France Gives $200,000 to Khmer Rouge Tribunal

Society

France Gives $200,000 to Khmer Rouge Tribunal

Buddhist monks arrive at the court building to attend the verdict of former Khmer Rouge leaders Khieu and "Brother Number 2" Nuon Chea at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) in Phnom Penh on November 16, 2018. Photo: AFP

By Ou Sokmean
and Sam Sopich
February 18, 2022 9:05 AM

Court winds up cases after marathon trials

PHNOM PENH--France is to provide an additional 200,000 euros (about $220,000) to the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), bringing its assistance to the Khmer Rouge tribunal to about $7.8 million.

The new contribution was announced at a meeting of the Friends of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, co-chaired by Jacques Pellet, French Ambassador to Cambodia, and Masahiro Mikami, the Japanese Ambassador, at the French Embassy on Feb. 15.

At the same time, the tribunal mandate will finish at the end of this year with the final decision of the Trial Chamber. This will be Case 002/02 on Khieu Samphan, former head of state of Democratic Kampuchea.

Remaining work includes the maintenance, preservation and management of archives, the protection and remembrance of atrocities committed, and the review of verdicts. In particular, the protection of victims and witnesses and the management of prisoners' sentences.

Mr Pellet praised the recent coming into force of the agreement between the United Nations and the Cambodian Government on the arrangements for the transition and termination of the Extraordinary Chambers.

ECCC spokesman Neth Pheaktra said the tribunal was thankful to France for its continued support and sponsorship as the tribunal’s ninth biggest partner.

“France has provided budget around 10 million or 3% of total expenditure of the ECCC,” Pheatra said,.

Up to 2021, spending on the ECCC has totalled $330 million, of which Cambodia’s contribution has been $95 million.

“Since 2006, the ECCC has achieved many results to seek justice and truth for victims under the Khmer Rouge and people who lost family members and has provided the truth about why people were killed and brought about mainstream public awareness,” Pheaktra said.

Japan also provided a further $220,000 to the international component of the tribunal. So far, Japan has provided more than $88 million, about 27 percent of total contributions to the court.