Fears for premature end to Khmer Rouge tribunal

Fears for premature end to Khmer Rouge tribunal

Published: Monday 13 April 2009 12:23 UTC
Last updated: Monday 13 April 2009 13:38 UTC

In an interview with Radio Netherlands Worldwide, Dutch lawyer Viktor Koppe says he fears a premature end to the international Cambodia Tribunal in Phnom Penh. The tribunal was set up to try senior members of the Khmer Rouge for crimes against humanity. Mr Koppe is defending one of its leaders. Although the tribunal consists of judges from both the United Nations and Cambodia, Mr Koppe believes political interference by the Cambodian government is threatening its successful conclusion.

The Khmer Rouge was the ruling political party in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979. During that rule, an estimated 1.5 million people died from torture, execution, starvation or forced labour. Today, many of the party's leaders and supporters occupy important government positions in Cambodia. This, says Mr Koppe, is prompting the government to question which of those former leaders should be prosecuted. He believes there is a very strong possibility the Cambodian government will remove the United Nations from the tribunal sometime in 2009.