Clinton urges rights progress in Cambodia

By MATTHEW LEE

The Associated Press

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Monday urged Cambodia to improve its human rights record and ensure the Khmer Rouge are brought to justice for crimes against humanity in the 1970s.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton gestures during a news conference with Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem at the ASEAN summit on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2010 in Hanoi, Vietnam. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton arrives at Phoenix International Airport in Sanya, China, Saturday, Oct. 30, 2010. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton takes a tour of Angkor Wat temple complex on Sunday, Oct. 31, 2010 in Angkor, Cambodia. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton shares a laugh with a group of girls from the Siem Reap Center, a shelter run by AFSEIP that provides rehabilitation, vocational training, and social reintegration for sex trafficking victims, on Sunday, Oct. 31, 2010 in Siem Reap, Cambodia. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool)

Clinton was in the capital, Phnom Penh, where she visited the main Khmer Rouge prison and torture center before appealing to Cambodian officials to overcome a legacy of impunity for abuses. The government has refused to allow a U.N.-backed court trying top Khmer Rouge leaders to prosecute lower-ranking members.
Clinton toured the infamous S-21 prison where as many as 16,000 people were tortured before being executed. The Khmer Rouge regime is blamed for the deaths of some 1.7 million people from starvation, disease, overwork and execution during its 1975-79 reign.
She did not speak after the tour but left a message in a guest book calling for those responsible for the deaths to be prosecuted.
"In memory of the tragic suffering of the people of Cambodia and in hope that there will be a future of peace, prosperity and greater awareness of all that needs to be done to move the country forward, including trials, accountability and reconciliation," Clinton wrote.
"May God bless all of who lost their lives and their families and all Cambodians who want to make a difference for the next generation."
The Khmer Rouge tribunal closed its first case in July when it convicted the regime's chief jailer and head of S-21, Kaing Guek Eav, also known as Duch. He was sentenced to 19 years in prison on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. A second trial is expected to start next year for the four top surviving Khmer Rouge leaders.
But Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has said the trials will stop there, despite U.N. wishes to bring lower-ranking officers to justice for murder, torture and other crimes. The U.N. says progress has been blocked by political interference from Cambodian officials who oppose more prosecutions.
Critics accuse the Cambodian leader of trying to limit the tribunal's scope to prevent his political allies from being indicted. Hun Sen once served as a Khmer Rouge officer and many of his main allies are also former members of the group.
In talks with Hun Sen later Monday after a town hall meeting with Cambodian youth, Clinton is expected to say that the U.S. wants to see the next trial proceed quickly and judiciously, according to U.S. officials.
Clinton also plans to tell Hun Sen that his government, which has been harshly criticized for cracking down on opposition groups, must do more to protect human rights. She will meet with opposition leaders before departing for Malaysia on the next leg of a two-week, seven-nation tour of the Asia-Pacific.
Last week, Hun Sen told visiting U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon that he must close down the U.N. human rights office in Cambodia, which he accuses of interfering in the country's internal affairs.
Cambodian officials are expected to keep up their push for forgiveness from the U.S. of about $445 million in Vietnam War-era debt. Washington has balked, arguing the country has the means to repay the low-interest loans.