Posted 18 September 2012
www.radioaustralia.net.au
An
Australian envoy has defended the Khmer Rouge tribunal as an
"incredibly important" institution as it battles criticisms over a
controversial ruling (Credit: ABC)
The
tribunal, also known as the Extraordinary Courts in Cambodia, sparked
outrage after it freed the regime's former "first lady", Ieng Thirith,
for being unfit to stand trial.
Ambassador Penny Richards told Radio Australia's Asia Pacific the court has played a very important role historically.
"It's
currently trying the most senior and surviving members of the Khmer
Rouge for crimes of mass atrocity, crimes against humanity, war crimes,
genocide, other crimes," she said.
"And I
think historically, it's very important that the message be got out
that you can't get away with that kind of crime anymore."
Ms
Richards says the court has also functioned to pass on "best practice"
legal systems that might influence Cambodia's notoriously corrupt
courts.
"Half the lawyers are international
and half the lawyers are Cambodian, so we hope that there's a real
legacy affect in stimulating some of the national courts and national
judges to take on this international best practice," she said.
Australia
is the second biggest funder of the tribunal, with AusAID recently
donating a further $1.4 million to the court, bringing the country's
total contribution close to $20 million.
Ms Richards says this is money well spent.
"It's most definitely worth funding," she said.
"It's
a very important priority and Australia's foreign minister, Senator Bob
Carr, has said as much during his visit to Cambodia in March this year."
But
she says funding has been uncertain for the courts because it is
assessed through voluntary contributions rather than mandatory
donations to the United Nations.
"We are
also calling on other nations to step up and make their own
contribution, because as I said, the work of a tribunal is so important
that we cannot let it fail."
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