Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Japan contributes $220K to Khmer Rouge tribunal

Japan contributes $220K to Khmer Rouge tribunal

Content image - Phnom Penh Post
A hearing at the Khmer Rouge tribunal in November 2019. ECCC

Japan contributes $220K to Khmer Rouge tribunal

The Japanese government has disbursed $220,000 to the UN component of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), also known as the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, bringing their total historical contribution to $88.7 million thus far.

Japan contributed the amount in order to support the tribunal’s judicial process, according to a press statement issued by the Japanese embassy on February 7.

The Japanese government included three views of importance to the tribunal. Chiefly, it said that the Khmer Rouge trials were the completing stage of the Cambodian peace process in order to prevent the recurrence of atrocities committed during the war.

The tribunal will help deliver justice to the victims of the Khmer Rouge genocidal regime and contribute to national reconciliation, the embassy said.

It added that the tribunal “will contribute to strengthening the rule of law in Cambodia as well as in the international community”.

Since the ECCC’s inception, Japan has contributed $88.7 million to the proceedings, including the most recent disbursement – approximately 27 per cent of total donations to the national and UN components of the tribunal.

ECCC spokesman Neth Pheaktra welcomed the assistance and thanked Japan for providing financial support to the tribunal. “Japan remains one of the largest donors to the Khmer Rouge Tribunal,” he said.

The country was followed by the Cambodian government in total contributions with $42 million, or 13 per cent, and Australia with $34 million, or 11 per cent.

The fourth largest contributor was the US, which provided $32 million – a total of 10 per cent, followed by the EU, Sweden, the UK, France and Norway.

According to Pheaktra, the tribunal had spent more than $330.4 million as of December 31, of which $235.66 million was funnelled into the UN side and $94.73 million into the national side.

The ECCC is seeking approval for a proposed budget of $16.18 million for 2022, a decrease of 9.17 per cent from the previous year’s budget, Pheaktra said.

MOST VIEWED

  • Ream base allegations must end, urges official

    A senior government official urges an end to the allegations and suspicions surrounding the development of Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base, now that Prime Minister Hun Manet has addressed the issue on the floor of the 78th UN General Assembly (UNGA 78). Jean-Francois Tain, a geopolitical

  • Ministry taking steps over Thai ‘replica’ of Angkor Wat

    The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts has dispatched experts to inspect the ongoing construction of a temple in Wat Phu Man Fah, located in Thailand’s Buriram province. This temple appears to be a replica of Cambodia’s renowned Angkor Wat. The ministry said

  • CP denied registration documents by ministry

    The Ministry of Interior will not reissue registration documents to the Candlelight Party (CP). Following a September 21 meeting between ministry secretary of state Bun Honn and CP representatives, the ministry cited the fact that there is no relevant law which would authorise it to do

  • PM to open new Siem Reap int’l airport December 1

    Prime Minister Hun Manet and Chinese leaders would jointly participate in the official opening of the new Chinese-invested Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport on December 1. The airport symbolises a new page in the history of Cambodian aviation, which will be able to welcome long-distance flights to

  • Minimum wage set at $204, after Sep 28 vote

    The minimum wage for factory workers in the garment, footwear and travel goods industries for 2024 has been decided at $204 per month, with the government contributing $2. Following several negotiation sessions, the tripartite talks reached an agreement during a September 28 vote, with 46 of 51 votes supporting the $202 figure.

  • Cambodian diaspora laud Manet’s UN Assembly visit

    Members of the Cambodian diaspora are rallying in support of Prime Minister Hun Manet’s forthcoming visit to the 78th UN General Assembly (UNGA 78) in the US’ New York City this week. Their move is an apparent response to a recent call by self-exiled former