Dear Editor,

The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) is a

national court with international participation which is committed to

adhering to international standards. Yet the court appears not to be

different from the national Cambodian courts as it is corrupt too.

Many Cambodian people already have concerns about the delays, about

the effectiveness of expenditures; they have questions about the

sufficiency of available resources, and the ability of the tribunal to

meet international standards of due process, particularly with respect

to the rights of the accused and the rights of victims.

Cambodians want a court that can provide justice for the victims of

Khmer Rouge atrocities that were committed between April 17, 1975, and

January 6, 1979.

The tribunal is important for the people of Cambodia, but it also

may also serve to revive memories, bitterness and moral agony for the

victims of the regime. These people must not be disappointed by the

ECCC.

It is doubtful whether this historical process, the ECCC, can, in

fact, provide justice for the victims if  the court itself is tainted

with corruption.

The problems of delay and corruption have prompted many Cambodian

people to lose faith in this sexy-sounding Extraordinary Chambers.

It took the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) and the United

Nations more than 10 years of negotiations even to reach an agreement

for a court.

The RGC has put much of its effort and many of its resources toward

providing justice for the victims of the Khmer Rouge regime.

Corruption should not be allowed to ruin the court. Persons within

the ECCC who are found to be corrupt, or to have taken bribes not just

only DISRESPECT the victims but also taint the RGC's goodwill in the

process.

The court will not succeed if it is corrupt. Therefore, it is in

the best interest of the court that the recent allegations of

corruption be dealt with fully and transparently.

The persons found to be involved in this scandal should resign and

be held criminally accountable for their misdeeds.  The more silence

there is on this issue, the more the good will of the RGC is tainted.   

Prim Long

Phnom Penh