambodian government as
charged by this international rights body.
Brad Adam, Asia director of Human Rights Watch, writes an
e-mail, confirming that the accusation is accurate.
(The Cambodia Daily, December 7, 2006)
|
|
|
December 7, 2006 |
The ECCC welcomes victims’ complaints. ECCC Co-prosecutor
Robert Petit said that victims of the Khmer Rouge can definitely sue for
damages. Youk Chhang, director of DC-Cam, said that his organization
would offer help to victims who are interested in filing a complaint
with the ECCC.
(The Cambodia Daily, December 8, 2006)
|
|
|
December 13, 2006 |
Keat Chhon, Minister of Finance, admits his involvement in the
Khmer Rouge regime (1975-1979). His response came after opposition party
leader Sam Rainsy accused him of having played a key role in the Khmer
Rouge era, as advisor to the late Pol Pot, the mastermind behind
Cambodia’s killing fields.
Keat Chhon said that he is willing to testify at the trails.
(VOA Khmer, December 13, 2006)
“If I am called upon to answer to the Cambodian people and
nation about my past, I will answer,” Keat Chhon told the Assembly.
(The Cambodia Daily, December 14, 2006)
|
|
|
December 14, 2006 |
CPP lawmaker Cheam Yeap says that CPP leaders are not afraid to
testify at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal because none of them meet the
definition of “senior leaders” of the Khmer Rouge or “those most
responsible” for the crimes committed between 1975 and 1979.
(The Cambodia Daily, December 15, 2006)
|
|
|
December 19, 2006 |
The ECCC organizes a roundtable discussion of the role of media
and the Tribunal. The discussion aims to ensure that the press coverage
of the ECCC is fair and accurate. Kranch Tony, the ECCC’s Chief of Court
Management, told the participants that “On behalf of our country and as
host of the ECCC, we need to write with respect to ethical codes and
personal morals, when writing about the tribunal.” He added that they
must respect three points: peace, national reconciliation and justice
for the victims.
(The Cambodia Daily, December 20, 2006)
The UN responds to a government request to open a dialogue to
resolve the acrimonious dispute over the Defense Support Section of the
ECCC and its Principal Defender, Rupert Skillbeck.
In an extract of the UN’s formal response given by the ECCC on
Tuesday, Nocolas Michel, Undersecretary General for Legal Affairs at the
UN in New York, says that the international body shares the Cambodian
government’s concerns and is confident that the issues can be resolved.
Michel referred to a UN report based on a December 2003 UN mission to
Cambodia, which discusses the structure and staffing of “a small
semi-autonomous unit, loosely linked to the office of administration”
that would provide “basic legal assistance and support.”
(The Cambodia Daily, December 21, 2006)
|
|
|
January 11, 2007 |
Microsoft Singapore takes an initial step in the name of the private
sector to try to bridge the budget gap of the Extraordinary Chambers in
the Courts of Cambodia by, without any terms or restrictions, donating
$100, 000 to the UN side.
(http://www.playfuls.com/news_10_8423-Microsoft-Becomes-First-Private-Donor-For-Khmer-Rouge-Trials.html)
|
|
|
January 18, 2007 |
The
German Development Service donates $300, 000 toward community programs
supporting the upcoming Khmer Rouge Tribunal. The funds are not to be
contributed directly to the Tribunal budget, but through the Service’s
local partner, the Center for Social Development.
(http://news.monster
sandcritics.com/europe/news/article_1248130.php
/DED_donates_300000_dollars_toward_Khmer_Rouge_trials)
|
|
|
February 12, 2007 |
The
Documentation Center of Cambodia received more than 400 kilograms of
Khmer Rouge-related documents that had been stored for nearly three
decades in Sweden. The documents are in Cambodian, English, French and
Swedish.
(The
Nation,
February 13, 2007)
|
|
|
February 14, 2007 |
The New York-based organization, Open Society Justice
Initiative (OSJI), issues a statement alleging corruption by Cambodian
judges and court officials of the ECCC. OSJI claimed that the Cambodian
side must kick back part of their wages to Cambodian government
officials in exchange for their positions. OSJI also called for donors
and the international community to investigate thoroughly the corruption
allegations.
(OSJI
Press Release, February 14, 2007)
|
|
|
March 8, 2007 |
Cambodian national judges of the ECCC requested that OSJI
correct its statement issued on February 14, 2007 alleging corruption by
the Cambodian side. All ECCC-appointed national judges claimed that this
unsubstantiated allegation, which was published widely in the local and
international media, was creating public confusion and seriously
undermining their reputation and integrity.
(ECCC
Press Release, March 8, 2007)
|
|
|
March 16, 2007 |
After a ten-day session on the draft internal rules, the Review
Committee concluded that all remaining disagreements had been resolved,
although some fine tuning remains to be done.
Another outstanding issue, which is not declared in the
internal rules, is the high charge of the Bar Association of the Kingdom
of Cambodia (BAKC) got registration fees (about US $5000) on foreign
lawyers to take part in the ECCC. The international judges refused the
proposal and claimed that it is unacceptable and impacts the rights of
the accused and victims to select their own counsel. The BAKC was
invited to reconsider its decision as soon as possible so that a planned
plenary session on adopting the internal rules could take place on April
30, 2007.
(ECCC Press Release, March 16, 2007)
|
|
|
April 5, 2007 |
Fifteen
Cambodian national judges of the ECCC write a response to their
international partner on April 4, 2007. The letter aimed to urge the
international judges to reconsider their boycott of the plenary session
planned for April 30 to adopt the draft Internal Rules of the ECCC, and
to respond to the proposal to exclude the Bar Association of Kingdom of
Cambodia (BAKC). National judges see perceived that such an action was
not consistent with the “substance and spirit of the Agreement and Law
on the establishment of the ECCC.” The national judges also pointed out
that the registration fees proposed by the BAKC are not declared in the
Internal Rules, so these should not be the reason to delay the adoption.
(ECCC
Press Release, April 5, 2007)
|
|
|
April 30, 2007 |
The
Cambodian Bar Association reduces the registration fee for foreign
counsels from approximately US $5,000 per year to a flat fee of US $500
for the entire period of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal.
(The
Cambodia Daily, April 28-29 and May 1, 2007)
|
|
|
May 25, 2005 |
The Khmer Rouge
tribunal may examine the more than 1 million of victims petitions filed
in early 1980s, said Chea Leang, ECCC Co-prosecutor, adding that there
is no laws barring the tribunal from accepting those petitions.
(Rasmei Kampuchea, May 27-28, 2007)
|
|
|
June 12, 2007 |
The ECCC’s Internal
Rules was unanimously adopted after nearly a year of negotiations. All
of the unresolved issues at the previous session were resolved,
including “how to ensure the rights and involvement of victims, who will
now have the right to join as civil parties but can only receive
collective and non-financial reparation.”
(UN News Service, June 13, 2007)
|
|
|
June 22, 2007 |
A meeting between
officials from the UN Development Program and the Extraordinary Chambers
in the Courts of Cambodia was held to discuss the recommendations given
by UNDP after conducting an auditing of Cambodian human resources
section. One of the recommendation was that "salaries of Cambodian
staffers be reduced by almost half in the face of an imminent budget
shortfall."
(The
Cambodia Daily, June 23-24, 2007)
|
|
|
June 26, 2007 |
The Cambodian side of
the ECCC has accepted all of those recommendations addressed to its
side, and has already commenced implementation.
(ECCC
Press Release, June 26, 2007)
|
|
|
July 18, 2007 |
The ECCC Co-Prosecutors submit the first Introductory Submission of
their investigation to the Co-Investigating Judges. It “contains facts
that may constitute crimes, persons suspected to be responsible for
those crimes and requests the Co-Investigating Judges to investigate
those crimes and suspects.” The submission states: “Pursuant to their
preliminary investigation, the Co-Prosecutors have identified and
submitted for investigation twenty-five distinct factual situations of
murder, torture, forcible transfer, unlawful detention, forced labor and
religious, political and ethnic persecution as evidence of the crimes
committed in the execution of this common criminal plan.” The factual
allegations “constitute crimes against humanity, genocide, grave
breaches of the Geneva Conventions, homicide, torture and religious
persecution.” The Co-Prosecutors identified five suspects who committed,
aided, abetted and/or bore superior responsibility for the alleged
crimes; in support of their accusation, they submitted more than 1,000
documents (over 14,000 pages) to the Co-Investigating Judges, including
third-party statements and/or written records of over 350 witnesses, a
list of 40 potential witnesses, thousands of pages of Democratic
Kampuchea-era documentation and the locations of more than 40
undisturbed mass graves.
(http://dccam.org/Tribunal/Documents/Statement_of_Co-Prosecutor_on_18-July-2007.pdf)
|
|
|
July 20, 2007 |
Nuon Chea, guessing that he must be one of the first five candidates
named by the co-prosecutors before the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, tells
The Cambodia Daily that the tribunal would be his battlefield. He
claimed that there was no policy of killing people. “Don't worry,” he
said, “I will go to court when they need me, and I will clarify
everything at court and stop the accusations and stop people from saying
the Khmer Rouge were monsters.”
(The Cambodia Daily, July 20, 2007)
|
|
|
July 24, 2007 |
Ieng Vuth, Pailin’s deputy municipal governor and the son of Ieng Sary
and Ieng Thirith, slams Rasmei Kampuchea Daily for speculating
that his parents were two of the five names in the Co-Prosecutors’ first
confidential list charged before the Khmer Rouge Tribunal. He expects
the tribunal to be little more than victor's justice. “Justice is with
the one who is strong,” he stated.
(The Cambodia Daily, July 24, 2007)
|
|
|
July 31, 2007 |
Duch is officially handed over to the ECCC, making him the first suspect
to be detained by the Tribunal.
(AFP, July 31, 2007)
|
|
|
July 31, 2007 |
Duch is officially charged with crimes against humanity by the
Co-Investigating Judges before the ECCC.
(Statement of the Co-Investigating Judges, July 31, 2007)
|
|
|
|
Name: Kaing Guek Eav
Date of Birth: February 15, 1945
Profession: Teacher of Math(s) -- Kampong Thom province
|
|
|
August 8, 2007 |
Duch's lawyer Francois Roux, a French lawyer who defended a
September-11-attack terrorist, became the first foreign lawyer
officially allowed to practice before the ECCC.
(International Herald Tribune, August 8, 2007 )
|
|
|
August 9, 2007
|
A Royal Decree
dated August 9, 2007 states that You Bunleng, co-investigating judge at
the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, is to replace Ly Vuochleng as president of the
Appeals Court. Ly Vouchleng was removed from office because of her
alleged involvement in a corruption scandal concerning a human
trafficking case. You Bunleng was concerned that he might no longer be
able to continue as an investigating judge at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal
because he cannot do two big jobs at the same time.
(The
Cambodia Daily, August 13, 2007; Royal Decree dated August 9,
2007)
|
|
|
August 15, 2007
|
In regards to
his appointment as head of the Appeals Court, You Bunleng said he would
continue to stay with the Khmer Rouge tribunal if his tenure would be
essential to the process. “As long as the ECCC considers my presence to
be essential it is my duty to continue, ensuring there is no
interruption or delay in the process. I will continue my mission at the
ECCC until such time as an appropriate and smooth transition can be
made...”
(You Bunleng
Statement, August 15, 2007)
|
|
|
August 16, 2007 |
The United
Nations voiced concerns over the appointment of You Bunleng to head the
national Appeals Court, saying such appointment could affect “both the
efficiency and perceived independence” of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal.
(UN News
Centre, August 16, 2007)
|
|
|
August 20, 2007
|
The Cambodian
Action Committee for Justice & Equity (CACJE) wrote a letter to Samdech
Heng Samrin, president of the National Assembly, requesting that he
convene an extraordinary session in order to remove the special immunity
of former king Sihanouk and to nullify Article 7(3) of the Cambodian
Constitution, which states that “The King shall be inviolable” for the
transitional period of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal. The letter stated that
the purpose of such an action is to provide enough space for judges to
issue indictments and call witnesses and victims to testify before the
Tribunal. The letter cited Article 31 of the Constitution which states,
“Every Khmer citizen shall be equal before the law, enjoying the same
rights, freedoms and fulfilling the same obligations regardless of race,
color, sex, language, religious belief, political tendency, birth
origin, social status, wealth or other status.”
(Cambodian
Action Committee for Justice & Equity, Letter dated August 20, 2007)
|
|
|
August 23, 2007
|
The UN Special
Representative and the Special Rapporteur issued a joint statement
expressing their concerns that the appointment of Khmer Rouge Tribunal
co-investigating judge You Bunleng as head of the Appeals Court appears
to have been unconstitutional. The statement reads, “According to
Cambodian law, all judicial appointments, transfers, promotions,
suspensions or disciplinary actions are decided by the Supreme Council
of Magistracy and implemented by royal decree. Yet the royal decree of 9
August 2007 replacing the President of the Court of Appeals (NS/RKT/0807/339)
appears not to have been made on the basis of a decision of the Supreme
Council of Magistracy: prior to the issuance of the decree, no meeting
of the Council was convened.”
(Joint
Public Statement of the Special Representative and the Special
Rapporteur, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights, August 23, 2007)
|
|
|
August 24, 2007
|
Prime Minister
Hun Sen declared the government's absolute position protecting special
privileges and immunity of the former king Sihanouk and called the
letter of the Cambodian Action Committee for Justice & Equity, which
appealed to the National Assembly to remove the former king's special
privileges and immunity, a conscienceless request. In regards to the
appointment of co-investigating judge You Bunleng, he affirmed that the
judge's role and duties as a co-investigating judge at the Khmer Rouge
tribunal remain the same and that his recent appointment will not affect
the tribunal's process.
(Statement on the
Decision of the Council of Cabinet's Plenary Session, August 24,
2007)
|
|
|
September 5, 2007 |
Duch lodges an appeal
with the ECCC Pre-Trial Chamber against the order the ECCC
Co-Investigating Judges issued for his detention on July 31, 2007.
(Duch’s Appeal Brief, September 5, 2007)
|
|
|
September 19, 2007 |
Nuon Chea, also known
as the Khmer Rouge's Brother Number 2, aged 82, was arrested at his home in Pailin and flown to be placed in the custody of ECCC in Phnom Penh.
Officially charged with crimes against humanity and war crimes, Nuon
Chea has chosen Mr. Son Arun, a Cambodian counsel, to defend him. The
tribunal would offer him a foreign co-counsel should he request for one.
(The Associated Press; Radio Free Asia, September 20, 2007)
|
|
|
October 2, 2007 |
The ECCC finally makes
public an auditing report the UNDP refused to release earlier, claiming
it was an internal and confidential document. The audit found serious
flaws within the ECCC’s human resources practices including weak
oversight, bloated salaries and recruitment problems. The flaws are so
serious that the auditors recommended that all staffing contracts on the
Cambodian side of the tribunal be nullified and salaries cut, and that
the UNDP take a more direct oversight role. The Cambodian officials
strongly objected to the recommendations, saying they would be
“tantamount to internationalizing the ECCC.”
(Newsweek, October 7, 2007)
|
|
|
October 7, 2007 |
The
Khmer Rouge tribunal's prosecutor, Robert Petit, appealed for more
funding to be donated to the tribunal which is facing budget shortage in
continuing its important work.
(DPA,
October 7, 2007)
|
|
|
October 17, 2007 |
Nuon
Chea appealed against ECCC detention order.
(ECCC
Press Release, October 17, 2007)
|
|
|
October 18, 2007 |
Nuon
Chea selected Dutch lawyer Michiel Pestman to represent him.
(ECCC
Press Release, October 18, 2007)
|
|
|
October 25, 2007 |
Foreign Minister Hor Namhong appealed to donor countries for more
funding to the Khmer Rouge tribunal, saying that the tribunal is running
out of funds.
(AFP,
October 25, 2007)
|
|
|
November 12,
2007 |
Ieng
Sary, former minister of foreign affairs, and his wife Ieng Thirith,
former minister of social affairs, were arrested and placed in the
custody of the Khmer Rouge tribunal. Ieng Sary was officially charged
for war crimes and crimes against humanity, while his wife was charged
for crimes against humanity.
(The
Cambodia Daily, November 13, 2007)
|
|
|
November 19,
2007 |
Khieu Samphan, former head of state of the Khmer Rouge, was arrested and
charged with crimes against humanity and war crimes. The Khmer Rouge
tribunal decided to detain Khieu Samphan for up to 1 year ahead of his
trials. On the same day, he selected Dr. Say Bory and Jacques Vergès as
his co-lawyers.
(Reuters,
November 21, 2007; The Cambodia Daily, November 22, 2007; ECCC
Press Release, November 19, 2007)
|
|
|
December 03, 2007 |
The
Khmer Rouge tribunal unanimously dismissed Duch's detention appeal.
According to the court decision, the tribunal stated that it does not
have any interaction with any other judicial body in Cambodian court
system and its jurisdiction is limited to subject matters expressed in
the tribunal law. Therefore, it does not have the jurisdiction to review
actions of the military court which had detained Duch for years before
transferred him to the ECCC. In addition, Duch's personal security would
be at risk should he be released ahead of his trials. To ensure his
presence at trials and to avoid possible threats to potential witnesses
and evidences against him, the tribunal decided to continue to place
Duch in custody.
(The
Cambodia Daily, December 4, 2007)
|
|
|
February 7-8, 2008
|
The ECCC Pre-Trial Chamber holds a hearing on Nuon Chea’s appeal of his
provisional detention. Nuon’s attorneys argue that (1) Nuon has not
validly waived his right to counsel at his initial appearance, (2) the
four civil parties taking part in the appeal hearing do not have an
interest in the specific legal issue at stake, and (3) there are
insufficient facts to find that provisional detention was necessary to
prevent public disorder, danger to Nuon, interference with witnesses, or
to ensure Nuon’s appearance at trial.
|
|
|
February 27, 2008
|
Former S-21 head Kaing Guek Eav, also known as Duch, returns to Tuol
Sleng prison and Choeung Ek killing fields for the first time in almost
30 years to participate in a “reenactment” for the Co-Investigative
Judges intended
to encourage him to explain past events.
Controversy develops after it is revealed that although the “press” was
excluded from the event two private French filmmakers were allowed to
document the proceedings.
|
|
|
March
7, 2008
|
DC-Cam sponsors a public discussion between Club of Cambodian
journalists and representatives from the Office of the Co-Investigating
Judges on press freedom and confidentiality at the ECCC. The meeting is
held in response to concerns raised by journalists about restrictions
placed on their coverage of Court proceedings, including the Tuol Sleng
“reenactment.”
|
|
|
March 20, 2008
|
The Pre-Trial Chamber issues its decision in the Nuon provisional
detention appeal, finding that his right to counsel had not been
violated and the grounds for his provisional detention had been
satisfied. It also holds that civil parties may participate in
provisional detention appeals hearings.
|
|
|
April 21, 2008
|
The new downtown ECCC Information Centre is opened. The office is
intended to facilitate the public’s access to the Court and will mainly
be used by the Victims Unit and Public Affairs Section.
|
|
|
April 23, 2008
|
At Khieu Samphan’s provisional detention appeals hearing, international
co-lawyer Jacques Vergès refused to participate on the basis that all
the documents in the case file had not yet been translated into French,
one of the three official languages of the Court. Samphan said that this
deprived him of adequate legal representation at the hearing. The
Pre-Trial chamber adjourned the proceedings to a later date and issued a
warned to Verges after finding that he had provided no notice of his
objections and that his behavior abused the processes of the Court and
the rights of the accused.
|
|
|
April 25, 2008
|
A review of ECCC human resources management by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu
is released. The review team assessed whether measures taken to address
issues raised by an earlier HR audit had been implemented and whether
the HR management policies and practices of the Cambodian side of the
ECCC meet international standards. The team found that “[r]obust systems
have been developed and implemented to address previous shortcomings,
provide effective support to the judicial process and minimize the risk
of questionable HR practices occurring in the future.” It also said that
continued capacity building measures would be required.
|
|
|
April 30, 2008
|
The Pre-Trial Chamber finds that the Co-Investigating Judges’ decisions
limiting contact between husband and wife Ieng Sary and Ieng Thirith was
not adequately reasoned. Noting that the couple has had 30 years to
discuss allegations related to their alleged crimes, it finds that the
CIJs “did not explain how the limitation of contacts is a necessary and
proportional measure to protect the interests of the investigation.” As
a consequence, it decides that in accordance with their right to be
“treated with humanity” the Iengs “should be allowed to meet in
accordance with the detention rules applicable at the ECCC Provisional
Detention Facility.”
|
|
|
May 15, 2008
|
The Co-Investigating Judges notifies the parties that they have
concluded the first case file concerning Duch.
|
|
|
May 21, 2008 |
May 21, the Pre-Trial Chamber hears Ieng Thirith’s Appeal of the
Co-Investigative Judges (CIJs) decision to hold her in provisional
detention. The appeal sought her release, subject to such conditions as
the Pre-Trial Chamber considered necessary to ensure her appearance at
subsequent proceedings. The Defense put forth two main arguments in
support of its appeal: (1) the CIJs finding of “well-founded reason[s]
to believe that [Ieng Thirith] committed” the alleged crimes is
unsupported and violated the principle of presumption of innocence; and
(2) the CIJs had “no proper evidential basis” for finding her detention
necessary.
|
|
|
June 2008
|
Michelle Lee, UNAKRT Coordinator and ECCC Office of Administration
Deputy Director retires from the United Nations and steps down from her
position at the ECCC. She is replaced by Knut Rosandhang from Norway.
|
|
|
June 30-July 3, 2008
|
The PTC held a hearing on Ieng Sary’s pre-trial detention appeal. The
defense argues that his 1996 amnesty and pardon preclude his prosecution
by the ECCC.
|
|
|
July 1, 2008
|
Dr Say Bory resigns from his position as Cambodian Co-Lawyer for Khieu
Samphan, citing ill health. (ECCC Press Release, July 1, 2008)
|
|
|
July 9, 2008
|
The Pre-Trial Chamber announces its decision rejecting Ieng Thirith
provisional detention appeal, finding that “detention remains a
necessary measure.” (AP, July 09, 2008).
|
|
|
July 18, 2008
|
The Co-Prosecutors file their Final Submission in the Duch case,
representing “a comprehensive overview of what the Co-Prosecutors deem
to be the relevant evidence contained in the case file” as well as legal
arguments supporting the substantive charges on which they would like
the Co-Investigating Judges to indict Duch.
|
|
|
August 8, 2008
|
The Co-Investigating judges issue a Closing Order inducting Duch
and sending him forward for trial on charges of crimes against humanity
and grave breaches of the 1949 Geneva Conventions.
|
|
|
August 21, 2008
|
The Co-Prosecutors announce their appeal of the Duch Closing
Order, arguing that “it limits Duch’s criminality and the modes of his
criminality[,]” and “may prevent the Trial Chamber from fully accounting
for Duch’s criminal responsibility at S-21.” In particular, the
Prosecutors find the Order flawed because it omits to charge Duch for
crimes under the 1956 Cambodian Penal Code and for his responsibility as
the co-perpetrator of a joint criminal enterprise.
|
|
|
August 29, 2008
|
The Pre-Trial Chamber decides that (1) “[l]egitimately unrepresented
Civil Parties may be granted leave to address the Pre-Trial Chamber in
person when their interests are different from those of the Prosecution”
and (2) “[a]ny unrepresented Civil Party claiming the right to address
the Pre-Trial Chamber in person at a scheduled hearing shall make a
written request explaining the content and the relevance of his or her
proposed submissions at least ten (10) days prior to the hearing.”
|
|
|
September 1-5, 2008
|
The ECCC Judges meet in plenary session and adopted amendments to the
Court’s Internal Rules on topics such as civil party representation, the
scope of appeals, and the balance between confidentiality and the need
for public hearings. They also adopt a Code of Judicial Ethics.
|
|
|
September 3, 2008
|
The first Civil Party application based on a rape complaint is filed by
a transsexual man who was sexually assaulted while in detention and also
forced to marry a woman.
|
|
|
September 16,
2008
|
The Co-Investigating Judges extend Nuon Chea’s detention for an
additional year. Nuon is appealing the order.
ECCC Internal Rule 63 allows persons charged with crimes against
humanity and war crimes to be detained for an initial one-year period,
which can be extended a maximum of two times if the required conditions
are met.
|
|
|
September 26,
2008
|
The Pre-Trial Chamber set aside the Co-Investigating Judges order
prohibiting communication among the Charged Persons. Citing law from the
International Criminal Court and the European Court of Human Rights and
the practice of Cambodian courts, the PTC found that limits on contact
between detainees can only be ordered when there is evidence of a
concrete risk of collusion to put pressure on witnesses and victims.
|
|
|
January 2009
|
Nuon Chea’s international co-lawyers filed a complaint with the
Municipal Court of Phnom Pen, asking it to look into allegation of
corruption on the national side of the ECCC. The complaint was dismissed
in February.
|
|
|
January 31, 2009
|
His Majesty Norodom Sihamoni, King of Cambodia, appointed Florence Mumba
(Zambia) as International Reserved Judge of the ECCC Pre-Trial Chamber.
|
|
|
February 2, 2009
|
The Victim’s Unit announced that it had received 94 Civil Party
applications related to Case 001/Tuol Sleng today’s deadline. After the
deadline an additional application was received by child Tuol Sleng
survivor
Norng Chan Phal; however, his
application has yet to be accepted.
|
|
|
February 17, 2009
|
The Duch trial official started with an initial hearing
addressing preliminary legal and procedural issues having an impact on
the conduct of the substantive trial and the scheduling of witnesses and
experts.
|
|
|
February 23, 2009
|
UN representatives met with H.E. Sok An, Chairman of the Royal
Government Task Force on the Khmer Rouge Trials, and agreed to adopt
parallel national and international mechanism to receive complaints and
suggestions related to ethical concerns. Negotiations are to continue in
April.
|
|
|
February 24, 2009
|
The Pre-Trial Chamber
held a hearing on Ieng Thirith’s appeal against the extension of his
provisional detention. Ieng Thirith told the judges that she was
innocent and blamed Nuon Chea and Duch for murdering her students and
other victims.
|
|
|
February 26, 2009
|
The Pre-Trial Chamber held a hearing on Ieng Sary’s appeal against the
extension of his provisional detention. Because of Ieng Sary’s absence
due to ill health, the hearing was adjourned to April 2nd.
|
|
|
February 27, 2009
|
The Pre-Trial Chamber
held a hearing on Khieu Samphan’s appeal against the extension of his
provisional detention. Because Khieu’s international lawyer, Jacques
Verges, was unable to attend the hearing, the Pre-Trial Chamber
adjourned it to April 4th.
|
|
|
March 3, 2009
|
The Co-Investigative Judges issued an Order on Breach of Confidentiality
of the Judicial Investigation following publication by the Ieng Sary
Defense team of pleadings written by the team that have not been made
public on the ECCC website. The CIJs ordered that the Defense Lawyers to
remove “confidential” information from their website within 48 hours and
reported them to their home bar associations. The lawyers are appealing,
arguing that they did not reveal any information about the
investigation. The Co-Prosecutor’s have filed a supportive brief.
|
|
|
March 2-6, 2009
|
The ECCC held its fifth plenary session, during which it adopted
amendments to 27 of the Court’s Internal Rules, including changes
recognizing the right to limited interlocutory appeal and to streamline
victim participation.
|
|
|
March 30, 2009
|
The substantive phase of the S-21 trial began. At the first
opportunity, Duch offered an apology to his victims and took full
responsibility for the killings and torture at the prison. At the same
time, he suggested that he was also a victim, as he was following orders
from higher-ups and feared for the safety of his family if he didn’t
obey.
|
|
|
April 2, 2009
|
Ieng Sary's hearing on
extension of provisional detention, postponed from February due to his
ill health, was held.
|
|
|
April 3, 2009
|
The Co-Investigating
Judges responded to a request by some defense teams for investigative
action regarding corruption at the ECCC and declared that they did not
have the jurisdiction to investigate.
|
|
|
April 3, 2009
|
Khieu Samphan's hearing
on the extension of provisional detention, postponed from February due
to the inability of his international counsel to attend, was held.
|
|
|
May 4, 2009
|
The Pre-Trial Chamber
decided that it was necessary to extend Nuon Chea's provisional
extension for another year.
|
|
|
May 11, 2009
|
The Pre-Trial Chamber
decided that it was necessary to extend Ieng Thirith's provisional
extension for another year.
|
|
|
May 18, 2009
|
The ECCC announced that
Reach Sambath, formerly the Court's Press Officer, replaces Helen
Jarvis. Helen Jarvis replaces Keat Bophal, who resigned from her
position as head of the Victims Unit after 15 months. Director Youk
Chhang wrote the ECCC Director and Deputy Directors of Administration to
express his concern that the Court did not appear to follow its human
resources guidelines in redeploying Dr. Jarvis to the VU without first
advertising the position, and also his view that her appointment does
not live up to the spirit of the agreement establishing the Court and
its promotion of strong Cambodian ownership of and leadership at the
Court.
|
|
|
May 19, 2009
|
The Pre-Trial Chamber
issued a warning to Jacques Vergés, Khieu Samphan's international legal
counsel, on the basis of prior behavior and some statements made during
proceedings, stating, "[W]as his conduct to remain offensive or
otherwise abusive, or was to obstruct proceedings or adopt a conduct
that amounts to an abuse of process, the Chamber would impose
sanctions[.]" This warning was forwarded to the Cambodian and Paris Bar
associations.
|
|
|
June 23, 2009
|
International
Co-Prosecutor Robert Petit announced his resignation for personal and
family reasons effective September 1.
|
|
|
June 26, 2009
|
The Pre-Trial Chamber
decided that it was necessary to extend his provisional extension for
another year.
|
|
|
June
29, 2009 |
DC-Cam in conjunction with the Ministry of Education conducted the
National Teacher Training for the teaching of the textbook, A History
of Democratic Kampuchea (1975-1979). During the ten-day training,
DC-Cam senior staff members together with international scholars and
historians trained 24 national teachers in Democratic Kampuchea history
and genocide education pedagogy. DC-Cam will train approximately 3000
teachers from all over the country between 2009 and 2010 so that the
history of Democratic Kampuchea will be taught in all high schools
throughout Cambodia.
|
|
|
July 3, 2009 |
the Pre-Trial
Chamber affirmed the Co-Investigative Judges decision to extend Khieu
Samphan’s detention for one year, finding it necessary to protect the
Charge Person’s security to preserve public order.
|
|
|
August 13, 2009 |
The
UN and Cambodia announced an agreement to establish a position of
“Independent Counselor” to strengthen human resource management and
receive any allegations related to corruption. H.E. Mr. Uth Chhorn,
Auditor General of Cambodia, was named to the position. The new
mechanism was immediately welcomed by donor countries, although the
scope of Mr. Uth’s authority to resolve ethics allegations and to
prevent retaliation is unclear.
|
|
|
August 26, 2009 |
The ECCC
announced that as of that date the number of people attending the Duch
trial had exceeded 20,000, with a daily average of 311 visitors.
|
|
|
August 29, 2009 |
Deputy
Prosecutor William Smith was named the acting International
Co-Prosecutor. Two nominations to permanently replace departing
Co-Prosecutor Robert Petit have been forwarded to the Cambodian
Government by the UN Secretary-General. The final decision is tasked to
the Supreme Council of Magistracy.
August 26:
The ECCC announced that as of that date the number of people attending
the Duch trial had exceeded 20,000, with a daily average of 311
visitors.
|
|
|
September 2, 2009 |
The Pre-Trial
Chamber announced its failure to reach a consensus on the dispute
between the Co-Prosecutors over whether or not to request the judicial
investigation of five more suspects. The two international judges
determined that the International Co-Prosecutor’s request should move
forward; however the three Cambodian judges agreed with the Cambodian
Co-Prosecutor that it should not proceed. Because an affirmative vote of
four judges could not be reached, pursuant to the Internal Rules, the
request may proceed.
|
|
|
September 7, 2009 |
Acting
International Co-Prosecutor Bill Smith filed Second and Third
Introductory Submissions with the Co-Investigating judges. In announcing
the submissions, he also emphasized that he has “no plans to conduct any
further preliminary investigations into additional suspects at the ECCC.”
|
|
|
September 11, 2009 |
The Sixth
ECCC Plenary Session concluded. The judges adopted proposals by the
Rules and Procedure Committee intended to increase efficiency in trial
management by grouping the participation of Civil Parties, providing for
representation by a main group of Co-Lawyers, reducing the deadline for
receiving Civil Party applications, and preventing challenges to the
admissibility of Civil Parties at the trial stage.
|
|
|
September 16, 2009 |
The
Co-Investigating Judges extended Nuon Chea’s detention for a third year.
This is the final pre-trial detention extension allowed under the
Court’s Internal Rules.
|
|
|
September 17, 2009 |
The evidence
proceedings in the Duch case ended. Closing arguments will take
place the week of November 23rd.
|
|
|
October 8, 2009 |
It was announced that in September international Co-Investigating Judge
Lemonde, acting without his Cambodian counterpart, sent letters
summoning six high-level Cambodian officials to testify at the ECCC,
including CPP President Chea Sim, National Assembly President Heng
Samrin, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hor Namhong, Minister of Finance
Keat Chhon, and CPP senators Ouk Bunchhoeun and Sim Ka. They have not
yet agreed to the request.
|
|
|
November 5, 2009 |
The Co-Investigating Judges published information outlining the material
facts falling within the scope of the investigation of Ieng Sary, Nuon
Chea, Khieu Samphan, and Ieng Thirith. Victims who wish to participate
as civil parties in Case 002 must have suffered harm that is linked to
one or more of these factual situations.
|
|
|
November 10, 2009 |
The Co-Investigating Judges extended the provisional detention of Ieng
Sary and Ieng Thirith for maximum of one more year.
|
|
|
November 23, 2009 |
DC-Cam in conjunction with the Ministry of Education held its second
training on the Teaching of A History of Democratic Kampuchea
(1975-79). During the 12 days, DC-Cam senior staff members, national
teacher trainers and international experts and historians trained 186
provincial teachers in six regional training centers in the country. As
with the first training, the second one focused upon historical facts,
teaching methodology and how to use teaching materials – the textbook
A History of Democratic Kampuchea (1975-1979), Teacher’s Guidebook,
and student workbook – all of which published by DC-Cam.
|
|
|
November 23-27, 2009 |
Closing arguments were held in the S-21/Tuol Sleng case, which included
an unexpected request by the national defense lawyer for acquittal and
release of prison chief Duch on jurisdictional grounds. A detailed
description of the arguments can be found at
www.cambodiatribunal.org
|
|
|
December 2, 2009 |
The ECCC announced that Andrew T. Cayley (United Kingdom) had been
appointed the new international Co-Prosecutor, replacing Robert Petit
(Canada) who resigned in August. Mr. Cayley has experience both as a
senior prosecutor at the International Criminal Court and the
International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and as
defense counsel at the ICTY and the Special Court for Sierra Leone.
The
European Union donated US$3 dollars to the Khmer Rouge Tribunal for the
national budget of the Tribunal.
|
|
|
December 8, 2009 |
ECCC’s Co-Investigating Judges issued an order allowing the mode of
liability known as Joint Criminal Enterprise (JCE) to be applied for
international crimes, but not domestic crimes, prosecuted before the
ECCC. The order permits the application of all three forms of JCE.
|
|
|
December 25, 2009 |
Japan
pledged to donate US$2 million to the government of Cambodia for the
construction of a storage facility for Khmer Rouge tribunal documents
and a legal centre for the “socially vulnerable.”
|
|
|
January 14, 2010 |
The CIJs notified all parties and their lawyers that the
two-and-a-half-year judicial investigation in Case 002,
involving charges against Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary, Ieng Thirith,
Khieu Samphan, and Kaing Guek Eav (Duch), has been concluded.
|
|
|
February 2, 2010 |
British lawyer Andrew Cayley was sworn in as the new
international Co-Prosecutor, replacing Canadian Robert Petit who
resigned in August.
|
|
|
February 9, 2010 |
The ECCC judges concluded their seventh plenary meeting. During the
session they amended the Court’s Internal Rules to restrict the scope of
civil party participation — as well as the opportunity for challenges
regarding the participation of individual applicants — in advance of
Case 002, for which 4000 applications to join have been received but not
yet approved.
|
|
|
February
23, 2010 |
The
ECCC announced that due to the increase in its workload, the Pre-Trial
Chamber (PTC) will begin sitting full time. Judge Catherine Marchi-Uhel
(France), international reserve judge in the Supreme Court Chamber, has
been appointed to serve in the Pre-Trial Chamber, replacing Judge
Kathinka Lahuis (Netherlands), who will now become the PTC reserve
judge. Judge Florence Mumba (Zambia) has been appointed as the new
reserve judge to the Supreme Court Chamber of the ECCC.
|
|
|
April 30, 2010 |
The Pre-Trial Chamber dismissed appeals against the second extension of
the pre-trial detention of Ieng Sary, Khieu Samphan, and Ieng Thirith.
According to the Internal Rules this is the final time their detention
can be extended pre-trial.
|
|
|
May 20, 2010 |
The
Pre-Trial Chamber affirmed that the "basic" and "systemic" variants of
the mode of liability known as "Joint Criminal Enterprise" existed
during the temporal jurisdiction (1975-1979) of the Court. However, it
became the first court to determine that the third or "extended" type of
JCE did not exist in customary law at that time. "Extended" is the most
controversial form of JCE, as it allows individuals intentionally
participating in a common criminal plan to be convicted for additional
unintended acts if they were aware that those acts were likely to take
place and willingly took the risk that they would occur. The Trial
Chamber is not bound by the PTC decision and may rule differently when
this question arises at trial.
|
|
|
May 21, 2010 |
The ECCC officially acknowledged “the contribution of DC-Cam as one of a
key in-kind donors of documentary materials” to the court.
|
|
|
June 9, 2010 |
It was announced that the Co-Investigating Judges disagreed about the
timing of authorizing investigations into new crime sites. The
international co-investigating judge Marcel Lemonde seeks to proceed
immediately. National co-investigating judge You Bunleng originally
co-signed the authorization, and then changed his mind after press
accounts about the new investigation were published. You Bunleng said
that he will reconsider his decision after the closing order in Case 002
is issued in September. Lemonde has recorded their disagreement and is
currently proceeding alone, as permitted under the rules.
|
|
|
June 30, 2010 |
Helen Jarvis, 64, retired from her position as head of the ECCC’s Victim
Support Section for “personal reasons.”
|
|
|
July 5, 2010 |
Defense Support Section
granted a request by Kaing Guek Eav (alias Duch) to withdraw his
international co-lawyer, Mr. Maitre Francois Roux. The Defense Section
noted that “[t]here is no reason to doubt that Mr. Kaing’s loss of
confidence is genuine.”
|
|
|
July 27, 2010 |
After the course of a 77-day trial, Duch was convicted of crimes against
humanity and grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions and sentenced to
35 years in prison. A five year reduction was awarded to Duch for his
illegal detention by Cambodia’s military court and another 11 year for
the time he already served since his arrest in 1999, making the actual
time to be served approximately 19 years.
|
|
|
August 4, 2010 |
Referring to the judgment in the Duch case, Prime Minister Hun
Sen said during a university graduation ceremony that "the government
respects the court's decision because the court is independent."
|
|
|
September 1, 2010 |
Rong Chhorng, the third person to head the ECCC's Victims Support
Section, took office. Helen Jarvis, Mr. Chhorng's predecessor, stepped
down in June.
|
|
|
September 15, 2010 |
The ECCC issued a closing order in Case 002, sending to trial the four
surviving senior leaders of the Democratic Kampuchea—Ieng Sary, Ieng
Thirith, Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea—on charges of crimes against
humanity, grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions, genocide, and
offences under the Cambodian Criminal Code 1956 (including murder,
torture and religious persecution). According to an ECCC press release,
the tribunal has built a 350,000-page case file on the defendants and
conducted a demographic survey putting the death toll at between 1.7 and
2.2 million persons, of which 800,000 were violent deaths. Additionally,
2,123 civil party applicants out of 3,988 were admitted as civil
parties.
|
|
|
September 16, 2010 |
Judge Marcel Lemonde announced his resignation as ECCC's International
Co-Investigating Judge, effective December. Reserve International
Co-Investigating Judge Siegfried Blunk will take over the position.
|
|
|
September 17, 2010 |
ECCC amended its reparation rules to allow for external donations.
|
|
|
October 13, 2010 |
Prosecutors at the ECCC appealed the Duch judgment, seeking a
life term for the crimes committed at S-21, to be reduced to 45 years to
take into account the unlawful detention of Duch by Cambodia's military
court from 1999-2007.
|
|
|
November 1, 2010 |
US Secretary of State
Hillary
Rodham Clinton visited Toul Sleng Genocide Museum with
Mr. Youk Chhang, Director of Documentation Center of Cambodia.
|
|
|
November 10, 2010 |
Richard Rogers, chief of Defense Support Section, announced his
resignation and warned of the threat of political interference by
Cambodia's government in the judicial work of the ECCC.
|
|
|
November 18,
2010 |
The
Duch defense team appealed the trial judgment, requesting that it
be considered invalid and Duch be found to be a protected witness.
|
|
|
December 1,
2010 |
Dr. Siegfried
Blunk (Germany), formerly reserve international Co-Investigating judge,
was appointed to replace departing Co-Investigating judge Marcel Lemonde
(France). Among other experience, from 2003-2005 he served as a judge on
the hybrid court established by the UN to prosecute serious crimes in
East Timor.
|
|
|
December 2,
2010 |
Elisabeth
Simonneau Fort (France) was appointed international Civil Party Lead
Co-Lawyer to represent the consolidated group of civil parties and
determine the group’s overall advocacy, strategy, and in-court
presentation of its interests.
|
|
|
December 23, 2010
|
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Sar Kheng authorized
the Documentation Center of Cambodia to construct its permanent center
called "the Sleuk Rith Institute" in the Boeng Trabek High School
compound. The Sleuk Rith Institute
aims
to be the leading center for genocide studies in Asia, and consists of
three major pillars: a museum, a research center and a school. The
museum will serve as a public archive of the history of Cambodia where
locals and visitors can come not only to learn about the history of the
Khmer Rouge, but also to enjoy a quiet place for reflection and healing.
The research center will allow DC-Cam to continue its work compiling,
analyzing and preserving information about the Pol Pot era. It will also
welcome scholars from around the world who are interested in studying
human rights atrocities in Cambodia and beyond. The school will educate
leading Cambodian students about Cambodia's history as well as certain
principles of law and human rights in an effort to build a more
promising future.
|
|
|
January 13,
2011 |
ECCC's Pre-Trial
Chamber sent Case 002 to
trial and decided that the four accused persons
shall
remain in provisional detention until they
are brought before the Trial Chamber. The
Pre-Trial Chamber found the
appeal of the
closing
order by Khieu Samphan
to be inadmissible, and
the appeals by Ieng
Sary, Ieng Thirith and Nuon Chea
to be admissible in part. It found
that during
the temporal jurisdiction of the Court (1975-1979) there
was a required nexus between
underlying acts
of crimes against humanity and
an armed conflict, and
rape did
not exist
as a crime
against humanity in its own right but
could be charged as a crime against humanity of other inhumane acts.
|
|
|
February 02, 2011 |
Office of the Co-Investigating Judges informed the public that it has
established joint working groups of investigation into Case 003 and Case
004. Nonetheless, they stated that no field investigation is conducted
as the groups are analyzing existing materials in the case file.
|
|
|
February
7, 2011 |
Cambodia's Appeal Court upheld a guilty verdict against three former
Khmer Rouge soldiers for their role in the killing of a British deminer
Christopher Howes and his Cambodian interpreter Houn Hourth. In October
2008, the three convicted soldiers, including Khim Ngon, were sentenced
to 20 year imprisonment and ordered to pay 10000 USD in compensation to
Hourth's family.
|
|
|
March
23, 2011 |
ECCC
Pre-Trial Chamber rejected motions for disqualification of Trial Chamber
judges, saying they presented no solid evidence of bias.
|
|
|
March
30, 2011 |
ECCC
Supreme Court Chamber concluded the three-day hearing of Duch appeal
against the guilty verdict handed against him in July 2010.
|
|
|
April
29, 2011 |
Co-Investigating Judges announced the closure of investigation in Case
003.
|
|
|
May
9, 2011 |
International Co-Prosecutor Andrew Cayley, without the support of the
National Co-Prosecutor, issued a public statement urging public release
of more information about and more serious investigation of
controversial Case 003. In the statement, Mr. Cayley revealed the
factual situation and crimes sites under investigation in Case 003.
|
|
|
May
10, 2011 |
In a
public statement issued in response to the International Co-Prosecutor,
National Co-Prosecutor Chea Leang reiterated her earlier position in
regards to the investigation of Case 003 and Case 004 that the unnamed
suspects do not fall within the personal jurisdiction of the ECCC.
|
|
|
May
18, 2011 |
Co-Investigating Judges at the ECCC ordered International Co-Prosecutor
Andrew Cayley to retract his statement he released on 9 May in relation
to Case 003.
|
|
|
May
20, 2011 |
ECCC
issued a statement, rejecting reports that ECCC had so far spent more
than USD 200 million. The statement put the expenditure from 2006 to
2010 at 109.1 million. Below is a chart of ECCC expenditures:
|
|
|
|
Year |
Cambodia |
United Nations |
Total |
2006 |
$1.7 million |
$7.6 million |
$9.3 million |
2007 |
$3.7 million |
$11.8 million |
$15.5 million |
2008 |
$4.9 million |
$20.5 million |
$25.4 million |
2009 |
$5.9 million |
$22.3 million |
$28.2 million |
2010 |
$7.9 million |
$22.8 million |
$30.7 million |
Expenditure 2006-2010 |
$24.1 million |
$85.0 million |
$109.1 million |
Revised
Budget 2011 |
$9.9 million |
$30.8 million |
$40.7 million |
Total
Estimated
Expenditures |
$34.0 million |
$30.8 million |
$149.8 million |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
May
25, 2011 |
International Co-Prosecutor Andrew Cayley appealed an order issued by
the Co-Investigating Judges to retract his public statement on the
investigation of Case 003.
|
|
|
June 7, 2011 |
Co-Investigating Judges rejected a request by International
Co-Prosecutor Andrew Cayley to conduct further investigation and extend
the deadline for submission of civil party application in Case 003 by
six weeks. On their own motion, they recognized the validity of
applications submitted within three weeks after the original deadline or
any applications submitted by 8 June.
|
|
|
June
2011 |
The ECCC hired three
persons to replace Reach Sambath, chief of the ECCC Public Affairs
Section, who passed away on May 11: Dim Sovannarom, Officer in Charge;
Huy Vannak, Public Affairs Officer; and Neth Pheaktra, Press Officer.
|
|
|
June 9, 2011 |
The Co-Investigating
judges of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal issued a statement warning against
publishing information from the leaked Second Introductory Submission.
The document is considered confidential and anyone who publishes
information from this document "is liable to be subjected to proceedings
from Interference with the Administration of Justice pursuant to
Internal Rule 35," stated the Statement.
|
|
|
June
14, 2011 |
International Co-Prosecutor Andrew Cayley resubmitted three
investigative requests and a request for an extension of the deadline
for filing Civil Party applications in Case 003 to the Office of the
Co-Investigating Judges.
|
|
|
June 24, 2011
|
The Pre-Trial Chamber of the ECCC granted appeals by 1,728 civil party
applicants in the Case 002 and granted them status as civil parties in
the Case.
|
|
|
June 27-30, 2011
|
The
Trial Chamber held the initial hearing in Case 002, marking the official
start of the trial.
|
|
|
June
28, 2011
|
Mr.
CHUNG Chang-ho (Republic of Korea) was appointed as the new
international judge to serve in the Pre-Trial chamber of the ECCC. Mr.
Chung will take office from 1 August 2011, replacing Judge Catherine
Marchi-Uhel (French).
|
|
|
August 3, 2011
|
The Court's Tenth Plenary Session concluded, after amending the Internal
Rules relating to immediate appeals to the Supreme Court Chamber,
autopsies of persons in custody in the case of death, and meetings of
the Judicial Administration Committee.
|
|
|
August 8, 2011
|
After public urging by the International Co-Prosecutor to comply with
its obligations to keep victims informed, the Office of Co-Investigating
Judges released information about crimes sites and criminal episodes in
Case 004. At the same time it expressed "serious doubts whether the
suspects are 'most responsible' according to the jurisdictional
requirement of Article 2 ECCC law."
|
|
|
August 19, 2011
|
International Co-Prosecutor Mr. Andrew Cayley appealed the
Co-Investigating Judges' rejection of: 1) a request for an extension of
time for the filing civil party applications and 2) three requests for
additional investigative actions in Case 003.
|
|
|
August 29-31, 2011
|
The Trial Chamber held a preliminary hearing on issues of fitness to
stand trial of accused Ieng Thirith and Nuon Chea. The hearing afforded
all parties the opportunity to question expert geriatrician consultant
Dr. John Campbell. During the hearing Dr. Campbell opined that Nuon Chea
is currently fit to stand trial, but expressed serious doubts regarding
Ieng Thirith's fitness. Dr. Campbell revealed that he has diagnosed Ieng
Thirith with Alzheimer's disease, a chronic progressive disease which
causes dementia. The Trial Chamber ordered additional testing of Ieng
Thirith.
|
|
|
August 31, 2011
|
The Co-Investigating judges announced that they "have instituted
proceedings for Interference with the Administration of Justice
(Contempt of Court) pursuant to ECCC Internal Rule 35" in response to a
Voice of America Khmer 10 August video and report quoting verbatim from
a confidential document. They also warned "anyone intending further
disclosure of confidential court documents… that his case be transferred
to the National Prosecutor[.]"
|
|
|
September 16, 2011
|
Judge You Ottara was re-assigned to be a judge of the Trial Chamber,
replacing Judge Thou Mony (now reserve judge), and Judge Mong
Monichariya was re-assigned to be regular judge at the Supreme Court
Chamber, replacing Judge Sin Rith (now reserve judge),
|
|
|
September 22, 2011
|
Pursuant to ECCC Internal Rule 89ter, the Trial Chamber issued an
order severing Case 002 into a series of smaller cases focusing on
specific issues and time frames. In its order, the Chamber noted the
lengthy trials at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former
Yugoslavia (ICTY), some of which took over ten years to complete. The
Chamber stated that the first trial will concern the forced evacuation
of urban Cambodians immediately following the KR victory in April of
1975 and continuing into 1976
|
|
|
October 9, 2011
|
International Co-Investigating Judge Siegfried Blunk resigned from his
position at the ECCC, citing the perception of political interference in
his work.
|
|
|
October 19-20, 2011
|
The Trial Chamber held hearings to discuss initial requests for
reparations from the Civil Party Lawyers and the fitness of Ieng Thirith.
|
|
|
November 17, 2011
|
Finding Ieng Thirith unfit for trial due to dementia caused by the onset
of Alzheimer’s disease, the Trial Chamber determined that it had no
legal basis for her judicial supervision and decided to release her
unconditionally. The national and international judges split regarding
her release, with the national judges deciding she should stay in the
custody of the court under medical observation for six months to see if
her condition improves. Because the chamber could not reach a super
majority, they ordered her release, citing international human rights
standards. The Prosecution appealed the decision to release—but not the
finding that she is unfit—to the Supreme Court Chamber.
|
|
|
November 21, 2011
|
Mr. Kong Sam Onn was appointed as the Cambodian Co-Lawyer for Khieu
Samphan, replacing Mr. Sa Sovan who withdrew from his position.
|
|
|
November 21, 2011
|
Opening statements began in Case 002 against senior leaders Nuon Chea,
Ieng Sary, and Khieu Samphan. All three accused offered prepared
statements, though Ieng Sary says he will not testify.
|
|
|
November 21,
2011
|
In
collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and Tuol Sleng
Genocide Museum, the Documentation Center of Cambodia officially
launched a history classroom at former Khmer Rouge S-21 prison,
providing free lectures and discussions on the history of the Khmer
Rouge regime and related issues, such as the ECCC. The classroom also
aims to serve as a public platform for visitors and survivors to share
information and preserve an important period of Cambodian history for
future generation to learn.
(http://d.dccam.org/Archives/Protographs/DC-CAM_History_Classroom_at_S-21--EN.pdf)
(http://d.dccam.org/Archives/Protographs/DC-CAM_History_Classroom_at_S-21--KH.pdf)
|
|
|
November 29, 2011
|
The Japanese government contributed US$2.925 million to the ECCC's
international component to support the judicial process of the Khmer
Rouge Tribunal.
|
|
|
December 5, 2011
|
The Trial Chamber of the ECCC began two weeks of evidentiary hearings
against the three accused namely Ieng Sary, Khieu Samphan, and Nuon Chea.
|
|
|
December 13, 2011
|
Mr. Arthur Vercken (French) was appointed international Co-Lawyer
representing Khieu Samphan.
|
|
|
December 13, 2011
|
The Supreme Court over-ruled the Trial Chamber’s November 17 decision,
finding a legal basis under Cambodian law for judicial supervision of
Ieng Thirith while she receives additional medical treatment in an
appropriate Cambodian medical facility to determine if there is a
prospect of her regaining fitness to stand trial. Her medical condition
will be reviewed in six months.
|
|
|
January 12, 2012 |
PRESS
STATEMENT
The Office of the Council of Ministers, Royal Government of Cambodia,
issued, then retracted, the attached press statement regarding the delay
in appointment of a new international Co-Investigating Judge at the ECCC.
|
|
|
January 18, 2012 |
Mr.
David Scheffer was appointed by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as the
Special Expert to advise on United Nations Assistance to the Khmer Rouge
Trials, replacing Mr. Clint Williamson.
|
|
|
January 23, 2012 |
Mr.
Peou Dara Vanthan, DC-Cam Deputy Director and head of its ECCC Response
Team project, testified before the Trial Chamber during an evidentiary
hearing in Case 002.
|
|
|
January 24, 2012
|
Joint Statement
Deputy Prime Minister His Excellency Sok An discussed with Ambassador
David Scheffer, Special Expert to United Nations Secretary-General on
the United Nations Assistance to the Khmer Rouge Trials, the ongoing
cooperation of the United Nations and the Royal Government of Cambodia
in support of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC).
|
|
|
January 26, 2012
|
UN
Special Expert David Scheffer said that reserve judge Kasper-Ansermet
has the full right to carry out his functions as international
Co-Investigating Judge under the 2003 agreement between the Royal
Government of Cambodia and the United Nations without a second approval
by the Supreme Council of Magistracy.
(The
Cambodia Daily and Phnom Penh Post, January 26, 2012)
|
|
|
February 1, 2 & 6, 2012 |
Mr.
Youk Chhang, DC-Cam Director, testified before the Trial Chamber in Case
002.
|
|
|
February 3, 2012
|
The
Supreme Court Chamber announced the
appeal verdict
in Case 001 against Kaing Guek Eav alias Duch, head of the S-21
detention center, where more than twelve thousand people were killed
during the KR regime. Duch was sentenced to life imprisonment for crimes
against humanity and grave breaches of the 1949 Geneva Conventions.
|
|
|
February 21, 2012
|
PRESS RELEASE
In collaboration with local media, the ECCC disseminates the apology statement made by Kaing Guek Eav, alias Duch, in order to make the statement more accessible to the Cambodian public.
|
|
|
February 27, 2012
|
Jean-Francois Cautain, the Ambassador and Head of Delegation of the
European Union (EU), told the Cambodian government that the EU would
contribute $1.7 million to the Khmer Rough Tribunal's national side to
support the ongoing work of the Tribunal. (The Phnom Penh Post,
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/KRTalk/eu-funds-krt-to-the-tune-of-17-million.html)
|
|
|
March 2, 2012
|
The Japanese
government announced yesterday that it will contribute another $6
million to both international and national components of the Khmer Rouge
Tribunal—$2.5 million and $3.5 million respectively. As of February
2012, Japan has contributed $76.64 million to the Khmer Rouge Tribunal.
(The Mainichi
Daily News,
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/03/
02/20120302p2g00m0dm014000c.html)
|
|
|
March 19, 2012
|
PRESS RELEASE
Laurent Kasper-Ansermet submitted his resignation letter as International Reserve Co-Investigating Judge of the ECCC to the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The resignation was made over the disagreement with National Co-Investigating Judge concerning Cases 003 and 004.
|
|
|
March 19, 2012 |
Kaing Guek
Eav, alias Duch, the former head of S-21 prison who was sentenced to
life in jail by the ECCC for the crimes committed at S-21 prison,
testified before the trial chamber as the witness in Case 002 against
the three accused: Nuon Chea, Khieu Samphan, and Ieng Sary.
|
|
|
March 20, 2012
|
STATEMENT
Judges Downing and Chung, International Judges of the Pre-Trial Chamber, recused themselves from consideration of the application made on 8 February by Reserve International Co-Investigating Judge Laurent Kasper-Ansermet over the disqualification of the president of the Pre-Trial Chamber.
|
|
|
March 26, 2012 |
National Pre-Trial Chamber Judges’
RESPONSE to Laurent Kasper-Ansermet’s
note on March 21, 2012 on i) the returning of documents from
Administrative Office to Pre-Trial Chamber, and ii) International
Co-Investigating Judge's application on the disqualification of
Pre-Trial Chamber Judge Prak Kimsan.
|
|
|
March 26, 2012
|
Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr said in a statement on Monday that
the Australian government will contribute another AUD 1.61 million to
the ECCC to support the work of the Court in prosecuting former KR
senior leaders and most responsible persons of the regime. While AUD 1
million will go to the international component, AUD 0.61 million will be
given to the national component of the ECCC. Since the establishment of
the Court until now, Australia has contributed more than $18 million to
the ECCC.
(http://www.odt.co.nz/news/world/australia/203026/australia-donates-khmer-rouge-trials)
|
|
|
March 26, 2012
|
PRESS STATEMENT
In a response to International Co-Investigating Judge’s Press Statement
on March 19, 2012, the National Co-Investigating Judge explained a
number of issues raised by his counterpart including 1) The lack of
acknowledgement and support for Judge Laurent Kasper-Ansermet standing
as the International Investigating Judge; 2) Disagreement pursuant to
Rule 72; 3) Refusal of placement of documents by the International
Reserve Co-Investigating Judge into the case files; 4) Rejection of the
request for access to case file by civil party lawyers following the
issuance of an admissibility order; 5) Withholding the judicial official
stamp of the office of the Co-Investigating Judges; and 6) Obstruction
to the internal investigations.
|
|
|
March 28, 2012
|
PRESS RELEASE
The International Reserve Co-Investigating Judge, Laurent Kasper-Ansermet,
disputes all of the confused allegations contained in the Press Release
made by the National Co-Investigating Judge on 26 March 2012.
|
|
|
March 30, 2012
|
Secretary-General's statement on the Extraordinary Chambers in the
Courts of Cambodia concerned recent events at the ECCC, including the
resignations of the International Co-Investigating Judge Siegfried Blunk
and the Reserve International Co-Investigating Judge Laurent Kasper-Ansermet,
and selection of new International Co-Investigating Judge and new
Reserve International Co-Investigating Judge.
(http://www.un.org/sg/statements/index.asp?nid=5961)
|
|
|
April
3, 2012 |
Today, the ECCC has published
Duch
Apology, a compilation of all statements of apology
and acknowledgement of responsibility made by Kaing Guek Eav during the
course of trial, on its website. The decision on the publication of Duch
apology was made by Trial Chamber as part of reparation in Case 001 and
was affirmed by the Supreme Court Chamber in its Appeal Verdict.
|
|
|
April 9, 2012
|
The
Supreme Court Chamber of the ECCC has today published the full reasons
in Khmer and English of
the Appeal Judgment in Case 001
against Kaing Guek Eav alias Duch. A summary of the Final Judgment as
well as the disposition were read out by the President of the Supreme
Court Chamber on February 3, 2012's hearing.
|
|
|
April 9, 2012 |
The ECCC Trial Chamber issued its
“DECISION ON OBJECTIONS TO DOCUMENTS PROPOSED TO
BE PUT BEFORE THE CHAMBER ON THE CO-PROSECUTORS' ANNEXES AI-AS AND TO
DOCUMENTS CITED IN PARAGRAPHS OF THE CLOSING ORDER RELEVANT TO THE FIRST
TWO TRIAL SEGMENTS OF CASE 002/01”
that:
“1) Considers all documents cited in the Closing Order
paragraphs relevant to this decision to have been put before the Chamber, with the exception of the single illegible document
referred to in paragraph 35, as identified in Annex A to this decision (E 185.1);
2) Further considers those documents contained in the Co-Prosecutors' Annexes Al-A5 to have been put before the Chamber, with the exception
of the 12 remaining documents referenced in paragraph 35, as identified in Annex B to this decision (E185.2);
3) Denies the NUON Chea DC-Cam Motion's request for additional information (El/39.lll) and KHIEU Samphan's request that original copies of
contemporaneous documents possessed by DC-Cam be produced before the Chamber and retained by the ECCC for the duration of the trial in Case 002
(E 168), on grounds that no necessity has been demonstrated for either request; and
4) Recalls that the probative value and thus weight to be accorded to all evidence put before the Chamber in consequence of this decision
will be determined by the Chamber at the conclusion of the hearing of evidence in Case 002/01 and in connection with the verdict.”
|
|
|
April
27, 2012 |
PRESS
RELEASE
Mr.
Mom Luch, with 17 years of experience as a lawyer in the field of
criminal law, has been assigned as a national lawyer to represent a
suspect involved in Case 004 by the ECCC's Defense Support Section (DSS).
|
|
|
April
30, 2012 |
PRESS
RELEASE
Ms. Anta Guisse, a French defence lawyer with over ten years of
experience in international criminal law, has been assigned as the third
International Co-Lawyer representing Mr. Khieu Samphan in Case 002
before the ECCC.
|
|
|
May
2, 2012 |
PRESS RELEASE
Mr. Isaac Endeley, former Legal Officer in the Chambers Support Section
and in the Defense Counsel and Detention Management Section at the
United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (UNICTR), has
been appointed by the ECCC as chief of Defense Support Section (DSS).
|
|
|
May
3, 2012 |
Reserve Investigating Judge Laurent Kasper-Ansermet has issued a
decision on contested Case 003 that Sou Met, former chief of KR air
force, and Meas Muth, former chief of KR navy, fall under the court's
jurisdiction and are categorized as the most responsible persons for
crimes committed during the KR regime.
(The Cambodia Daily, May 3, 2012)
|
|
|
May
16, 2012
|
PRESS RELEASE
Japanese Judge Motoo Noguchi, an international judge of the Supreme
Court Chamber of the ECCC since its inception in 2006, sent his
resignation letter to the UN Secretary-General.
|
|
|
June
1, 2012
|
Andrew Cayley, International Co-Prosecutor of the ECCC, responded to a
letter dated 29 May 2012 from Margot Wallström entitled "Victims of
Khmer Rouge Sexual Violence Still Seek Justice," stating that the
Co-Prosecutors have not excluded victims of sexual violence from court
procedures. In their Final Submission of Case 002 submitted to the
Co-Investigating Judges, the Co-Prosecutors included crimes of sexual
violence, including forced marriage, to be charged as crimes against
humanity.
(The
Phnom Penh Post, June 1, 2012)
|
|
|
June
4, 2012
|
TRIAL CHAMBER DECISION ON IENG SARY'S APPLICATION
FOR DISQUALIFICATION OF JUDGE CARTWRIGHT
The
Trial Chamber delivered a decision on Ieng Sary's Application for
Disqualification of Judge Cartwright submitted on April 27, 2012, that
it denied Ieng Sary's application and request on instructing Judge
Cartwright and Andrew Cayley, International Co-Prosecutor, to cease and
desist from ex parte communications and meetings.
|
|
|
June
5, 2012
|
The
Co-Prosecutors of the ECCC issued a Public Statement concerning a news
report on the Case 003 investigation related to a Democratic Kampuchea (DK)
military invasion in Vietnam, extension of crime sites investigation,
and identification of the potential individuals responsible for the
crimes committed during Democratic Kampuchea, as incorrect and
deceptive. The Co-Prosecutors responded that the DK military invasion in
Vietnam has already been investigated as part of Case 002. The extension
of crime sites investigation in Case 003, according to the
Co-Prosecutors' opinion, was necessary in order to assign responsibility
for the crimes alleged in Case 003. Moreover, the Co-Prosecutors stated
that the news report has incorrectly and deceptively identified
individuals as potential targets of the investigation for whom the
former International Co-Investigating Judge has expressed no conclusion,
since the investigation is still in process.
(http://www.eccc.gov.kh/en/articles/public-statement-co-prosecutors-regarding-investigation-case-003)
|
|
|
June
7, 2012 |
Justice Steven J. Bwana, a Tanzanian with more than 38 years of
experience as a judge, registrar and legal professional, has been
appointed as new international reserve judge in the Pre-Trial Chamber of
the ECCC, replacing Kathinka Lahuis.
(http://www.eccc.gov.kh/en/articles/justice-steven-j-bwana-appointed-new-international-reserve-judge-pre-trial-chamber)
|
|
|
June
19, 2012
|
Nuon
Chea’s Defense Counsel issued its
Notice
to the Trial Chamber that the counsel plans to conduct
"independent research" at DC-Cam in an attempt "to verify the provenance
and chain of custody of those documents on which the Office of
Co-Prosecutors intends to rely."
|
|
|
June
28, 2012
|
The
Office of the Co-Prosecutors issued its
Response to Nuon Chea’s Defense Counsel's "Notice
to the Trial Chamber regarding research at DC-Cam,"
stating that any investigative tasks should be determined solely by the
Co-Investigating Judges and requesting that the Trial Chamber prohibit
"any additional investigatory acts by Nuon Chea’s Defense Counsel."
However, the Co-Prosecutors do not object Nuon Chea’s Defense Counsel
to access to publicly available information at DC-Cam.
|
|
|
June
29, 2012
|
The
Trial Chamber of the ECCC issued its
Decision on Nuon Chea’s Defense Counsel’s
Misconduct, categorizing the pattern of misconduct as:
"unauthorized disclosure of confidential information; offensive,
disrespectful or otherwise unethical in-court behavior; offensive or
disrespectful remarks in written motions; misrepresentations made before
the Trial Chamber; and failure to adhere to Trial Chamber orders
designed to protect the rights of the defendant, Nuon Chea."
|
|
|
July
12, 2012
|
During a meeting with Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong, New
Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully disclosed that New
Zealand would provide additional funding of NZ $100,000 to the Khmer
Rouge Tribunal. To date, New Zealand has contributed NZ $1 million to
the Khmer Rouge Tribunal in support of its mission to bring former Khmer
Rouge leaders to justice.
(http://www.noodls.com/viewNoodl/15123083/new-zealand-government/nz-gives-further-funding-for-khmer-rouge-trials)
|
|
|
July
13, 2012
|
A
commitment of US $1.4 million from the Australian government will
provide further support to the Khmer Rouge Tribunal for "judicial
and legal costs and the hearing of witness testimony." Since 2006,
Australia has contributed a total of US $19.7 million to the Khmer Rouge
Tribunal.
(http://bobcarrblog.wordpress.com/2012/07/13/support-for-genocide-trials/)
|
|
|
July 30, 2012
|
PRESS RELEASE
On June 20, 2012, the Supreme Council of the Magistracy of the Kingdom
of Cambodia approved two new appointments. U.S. Judge Mark Harmon will
serve as International Co-Investigating Judge of the ECCC, and French
Judge Oliver Beauvallet has been designated Reserve International
Co-Investigating Judge of the ECCC.
|
|
|
August 13, 2012 |
The ECCC Trial Chamber issued a
memorandum in response to a notice from the
Defense team of Nuon Chea, which had issued a notice to the Trial Chamber on 19 June 2012 regarding research at DC-Cam.
|
|
|
August 30-31, 2012 |
The ECCC Trial Chamber held a hearing to determine Ieng Thirith’s fitness to
stand trial, after the accused having received six months of additional medical treatment in an appropriate Cambodian medical facility.
|
|
|
September 12, 2012 |
PRESS RELEASE
Ieng Sary Defence Team issued its response to Judge Jean-Marc Lavergne's question of "What have the defence lawyers been doing over
the course of the many years of the judicial investigation?" posed to International Co-Lawyer Michael G. Karnavas on September 6, 2012.
|
|
|
September 13, 2012 |
PRESS RELEASE
The ECCC Trial Chamber delivered its decision regarding the reassessment of Ieng Thirith's fitness to stand trial. The Trial Chamber
has reaffirmed its prior finding that "the accused Ieng Thirith suffers from a progressive, degenerative illness and that she remains
unfit to stand trial," and orders the release of the accused. However, upon her release, the accused has an "obligation not to interfere
with the administration of justice by contacting witnesses, victims, or other Accused (with the exception of her husband, Ieng Sary), …not to
leave the territory of the Kingdom of Cambodia, to inform the ECCC Office of Administration of any change of address, and …to refrain from
communicating with the media in relation to proceedings before the ECCC."
|
|
|
September 14, 2012 |
Mr. Stephen Rapp, U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues in the Office of Global Criminal Justice, announced yesterday that the U.S. will contribute an additional $5 million to support the ECCC’s international component.
(The Cambodia Daily, September 14, 2012)
|
|
|
September 14, 2012 |
STATEMENT BY THE CO-PROSECUTORS REGARDING IENG THIRITH
The Co-Prosecutors have appealed the Trial Chamber’s decision to unconditionally release the accused Ieng Thirith.
Although the Co-Prosecutors concur with the Trial Chamber’s assessment that Ieng Thirith is unfit to stand trial and should be released,
they believe she should not have been released unconditionally. The Co-Prosecutors proposed that Ieng Thirith should: “1) reside at a
specified home address to be provided by her Co-Lawyers; 2) make herself available for a weekly safety check by authorities or officials
designated by the Trial Chamber; 3) surrender her passport and ID card; 4) not contact, directly or indirectly, the other co-accused
(excluding her husband, accused Ieng Sary); 5) not contact, directly or indirectly, any witness, expert or victim who may potentially be
heard by the Trial Chamber, and not interfere in the administration of justice; and 6) undergo a medical examination every six months by
medical practitioners to be appointed by the Trial Chamber.” The Co-Prosecutors believe that the above-proposed measures would: “1) ensure
that the accused will not flee the jurisdiction of this court; 2) ensure the accused does not interfere with witnesses or other accused who will
be providing evidence at trial; 3) ensure her safety and that of the public; and 4) ensure that her health is adequately monitored to enable the Trial
Chamber to remain informed of her medical condition.”
|
|
|
September 16, 2012 |
PRESS RELEASE
Today the President of the Supreme Court Chamber released a decision regarding the request of Co-Prosecutors to stay the
Trial Chamber’s order to unconditionally release the accused Ieng Thirith. The Supreme Court Chamber ruled that Ieng Thirith be
released under these provisional conditions: “1) ...inform the Chamber of the address where she will reside and not change residence
without prior authorization from the Chamber; 2) ...surrender her passport and any other travel documents, and remain in the territory
of the Kingdom of Cambodia; and 3) ...respond to any summons issued by the Court.” These provisional measures will remain in effect until
the Supreme Court Chamber makes a final decision on the merits of the appeal by the Co-Prosecutors.
|
|
|
September 27, 2012 |
Norway has announced today a USD 1 million contribution to the Khmer Rouge Tribunal.
To date, Norway has contributed a total of USD 5 million to the Tribunal.
|
|
|
October 10, 2012 |
|
|
|
November 8, 2012 |
The ECCC Trial Chamber held a hearing to determine Ieng Sary’s fitness to stand trial.
|
|
|
November 8, 2012 |
“1) seek clarification from the Chamber concerning the legal standards applicable to the admission of written statements without the appearance of the witness before the ECCC in accordance with the submissions in the present Response.
2) submit that the following categories of evidence are
inadmissible absent cross-examination: a) evidence of the acts and
conduct of the Accused, including any evidence of the acts and conduct
of entities to which the Accused is alleged to belong, including but not
limited to the Standing, Central and Military Committees; b) evidence
concerning crimes committed or administrative structures in place at
S-21 or S-24; c) evidence of administrative or communication structures,
with particular emphasis on national and zone-level structures; d)
evidence of the acts and conduct of any person with whom the Accused is
alleged in the Closing Order to have participated in a joint criminal
enterprise.
3) submit that statements taken by DC-Cam and any other entity not authorized by the ECCC
or the Cambodian state are inadmissible.
4) request that the Chamber deem any statement which, on the face of the description provided in the Co-Prosecutors’ annexes, includes evidence falling within paras b(i) or (ii), supra, inadmissible in full absent cross-examination.
5) reserves its right to: a) identify any further statements which
include evidence described in paragraph (b), supra; b) identify further
statements or categories of statements which include evidence of crimes
that are highly proximate to the Accused or of a live issue in the case
against the Accused; and c) identify unreliable statements or categories
of unreliable statements.“
However, on April 9, 2012, the ECCC Trial Chamber issued its decision that the Trial Chamber “...denies the NUON Chea DC-Cam Motion's request for additional information (El/39.lll) and KHIEU Samphan's request that original copies of contemporaneous documents possessed by DC-Cam be produced before the Chamber and retained by the ECCC for the duration of the trial in Case 002 (E 168), on grounds that no necessity has been demonstrated for either request; and recalls that the probative value and thus weight to be accorded to all evidence put before the Chamber in consequence of this decision will be determined by the Chamber at the conclusion of the hearing of evidence in Case 002/01 and in connection with the verdict.” For further information related to the Trial Chamber’s decision, please see
DECISION ON OBJECTIONS TO DOCUMENTS PROPOSED TO BE PUT BEFORE THE CHAMBER ON THE CO-PROSECUTORS' ANNEXES AI-AS AND TO DOCUMENTS CITED IN PARAGRAPHS OF THE CLOSING ORDER RELEVANT TO THE FIRST Two TRIAL SEGMENTS OF CASE 002/01
|
|
|
November 13, 2012 |
Supreme Court Chamber held a hearing on the Co-Prosecutors appeal against the conditions of Ieng Thirith’s
release.
|
|
|
November 21, 2012 |
|
|
|
December 3, 2012 |
“a) All documents cited in the portions of the Closing Order relevant to each trial segment in Case 002/01 are entitled to a presumption of relevance and reliability (including authenticity);
b) Contemporaneous DK em documents originating from DC-Cam are entitled to a rebuttable presumption of prima facie relevance and reliability (including authenticity). On the basis of the testimony of the DC-Cam Director and Deputy Director, the Chamber declared the methodology used by DC-Cam in obtaining, archiving and preserving documents to be reliable and found no basis to conclude that documents originating from DC-Cam were likely to have been tampered with, distorted or falsified;
c) The Chamber declined to adopt a presumption of relevance and reliability (including authenticity) for all documents put before the Trial Chamber in Case 001 on grounds that not all of these documents are relevant to Case 002/01. However, the reliability accorded to them in Case 001 is one factor to be considered in determining their compliance with Internal Rule 87;
d) Issues concerning, amongst other things, the legibility of copies of documents or discrepancies between an audio recording and the written statement which summarized it are matters going to the weight to be accorded to evidence rather than its admissibility pursuant to Internal Rule 87(3);
e) There is no requirement within the ECCC legal framework that documents be put before the Chamber only in connection with the testimony of a witness, expert or Civil Party. While sources such as books, analytical reports, documentary films or media articles are not as such inadmissible, the appropriate weight to be accorded to these sources shall be assessed by the Chamber in due course; and
f) Objections lacking sufficient specificity as to the basis of the alleged inadmissibility of particular documents or categories of documents shall be rejected.”
|
|
|
December 14, 2012 |
PRESS RELEASE Mr. Ang Udom, the Cambodian Co-Lawyer, and Mr. Michael Karnavas, the Foreign Co-Lawyer, have been assigned by the ECCC’s Defence Support Section to represent a suspect named in the Second Introductory Submission submitted by the International Co-Prosecutor to the Office of the Co-Investigating Judges on 20 November 2008 which was part of the Case File in Case 003.
|
|
|
December 17, 2012 |
|
|
|
December 18, 2012 |
PRESS RELEASE Mr. William Hague, the UK’s Foreign Secretary, announced on December 13 that the government of the United Kingdom has contributed another USD 1 million (£600,000) to the international component of the ECCC. To date, the UK has contributed USD 7.9 million to the Khmer Rouge Tribunal.
|
|
|
December 19, 2012 |
- Thipakdei Security Office, Tuol Mtes worksite, Phnom Tra Cheak Chet, Along Vil Breng, Sector 1 Security Office and Damnak Reang execution site in Battambang province
- Tuol Seh Nhauv Pits, Prey Krabau Killing Fields, Phum Veal Prison, Svay Chrum aka Phum Thkaul Prison, Boeng Bat Kandal aka Trach Kraol Prison, Chanreangsei Pagoda Execution Site, Kaun Thnoat or Cham Village mass graves and wells and Veal Bak Chunching execution site in Pursat province
- “Prey Sokhon execution site”, the “Wat Ang Srei Muny Detention Center”, Slaeng village forest, Wat Angkun, Preil and Saom villages execution site, Wat So Ben prison, Wat Pratheat Security Center and Kraing Ta Chan Security Center in Takeo province
- The “Colonial Prison in Kampong-Thom” in Kampong Thom province
- “Thnal Bek execution site in Kampong Cham province.
|
|
|
December 20, 2012 |
|
|
|
December 26, 2012 |
PRESS RELEASE
Judge Florence Ndepele Mwachande Mumba, Zambian, nominated by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, has been appointed as the sitting judge of the Supreme Court Chamber of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal by the Supreme Council of the Magistracy of Cambodia, replacing former judge Motoo Noguchi who resigned in July 2012.
|
|
|
January 18, 2013 |
PRESS RELEASE
The government of Japan pledged another USD 2.5 million to the international component of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, announced yesterday by the Japanese Embassy in Phnom Penh. To date, Japan has contributed USD 78.7 million to the Khmer Rouge Tribunal.
|
|
|
February
08, 2013 |
|
|
|
February
12, 2013 |
|
|
|
February 25, 2013 |
The UK Foreign Secretary William Hague announced today that the UK will contribute another £ 1.4 million to the international component of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal.
(https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/uk-support-for-court-of-cambodia-and-tribunal-for-lebanon)
|
|
|
February 26, 2013 |
PRESS RELEASE
The ECCC Public Affairs Office issued a Press Release on the Revised ECCC Budget for 2012-2013.
The new revised budget is USD 69.6 million.
|
|
|
February 28, 2013 |
STATEMENT BY THE CO-INVESTIGATING JUDGES REGARDING CASE 003
The Office of Co-Investigating Judges today issued its statement with regard to Case 003. According to the statement, the Case 003 “remains open and the investigation of alleged crimes are proceeding,” and victims of the alleged crime sites as stated in the statement are able to apply as witness, civil party, or complainant.
|
|
|
March 1, 2013 |
Ms. Zainab Hawa Bangura, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, welcomed the decision of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal to prosecute the crimes of sexual violence committed during the Khmer Rouge.
(http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=44264&Cr=sexual+violence&Cr1=#.UTHyJ6XCnfZ)
|
|
|
March 14, 2013 |
PRESS RELEASE
Accused Ieng Sary, former Khmer Rouge deputy Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs, died this morning at the Khmer Soviet Friendship Hospital. Ieng Sary had been hospitalized since March 4, 2013.
|
|
|
March 14, 2013 |
TERMINATION OF THE PROCEEDINGS AGAINST THE ACCUSED IENG SARY
The ECCC Trial Chamber today issued its decision to terminate all proceedings against the Accused Ieng Sary, following the death of the Accused. Pursuant to Article 7(1) of the Cambodian Code of Criminal Procedure and the Internal Rule 23bis(6) of the ECCC, death extinguishes any criminal and civil action.
|
|
|
March 25, 2013 |
PRESS RELEASE The Norwegian government announced today another
contribution of NOK 6,000,000 (approximately USD 1 million) to the international component of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal.
To date, the Norwegian government has contributed more than USD 6 million to the Khmer Rouge Tribunal.
|
|
|
March 29, 2013 |
Today the Defense Team for Khieu Samphan submitted a
Release Request to the Trial Chamber, seeking the release of Khieu Samphan from
provisional detention, adding that such a release would be made under the court’s supervision.
|
|
|
April 02, 2013 |
PRESS RELEASE The ECCC Co-Prosecutors have submitted their investigation into
the death of Ieng Sary on March 14, 2013 at the Khmer Soviet Friendship Hospital. The report was concluded that Ieng Sary’s
death was from natural causes.
|
|
|
April 02, 2013 |
The ECCC Trial Chamber today issued its
Second Decision on Accused Nuon Chea’s Fitness to Stand Trial.
According to the decision, Nuon Chea is fit to stand trial. At the same time, the Trial Chamber denied the Defence request
“to order additional mental and physical examinations of the Accused and to permit the participation of the Accused in the trial
proceedings from the Detention Facility.” The Trial Chamber also directed the Medical Unit and Detention Facility to implement the
recommendation of the Medical Experts.
|
|
|
April 05, 2013 |
Youk Chhang, DC-Cam's Director, traveled to France to participate in a meeting with an organization documenting the conflict in Syria, formally known as Syria Justice and Accountability.
(Source: Cambodian NGO to Help Document Syrian War, by Dene Hern Chen, The Cambodia Daily.)
|
|
|
April 26, 2013 |
|
|
|
May 10, 2013 |
|
|
|
June 6, 2013 |
|
|
|
June 19, 2013 |
PRESS RELEASE
The Australian government announced on June 18, 2013 to contribute another AU$ 3.25 million to the international component of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal in order to deliver justice to the Cambodian people. To date, the Australia’s financial assistance reaches AU$ 23 million.
|
|
|
June 27, 2013 |
|
|
|
July 23, 2013 |
|
|
|
July 26, 2013 |
The Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam) and the Network for Human Rights Documentation-Burma (ND-Burma) conducted a joint workshop on “Human Rights Documentation as a Tool for Dealing with the Past and Moving on to the Future” in Yangon, Myanmar.
(http://d.dccam.org/Projects/Living_Doc/Photos/2013/Network_for_ Human_Rights_Documentation/index.html
http://nd-burma.org/news/781-memory-of-myanmar.html
http://www.nd-burma.org/news/780-nd-burma-introduces-truth-commission-in-collaboration-with-dc-cam.html)
|
|
|
August 9, 2013 |
PRESS RELEASE Mr. Lt Gen Rt Hon Sir Jerry Mateparae, the Governor-General of New Zealand, announced today another contribution of NZ$200,000 to the national component of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal in the quest for justice. To date, the New Zealand government has contributed NZ$ 1.4 million to the Khmer Rouge Tribunal.
|
|
|
August 21, 2013 |
|
|
|
August 22, 2013 |
|
|
|
September 3, 2013 |
PRESS STATEMENT BY THE
DEFENSES SUPPORT SECTION
The ECCC Defence Support Section issued today a Press Statement noting the death of Mr. Jacques Verges, International Co-Lawyer for the Accused Khieu Samphan. Mr. Verges died in France at the age of 88 on August 15, 2013. Mr. Verges had represented the Accused Khieu Samphan since November 2007.
|
|
|
September 4, 2013 |
STATEMENT BY US SPECIAL EXPERT, AMBASSADOR DAVID CHEFFER, ON THE NATIONAL BUDGET CRISIS OF THE ECCC
Ambassador David Scheffer, UN Special Expert on UN Assistance to the Khmer Rouge Trials issued today a statement following the ECCC budget crisis in the national component of the Court. The national side of the ECCC had recently faced another budget constraint to fund the salaries of the national staff. If there is no solution, the national staff would go on strike which would disrupt the work of the Court. Mr. David Scheffer urged the national staff to remain patient and the UN is committed to end the current funding crisis as soon as possible.
(United Nations Assistance to the Khmer Rogue Trials,
http://www.unakrt-online.org/articles/statement-un-special-expert-ambassador-david-scheffer-national-budget-crisis-eccc)
|
|
|
September 5, 2013 |
STATEMENT BY HIS EXCELLENCY MR. KRANH TONY, ACTING DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATION OF THE ECCC
His Excellency Mr. Kranh Tony, Acting Director of the Office of Administration of the ECCC, issued today a statement following the funding crisis of the national component of the ECCC. It has been three months that most of national staff of the ECCC has not received their salary. Mr. Kranh Tony urged the national staff who have suspended their work to return to work and expressed gratefulness to the UN for its commitment to end the funding crisis of the national side which made in its statement by Mr. David Scheffer on September 4, 2013.
|
|
|
September 9, 2013 |
STATEMENT BY INTERNATIONAL CO-PROSECUTOR ANDREW CAYLEY
The International Co-Prosecutor Andrew Cayley in August 2013 tendered his resignation to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, giving his personal reasons. Mr. Cayley will leave the ECCC on 16 September. Following Mr. Cayley's leaving, the Reserve International Co-Prosecutor, Nicholas Koumjian, will take the office in October 2013.
|
|
|
September 13, 2013 |
Chit Min Lay and Nang Htoi Rawng, both from Myanmar, have spent one month in Cambodia working with the Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam) on how to collect documentation and evidence about the Khmer Rouge regime. One of the goals of the organisation which sent them is to create a documentation center to serve Myanmar.
(Source: Myanmar to follow Cambodia's lead in documenting recent history, by Poppy McPherson, The Phnom Penh Post, http://www.phnompenhpost.com/7days/myanmar-follow-cambodia%E2%80%99s-lead-documenting-recent-history)
|
|
|
October 16, 2013 |
The ECCC Trial Chamber began today hearing closing statements in Case 002/01 which involved the Accused Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan.
The evidentiary hearings of Case 002/01 had been held from November 21, 2011 to July 23, 2013 on forced transfer and charges related to Crimes Against Humanity.
|
|
|
October 28, 2013 |
Press Release of Zaha Hadid and Youk Chhang
Youk Chhang, Director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia, and Zaha Hadia, announced today the appointment of Ms. Hadid's firm to design the new Sleuk Rith Institute, the permanent successor to the Center.
(Source: http://www.cambodiasri.org/sleukrith/zaha_hadid_architects.php)
|
|
|
December 11, 2013 |
PRESS RELEASE
Mr. Nicholas Koumjian (USA) was appointed as new International Co-Prosecutor at the ECCC, following the nomination by the UN Secretary General and the approval by the Supreme Council of the Magistracy.
|
|
|
December 16, 2013 |
PRESS RELEASE
Mr. Bit Seanglim and Mr. So Mosseny were assigned by the ECCC Defence Support Section as the Cambodian Co-lawyers to represent two different suspects named in the Third Introductory Submission by the International Co-Prosecutor which is part of Case 004.
|
|
|
December 20, 2013 |
PRESS RELEASE
The President of the Trial Chamber of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia today issued a memo informing the Director of the Office of Administration that he is not recommending the appointment of a second Trial Chamber panel to hear the remaining charges in the second phase of Case 002.
|
|
|
December 26, 2013 |
Summary of the Certification Related to the Khmer Rouge Tribunal
Deputy Secretary William Burns on June 26, 2013 signed a required certification for the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, per section 7044(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Act, 2012 as carried forward by the Full-Year Continuing Appropriation Act, 2013, that the United Nations and the Royal Government of Cambodia are taking credible steps to address allegations of corruption and mismanagement within the Khmer Rouge Tribunal.
(Source: http://www.menafn.com/3ec7f181-8bcd-4bb0-8f31-a68397574593/Summary-of-the-Certification-Related-to-the-Khmer-Rouge-Tribunal?src=main )
|
|
|
February 11, 2014 |
The ECCC's Trial Chamber today held an adversarial hearing to hear oral arguments on the scope of Case 002/02 and on the Khieu Samphan Defence Team's request that Case 002/01 should be finally adjudicated before the evidentiary hearing in Case 002/02 commences.
|
|
|
February 18, 2014 |
| |