By Pei Hu
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia – The Khmer Rouge trial has been delayed until next year. The delay results from new charges being brought against Kaing Guek Eav, also known as Duch, one of the defendants on trial. “The chance to have a trial for Duch could be in 2009, early next year,” said a tribunal spokesman.

The United States has also pledged $1.8 million dollars to help the efforts of the tribunal.  This is the first donation from the United States because of worries of corruption since the establishment of the tribunal.

The Extraordinary Chambers in Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) was established by both the United Nations and the Cambodian government in 2001 to investigate and try surviving Khmer Rouge officials. ECCC uses both Cambodian and International law.

In May 2008, the ECCC banned communication amongst defendants during pre-trial. The Pre-Trial Chamber approved the “strict separation between the detainees,” taking away “the right to communicate among themselves.” However, this past Thursday the ECCC overturned the segregation order. The Pre-Trial Chamber found “that there can be no reason related to investigation purposes justifying that contacts between [defendants] be restricted.”

The Khmer Rouge tribunal has been an international effort to bring to justice the 1.7 million people that perished under the brutal Khmer Rouge regime from 1975-1979.

Currently, five key Khmer Rouge officers are on trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Pol Pot, the dictator of the Khmer Rouge regime died in 1998 without ever being brought to justice.

For more information, please see:

Boston Globe – Cambodia’s Genocide Trial Delayed Until Next Year – 2 October 2008

Jurist – ECCC Ends Ban On Communication Among Defendants in Pretrial Detention – 2 October 2008

New York Times – Cambodia: U.S. Pledges Funds to Khmer Rouge Tribunal– 17 September 2008