In advance of a meeting with the Cambodian Minister of Justice on 27 January 2005, Foreign Office Minister Douglas Alexander has announced an immediate UK contribution of £500,000 for a United Nations-supported Khmer Rouge Tribunal in Cambodia.

Mr Alexander said:

'The UN Secretary General recently requested pledges of support from the international community for the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, and the British Government is determined to help.

'We warmly endorse the efforts of the United Nations and the Government of Cambodia to get the Khmer Rouge Tribunal underway. With British and others' support, the Tribunal can become a reality as early as this year, and those responsible for the horrors of Cambodia's genocide will at last face justice.

'But this is not only about addressing the iniquities of the past. An independent, UN-supported Tribunal will help strengthen accountability, the rule of law and judicial reform in present day Cambodia. This is crucial if the country is to end the culture of impunity that has prevailed there since the era of the Khmer Rouge.

'I very much look forward to discussing these and other issues with His Excellency Ang Vong Vathana, Cambodia's Minister of Justice, during his visit to London today.'

Notes for Editors

1. The leaders of the Khmer Rouge are thought to have been responsible for the deaths of around 1.7 million people - over 20% of the Cambodian population - from 1975 to 1979.
2. Since 1997, the United Nations and the Government of Cambodia have been negotiating the establishment of a UN-supported tribunal to try the surviving leaders of the Khmer Rouge. Negotiations have been protracted. On 17 March 2003, the UN and the Cambodian negotiating teams initialled a draft Agreement. This Agreement was endorsed by the UN General Assembly on 13 May 2003. Ratification of the necessary legislation was delayed due to problems in forming a Cambodian Government after the elections in July 2003. A new Government was formed in July 2004 and the Cambodian Parliament ratified the legislation on 4 October 2004.
3. The budget for the Khmer Rouge Tribunal has been set at US$43 million for the UN and US$13.3 million for Cambodia, over a three-year period. The UK has already provided £54,000 for the Cambodian Khmer Rouge Tribunal Support office.
4. The Cambodian Minister of Justice, HE Ang Vong Vathana, is visiting the UK from 23 to 28 January at the invitation of the British Government. As well as Mr Alexander, the Minister's programme also includes meetings in the Department for Constitutional Affairs and the Department for Education and Skills.

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Cambodia Country Profile

Notes for Editors

 

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