Japan injects $2.25 mil. for budget shortfall of Khmer Rouge trial+

PHNOM PENH, July 2 Kyodo -
The Japanese government on Friday injected an additional $2.25 million to cover
costs of the ongoing U.N.-backed Cambodian war crimes court.
The latest injection was made at the request of Cambodia, which said 294 local
staffers of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia have not been
paid for two and a half months.
Japanese Ambassador to Cambodia Masafumi Kuroki said the contribution will
cover the shortfall of the national component of the ECCC operational costs
from mid-April to September 2010.
Kuroki said the Japanese government attaches importance to the Khmer Rouge
tribunal for the main purposes of ''preventing the recurrence of atrocities
committed during the Khmer Rouge regime, delivering justice to the victims and
strengthening the rule of law in Cambodia.''
Since the start of the court, Japan has provided financial assistance to the
ECCC of about $50.4 million, or about 48 percent of the total budgetary
contributions.
The ECCC had spent about $78.4 million by the end of 2009 since the preparation
period of 2005, but it so far has concluded the hearing of only one case, that
against Kaing Geuk Eau, who headed a torture center in Phnom Penh.
Cases are now proceeding against Nuon Chea, the Khmer Rouge regime's chief
ideologue, Ieng Sary, its foreign minister, Khieu Samphan, its nominal leader,
and Ieng Sary's spouse Ieng Thirith, who was minister of social affairs.
The Khmer Rouge leadership is blamed for the deaths of at least 1.7 million
people during its rule in the late 1970s.
==Kyodo
2010-07-02 23:40:10


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