Blog entries

Transitional Justice event at Columbia

Elena Lesley — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 01:51:50 +0100

For those of you in the New York area, a series of panels on justice issues in Southeast Asia will be held at Columbia University this coming Friday and Saturday. A Saturday afternoon panel will focus on Cambodia and feature presentations from Sophal Ear (U.S. Naval Postgraduate School), John Ciorciari (University of Michigan), Alex Hinton (Rutgers University) and Lorraine Paterson (Cornell University). More information is available here.

Cayley highlights criticism of OCIJ; presents prosecutorial strategy for Case 002

Elena Lesley — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 18:10:44 +0100

International Co-Prosecutor Andrew Cayley gave an interesting presentation at Rutgers on Wednesday, but unfortunately, he did not want to comment on the record about allegations of political interference at the tribunal (particularly in relation to Cases 003 and 004). It would be safe to say, however, in the comments he did make, Cayley expressed "very grave concerns" about the conduct of Cases 003 and 004, as reported in today's Post.

Moreover, Cayley referenced the recent decisions b...

Defiant Co-Prosecutor to speak at Rutgers this month

Elena Lesley — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 23:00:57 +0100

Amid renewed challenges to the credibility of the Khmer Rouge tribunal, international Co-Prosecutor Andrew Cayley will be speaking at Rutgers later this month. The event is scheduled for October 26 and will take place in the Newark Center for Law and Justice. It will be interesting to see how Cayley responds to questions related to recent controversies surrounding investigation of ...

Full list of Case 004 crime sites

News Room — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 14:52:06 +0100

The investigating judges at the Khmer Rouge tribunal released a list of 30 crime sites connected to the court’s controversial fourth case yesterday.

You can read their statement here and our coverage here. The list of sites released is as follows:

A) KAMPONG CHAM PROVINCE (CENTRAL ZONE)

Wat O Trau Kuon Security Centre in Peam Chi Kong Commune, Kang Meas District
Wat Batheay Security Centre in Batheay Commune, Batheay District
Met Sop (Kor...

China, US balancing act

Uong Ratana — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 08:02:40 +0100

During her first meeting with Prime Minister Hun Sen in January, 2009, after becoming the US ambassador to Cambodia...

During her first meeting with Prime Minister Hun Sen in January, 2009, after becoming the US ambassador to Cambodia, Carol Rodley recounted the premier “gushingly stating that he spends more of his time with the American ambassador than with any other members of the diplomatic community”.

But just weeks earlier, Rodley signed off on a confidential diplomatic...

Opposition highs and lows

Uong Ratana — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 08:02:20 +0100

As one-time Funcinpec leader and National Assembly President Norodom Ranariddh was forced from the parliamentary leadership in 2006...

Photo by: Heng Chivoan
Sam Rainsy speaks to reporters in Phnom Pen...

KRT judges: ‘the good, the bad, and the ugly’

Uong Ratana — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 08:01:50 +0100

FURTHER evidence that the Cambodian government tried to limit the number of prosecutions at the Khmer Rouge tribunal...

FURTHER evidence that the Cambodian government tried to limit the number of prosecutions at the Khmer Rouge tribunal, along with concerns over the independence of several appointed judges, surfaced in United States diplomatic cables made public on Tuesday.

One cable from January 2007, marked “confidential” and signed by then-Ambassador Joseph Mussomeli, repo...

Plan to shut down tribunal monitor

Uong Ratana — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 08:48:21 +0100

The government planned to shut down the Open Society Justice Initiative...

The government planned to shut down the Open Society Justice Initiative, an international group monitoring the Khmer Rouge tribunal, after the NGO called for an investigation into alleged court corruption in 2007, according to a United States cable made public yesterday.

Claims that staff on the Cambodian side of the court were forced to pay kickbacks to their supervisors surfaced in 2006, and OSJI cal...

Intrigue in ruling CPP detailed

Uong Ratana — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 07:21:04 +0100

DIPLOMATIC cables made public by WikiLeaks yesterday reveal simmering tensions within the ruling Cambodian People’s Party...

Photo by: Pha Lina
Prime Minister Hun Sen gestures during a speech in Phnom P...

Thaksin oil deal interrupted

Uong Ratana — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 07:15:53 +0100

CAMBODIA and Thailand were nearing a resolution over the disputed oil blocks in the Gulf of Thailand just as Thaksin Shinawatra...

Photo by: Reuters
Hun Sen embraces Thaksin Shinawatra during a meeting in Phnom...

Papers offer inside look at Kingdom

Uong Ratana — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 07:14:39 +0100

THE anti-secrecy organisation WikiLeaks released hundreds of cables from the United States embassy in Phnom Penh yesterday...

THE anti-secrecy organisation WikiLeaks released hundreds of cables from the United States embassy in Phnom Penh yesterday, offering an unprecedented and previously confidential look at the Kingdom’s recent history.

All 777 cables in the WikiLeaks cache from the US embassy in Phnom Penh have now been released, after only a handful were revealed in the ...

Foreign minister’s role in KR prison examined

Uong Ratana — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 07:08:53 +0100

WIKILEAKS cables have reignited debate over sensitive accusations repeatedly made by opposition party leader Sam Rainsy against Foreign Minister Hor Namhong...

WIKILEAKS cables have reignited debate over sensitive accusations repeatedly made by opposition party leader Sam Rainsy against Foreign Minister Hor Namhong over his alleged role at a Khmer Rouge prison.

In April, Sam Rainsy was found guilty of defamation and inciting discrimination against Hor Namhong and sentenced ...

TOP 10 TYCOONS

Uong Ratana — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 04:47:06 +0100

An August 9, 2007, cable, details Cambodia’s Top Ten Tycoons: their nicknames, business activities and ties to the CPP.

Kith Meng - “Mr Rough Stuff”

Chairman and CEO of the Royal Group Kith ...

Wikiquotes

Uong Ratana — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 04:17:15 +0100

This disappointing verdict demonstrates that Cambodia’s culture of impunity and poor legal system persists.

The Royal family
“Cambodia’s royal family is a tragedy, comedy and melodrama all rolled into one that could have provided grist for at least a half dozen Shakespeare plays.” May, 2006.

Hun Sen
“The thin-skinne...

Activist names alleged Case 004 crime sites

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 08:54:05 +0100

Local activist Theary Seng, who has courted controversy in recent weeks with her public statements on the court's third and fourth cases, issued a statement today details what she says are the crime sites involved in the court's Case 004 investigation. Victims hoping to join the case as civil parties must prove that they suffered as a result of crimes committed at one of the sites in the investigation, and Theary Seng has urged prospective applicants to come forward and put pressure on the ju...

Schedule for Case 002 initial hearing

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 06:11:56 +0100

The tribunal has announced the schedule for the initial hearing in Case 002, which begins on June 27.

Monday, 27 June

9:00 – 16:00

1. Provision of tentative list of witnesses for the first phases of the trial

2. Preliminary objections on non bis in idem (roughly speaking, the double jeopardy principle) – a maximum of 2.5 hours (Ieng Sary Defence, Office of the C...

"Disloyal" ECCC staffers and the debate over additional prosecutions

Elena Lesley — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 17:00:00 +0100

Like many journalists, I received a somewhat peculiar message from the Co-Investigating Judges on Thursday. It read that the judges, "have credible information that the content of the Second Introductory Submission which is classified as confidential, has been divulged by a disloyal staff member of the ECCC," and issued a warning "that anyone publishing information from this confidential document is liable to be subjected to proceedings for Interference with the Administration of Justice purs...

New Rutgers magazine feature on ECCC

Elena Lesley — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 21:51:27 +0100

In the first issue of a new Rutgers University magazine (disclaimer: with which I am involved), an undergraduate student describes his experience working with DC-Cam's Victim Participation Team. You can read it here.

Cambodia and the tribunal will certainly be featured in upcoming issues as well, as Rutgers has an active relationship with DC-Cam and a number of students who are interested in the country. The magazine is published by the Center for the Study of Genocide, Conflict Resolu...

Remembering Reach Sambath

Elena Lesley — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 21:27:00 +0100

In light of the recent passing of ECCC head of Public Affairs Reach Sambath, I wanted to post a link to an article I wrote back after he assumed his position in 2008. You can read it here. I was extremely impressed by the effort he made to bring Cambodians to the tribunal, which had previously been somewhat sparsely attended.

I'm sure he will be greatly missed by his friends, colleagues, students and, of course, family.