Two days before judges at the ECCC will reveal the final charges against "Comrade Duch," a coalition of Khmer Rouge victims urged the court to hasten the tribunal's progress.

In a statement, current and potential civil parties outlined the challenges facing the court: "We began with the hope that the ECCC would provide some satisfaction, but we are now concerned about the delays, the allegations of corruption, the sufficiency of available resources, and the lack of information on the progress made by the ECCC. These problems prompt many of us to lose hope and faith in the ECCC."

They then asked the court to "speed up the process because both victims and accused are aging."

This concern is being voiced throughout the country and, according to reports, the judges' decision Friday may significantly influence the start of Duch's trial. After initial reports that the Tuol Sleng torture chief's trial would start in September, due to the appeal lodged by Co-Prosecutors, many are now predicting the trial will open in March.

However, according to a civil party lawyer quoted in a recent article, if judges grant the Co-Prosecutors' motion, the trial "could be delayed for many more months." I suppose this would make sense, given the potential ramifications of adding Joint Criminal Enterprise to the list of charges against Duch.