Thursday, March 21, 2013

UN, Cambodia Seeking Solution to Tribunal Funding Problems

20 March 2013 
Heng ReaksmeyVOA Khmer

PHNOM PENH - UN and Cambodian officials say they are committed to finding enough funding for the Khmer Rouge tribunal to continue its work.

This follows talks from former US ambassador-at-large for war crimes, David Scheffer, who is the UN’s special expert for the tribunal, and Cabinet Minister Sok An on Wednesday.

The hybrid court needs about $35 million to operate in 2013, with $9.4 million for the Cambodian side, according to a joint statement.

So far, only $2.5 million has been funded for this year, tribunal spokesman Neth Pheaktra said. The international side of the court has enough money to continue through June, but the Cambodian side already needs $7 million, some of it for salaries for 270 staff members, he said.

Sok An and Scheffer said in the statement their objective was to find a solution to the “funding matters that can enable the [court] to complete its mission of achieving justice for crimes committed during the Khmer Rouge regime.” 

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