CAMBODIA: War crimes court juggles public demands

Participants of the war crimes tribunal line up outside a courthouse in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh (Photo: Brendan Brady/IRIN)

PHNOM PENH, 10 March 2010 (IRIN) - Competing pressures in Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge war crimes tribunal could work against the victims it is supposed to represent, human rights groups warn.

Since its establishment in 2006, the UN-backed tribunal has sought to provide a greater voice to victims of the regime, while at the same time expediting a legal process bogged down by delays. As a result, the court decided last month to filter the representation of all victims through two lawyers because of the high number of applicants seeking to participate in the second case.

Known as the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), the tribunal includes a “civil party” system designed to give lay people an official role to provide testimony, question suspects and request reparations.

Please click here to read more...