Progress

This morning I went to the courthouse for the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (the extremely awkward name for the venue of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal) for a somewhat historic and important press conference.
Finally, after over a year, the internal rules have been agreed upon (there had been quite a lot of disagreement). The trials have, I suppose, officially "begun."

Preliminary indictments and conferences will begin in a few weeks. The rest of the pre-trial stuff will take about six months. The actual courtroom litigation is set to begin in January, 2008.

What does this mean?

It's unclear. The rules have yet to be distributed to the public. There have been some complaints from the defense support staff, but nothing particular. Thus, I can't comment on the content or quality of the rules until they're circulated.

What is clear is that time is running out. The ECCC is under a strict three-year mandate, and the clock began running in February 2006. That means, from the time the first defendant enters the courtroom in January, there will be a little over a year to hear and try the cases of the remaining KR leaders (~5-10 defendants).

A little over a year to hear, try, and do any appeals work for 5-10 of the top perpetrators of one of the worst acts of genocide in recorded history. Almost thirty years after the fact.

It's hard to be satisfied.

Rupert Skillbeck, one of the leader defense team members, told me over lunch last week that the likelihood of an extension is slim to none. The only hope is that all the defendants could be rushed in early to the chambers, allowing for the glimmer of hope that if all trials aren't completed by February 2009, the UN will allow extra time to finish up (but this isn't guaranteed at all). But there will be no likelihood of new complaints being heard or new trials being initated after February 2009.

It's a bit of a mess.

Here's the Yahoo story.

In other news, I'm going to a mock trial for the KRT tomorrow, and then Friday morning it is off to Siam Reap! Likely no posting until I get back Monday afternoon / evening. It's sure to be a ridiculously awesome weekend, hopefully as sweet as Justin Verlander no-hitter:


- m