National Courts Not Near Tribunal Standards: Experts

Men Kimseng, VOA Khmer
Washington, DC Wednesday, 11 August 2010

“Our national courts do not have enough money to arrange logistics and resources.”

While the Khmer Rouge tribunal may serve as a model for Cambodia's national courts, experts say the country's judiciary has a long way to go before it reaches international standards.

The UN-backed tribunal recently wrapped up its first trial, sentencing prison chief Duch to a commuted 19 years in prison for his role in the torture and execution of more than 12,000 people.

The relatively short sentence left many victims disappointed, but Reach Sambath, a spokesman for the tribunal, said the completed trial, which 77 days of testimony and more than a year of deliberation, was valuable “to the whole world.”
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