The Phnom Penh Post

During his first press conference as the Khmer Rouge tribunal's independent counsellor, Uth Chhorn said Wednesday that he would forward, not resolve, well-founded complaints brought to him by tribunal staffers. 

Describing how he would approach his new role, he said he was "to be informed of anything that happens in the court". He said he would collect information about all complaints and forward it to Deputy Prime Minister Sok An and Peter Taksoe-Jensen, the UN’s assistant secretary general for legal affairs.

The press release announcing the appointment said Uth Chhorn would be “empowered to address” corruption complaints.

The Khmer Rouge tribunal on Thursday concluded the hearing of evidence in the trial of Kaing Guek Eav, alias Duch. A statement put out by the tribunal noted that, in 72 days of substantive hearings, the court heard from nine expert witnesses, 17 fact witnesses, seven character witnesses and 22 civil parties. Closing statements are set to begin on November 23.

International defence lawyer Francois Roux on Wednesday concluded testimony in dramatic fashion, with questions clearly intended to demonstrate the sincerity of his client’s apologies and statements of remorse. The Trial Chamber allowed him to show a video of Duch's February 2008 visit to the Cheoung Ek killing fields, during which he expressed “indescribable remorse” for the atrocities of the regime. Scroll to the bottom of this link to read the account of the testimony that ran in the Post.

On Thursday, civil party lawyers submitted a joint filing for reparations, in which they asked for free medical care, memorial pagodas and education programmes, among other things. Beyond the joint filing, lawyers plan to include individual reparations claims in final submissions to the Trial Chamber. A decision on reparations will likely be announced at the same time as the verdict, which is expected early next year.

The announcement Wednesday that the Cambodian government and the UN had agreed to appoint Uth Chhorn, the current chairman of the National Audit Authority, to fill the newly created role of "independent counsellor" prompted some questions from court parties and observers, in particular whether Uth Chhorn would be granted enough authority to resolve the corruption complaints he will be tasked with fielding and whether Cambodian staffers would be comfortable bringing such complaints to him.

At a press conference on Wednesday that was light on details, Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan said he did not know how Uth Chhorn might go about resolving corruption complaints. He also said he did not know when Uth Chhorn would begin work in the new role.

According to a statement distributed at the press conference and dated Tuesday, the agreement -- reached by Deputy Prime Minister Sok An and Peter Taksoe-Jensen, UN assistant secretary-general for legal affairs -- followed "detailed consultations" with donors. The UN has frozen funds to the Cambodian side of the court in response to allegations of a kickback scheme at the tribunal.