By Greg Donaldson
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia – The Khmer Rouge tribunal explained Thursday that the four former Cambodian leaders accused of genocide will be tried on a charge-by-charge basis.
“Separation of proceedings will enable the chamber to issue a verdict following a shortened trial, safeguarding the fundamental interest of victims in achieving meaningful and timely justice, and the right of all accused in Case 002 to an expeditious trial,” the opinion read.
The court’s desire to accelerate the trials stems from the fact that defendants range in age from seventy-nine to eighty-five. The court is attempting to avoid the result of the 2006 trial of Slobodan Milosevic in which Milosevic died in his cell during trial.
Defendants have already cited their health as obstacles to upcoming trials. It has been reported that Ieng Thirith, the youngest of all the defendants, has dementia and memory loss. A health expert told the court that Thirith was no longer fit for trial.
Another defendant, Nuon Chea, has told the court that it is very difficult for him to focus and he cannot sit for long periods of time.
Clair Duffy, a trial monitor for the Open Society Justice Initiative admitted that the decision to break up the charges into separate trials is not perfect but explained the clock is ticking for the court to sentence the defendants before they die.
“I guess it’s an exercise of weighing competing interests. The question is, is it better to see some form of justice in a shorter period of time that only involves some allegations? I think the answer to that has to be yes,” she said.
While public appearances by the defendants have been limited, the media has kept a close watch on how the defendant’s act while in public. During a bail hearing in 2009, Ieng Thirith said that anyone accusing her of a crime would be cursed “to the seventh circle of hell.”
Nuon Chea has been wearing sunglasses and a stripped ski cap throughout the trial. On the first day of trial he announced that he was not happy with the trial. After a judge denied Chea’s request to hear hundreds of Chea’s witnesses, Chea staged a three day walkout.
Khmer Rouge ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979. In addition to being accused of genocide, it is also alleged that the regime authorized torture, executions, starvation, and child labor camps.
For more information, please see:
Phnom Penh Post — Khmer Rouge trial split — 23 September 2011
AFP – War crimes court splits KRouge trial charges– 22 September 2011
Voice of America — Khmer Rouge Court to Try Former Leaders Crime by Crime — 22 September 2011
The Atlantic — Scenes From a Khmer Rouge Trial Gone Wrong — 21 September 2011
