Thursday, 19 June 2008

$ 3 million to fund Khmer Rouge trial

The Japan Times
Thursday, June 19, 2008

PHNOM PENH (Kyodo) The government will provide almost $ 3 million to Cambodia for the U.N.-backed trial of Khmer Rouge leaders, according to the Japanese Embassy in Phnom Penh.

"Japan places great emphasis on the progress of the Khmer Rouge tribunal, for it believes this process will promote democracy, the rule of law and good governance in Cambodia," the embassy said in a statement Wednesday.

It said the $ 2.952 million is to be used for administrative work of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, the joint Cambodia-U.N. tribunal set up to bring former Khmer Rouge leaders to trial for crimes against humanity during their 1975-1979 rule.

In 2005, Japan provided $ 21.5 million to a U.N trust fund, an amount that accounted for half of the U.N. share of the initial $ 56.3 million budgeted for the three-year tribunal.

Japan's latest contribution will help Cambodia finance its share of the total cost, which amounts to $ 13.3 million.

The pledge comes just ahead of a donor meeting Friday in New York during which the ECCC will explain its budget request and its fundraising strategy.

Early this year, the ECCC said it had raised $ 170 million, well above its original appeal for $ 56.3 million.

No comments: