DATE=3/22/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=CAMBODIA / U-N (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-260462
BYLINE=KAY JOHNSON
DATELINE=PHNOM PENH
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: A team of United Nations negotiators left
Cambodia empty-handed, Wednesday, after failure
of talks on setting up a tribunal for leaders of
the bloody Khmer Rouge regime of the 1970's. As
Kay Johnson reports from Phnom Penh, the failure
of the talks to produce an agreement calls into
doubt the world body's role in plans to try Khmer
Rouge leaders for crimes against humanity
committed 25 years ago.
TEXT: The head of the United Nations delegation -
- Hans Corell -- remained upbeat as he left
Cambodia, despite the remaining disagreements
between the two sides.
// CORELL ACTUALITY //
We have not yet arrived at an overall agreement.
A few issues still divide us. But we have made
great progress and I am pleased to confirm that
we are much further along the road to success
than we were a week ago.
// END ACTUALITY //
Diplomatic sources say the two sides are
deadlocked over who will control indictments in
the proposed tribunal. The court would be the
first of its kind -- made up of both United
Nations and Cambodian judges. It would seek to
bring justice to the alleged killers of nearly
two million Cambodians who died under the Khmer
Rouge four-year reign of terror.
Mr. Corell says the United Nations team was
willing to stay on a few extra days and talk
more, but was told the Cambodian side wanted to
wait until the law outlining the tribunal is
passed by parliament.
Cambodia's sudden insistence on waiting until
after the law is passed has critics saying the
government is stalling -- perhaps trying to gain
more concessions, with the threat of holding
trials on its own.
Some legal experts sat Cambodia's court system is
weak and corrupt and is insufficient to handle
such complex crimes. Many Cambodians share that
view and would like to see the United Nations
have a hand in the trials. But that will not
happen unless the two sides are able to reach a
compromise. (Signed)
NEB/KJ/GC/WD
TEXT:
NEB/
22-Mar-2000 06:04 AM EDT (22-Mar-2000 1104 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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