US to consider funding Cambodian genocide tribunal after problems cleared up

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: The United States will consider giving money to fund Cambodia's U.N.-backed genocide tribunal only after the court properly addresses allegations of corruption and mismanagement against it, a U.S. diplomat said Friday.
\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#333333\"\>Clint Williamson, the U.S. ambassador for war crimes\nissues, said the arrests of five Khmer Rouge suspects have shown that the\ntribunal, after repeated delays, "is making progress and moving in a very\npositive direction."\u003c/span\>\u003c/font\>\u003c/p\>\n\n\u003cp style\u003d\"line-height:14.25pt;background:#FCFCFC\"\>\u003cfont size\u003d\"2\" color\u003d\"#333333\" face\u003d\"Arial\"\>\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#333333\"\>"How that plays out in terms of direct funding to the\ncourt, we'll have to see," he said at a press conference at the end of a\nthree-day visit assessing the tribunal's work to help decide whether or not Washington should\nprovide funds for it.\u003c/span\>\u003c/font\>\u003c/p\>\n\n\u003cp style\u003d\"line-height:14.25pt;background:#FCFCFC\"\>\u003cfont size\u003d\"2\" color\u003d\"#333333\" face\u003d\"Arial\"\>\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#333333\"\>The communist Khmer Rouge, who held power in 1975-79, are blamed\nfor the death of estimated 1.7 million people from hunger, diseases, overwork\nand execution. None of its leaders have been tried.\u003c/span\>\u003c/font\>\u003c/p\>\n\n\u003cp style\u003d\"line-height:14.25pt;background:#FCFCFC\"\>\u003cfont size\u003d\"2\" color\u003d\"#333333\" face\u003d\"Arial\"\>\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#333333\"\>The tribunal plans to begin its first trial in mid-2008 but it\nhas not yet set a date.\u003c/span\>\u003c/font\>\u003c/p\>\n\n\u003cp style\u003d\"line-height:14.25pt;background:#FCFCFC\"\>\u003cfont size\u003d\"2\" color\u003d\"#333333\" face\u003d\"Arial\"\>\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#333333\"\>Williamson said any decisions about U.S. funding "are going to be\ncontingent" on how the U.N. and the Cambodian government deal with its\ninternal problems and on the court's ability "to deliver justice at\ninternational standards."\u003c/span\>\u003c/font\>\u003c/p\>\n\n\u003cp style\u003d\"line-height:14.25pt;background:#FCFCFC\"\>\u003cfont size\u003d\"2\" color\u003d\"#333333\" face\u003d\"Arial\"\>\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#333333\"\>Early this year, the tribunal, staffed by Cambodian and\ninternational officials, was shaken by allegations of kickbacks from Cambodian\njob applicants and an internal audit alleging that Cambodian staff members\nwithout proper qualifications had been hired.",1]
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Clint Williamson, the U.S. ambassador for war crimes issues, said the arrests of five Khmer Rouge suspects have shown that the tribunal, after repeated delays, "is making progress and moving in a very positive direction."
"How that plays out in terms of direct funding to the court, we'll have to see," he said at a press conference at the end of a three-day visit assessing the tribunal's work to help decide whether or not Washington should provide funds for it.
The communist Khmer Rouge, who held power in 1975-79, are blamed for the death of estimated 1.7 million people from hunger, diseases, overwork and execution. None of its leaders have been tried.
The tribunal plans to begin its first trial in mid-2008 but it has not yet set a date.
Williamson said any decisions about U.S. funding "are going to be contingent" on how the U.N. and the Cambodian government deal with its internal problems and on the court's ability "to deliver justice at international standards."
Early this year, the tribunal, staffed by Cambodian and international officials, was shaken by allegations of kickbacks from Cambodian job applicants and an internal audit alleging that Cambodian staff members without proper qualifications had been hired.
\u003c/font\>\u003c/p\>\n\n\u003cp style\u003d\"line-height:14.25pt;background:#FCFCFC\"\>\u003cfont size\u003d\"2\" color\u003d\"#333333\" face\u003d\"Arial\"\>\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#333333\"\>"Obviously, we're troubled when we hear reports of\nmismanagement or improprieties in the institution," Williamson said.\n"We feel very strongly that such allegations have to be investigated,\nexplored and dealt with."\u003c/span\>\u003c/font\>\u003c/p\>\n\n\u003cp style\u003d\"line-height:14.25pt;background:#FCFCFC\"\>\u003cfont size\u003d\"2\" color\u003d\"#333333\" face\u003d\"Arial\"\>\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#333333\"\>The tribunal has been appealing for more funding on top of its\nalready budgeted US$56.3 million (€38.7 million), saying its original planned\nthree years of operation through 2009 will likely be extended for one more\nyear.\u003c/span\>\u003c/font\>\u003c/p\>\n\n\u003cp style\u003d\"line-height:14.25pt;background:#FCFCFC\"\>\u003cfont size\u003d\"2\" color\u003d\"#333333\" face\u003d\"Arial\"\>\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#333333\"\>The U.S.\nhas so far not donated any funds to the tribunal, though it has spent more than\nUS$7 million (€4.8 million) over the past decade to support the work of the\nDocumentation Center of Cambodia, in independent group that collects evidence\nof the Khmer Rouge crimes.\u003c/span\>\u003c/font\>\u003c/p\>\n\n\u003cp style\u003d\"line-height:14.25pt;background:#FCFCFC\"\>\u003cfont size\u003d\"2\" color\u003d\"#333333\" face\u003d\"Arial\"\>\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#333333\"\>The group has given many documents to the tribunal to assist it\nin investigating cases against the Khmer Rouge suspects.\u003c/span\>\u003c/font\>\u003c/p\>\n\n\u003cp style\u003d\"text-align:justify\"\>\u003ci\>\u003cfont size\u003d\"3\" face\u003d\"Times New Roman\"\>\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size:12.0pt;font-style:italic\"\> \u003c/span\>\u003c/font\>\u003c/i\>\u003c/p\>\n\n\u003cdiv style\u003d\"border:none;border-top:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:1.0pt 0in 0in 0in\"\>\n\n\u003cp style\u003d\"text-align:justify;border:none;padding:0in\"\>\u003ci\>\u003cfont size\u003d\"3\" face\u003d\"Times New Roman\"\>\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size:12.0pt;font-style:italic\"\>This\ninformation list was set up by the Open Society Justice Initiative for\ninformation exchange about the Khmer Rouge Tribunal and its effects on\nCambodian society. For more information, please contact "
"Obviously, we're troubled when we hear reports of mismanagement or improprieties in the institution," Williamson said. "We feel very strongly that such allegations have to be investigated, explored and dealt with."
The tribunal has been appealing for more funding on top of its already budgeted US$56.3 million (€38.7 million), saying its original planned three years of operation through 2009 will likely be extended for one more year.
The U.S. has so far not donated any funds to the tribunal, though it has spent more than US$7 million (€4.8 million) over the past decade to support the work of the Documentation Center of Cambodia, in independent group that collects evidence of the Khmer Rouge crimes.
The group has given many documents to the tribunal to assist it in investigating cases against the Khmer Rouge suspects.