Japan has announced that it will donate $200,000 to the court's Cambodian side, which has been unsure how it will pay tribunal staffers' March salaries. Most donors have frozen funds to the Cambodian side pending the resolution of corruption allegations at the court.

The funding shortfall's timing was particularly inconvenient, as the substantive portion of Comrade Duch's trial is scheduled to start March 30.

"Japan strongly hopes that these trials, which will render justice to the serious crimes perpetrated under the former Khmer Rouge regime, will be carried out properly and promptly without delay, as all the detained leaders of the former regime are aged persons," according to a statement from the Embassy of Japan.

In other court news, the Post reported yesterday that judges have turned down Norng Chan Pal's request to be joined as a civil party in Duch's case. Norng, who claims he was a child survivor of S-21, missed the civil party application deadline by two days.