Recent Developments at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia

The Extraordinary Chambers in Courts of Cambodia must do more to address allegations of corruption at the court and protect employees who speak out about it, according to a new report released by the Open Society Justice Initiative. The report comes on the heels of Washington's decision to provide support to the tribunal for the first time.

Recent Developments at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia: October 2008 provides the latest information and analysis regarding the tribunal, including an in-depth look at responses by the UN and Cambodian government to recent allegations of corruption at the court. It examines weaknesses in the UN's anti-corruption program and reports of intimidation and retaliation against those who report corruption. While urging continued support for the court in light of significant progress in developing cases against accused Khmer Rouge leaders, the report also counsels donor nations to condition disbursement of their funds on the adoption and implementation of stronger anti-corruption mechanisms and greater protection for complainants.

In addition to corruption, the new publication explores other significant issues at the court, including:

• The revised budget for the ECCC, recent contributions to the court, and the challenges of raising funds to meet the new budget.
• The backlog of documents needing translation and the court's efforts to balance all parties' translation needs against the court's resources and translation capacity.
• The struggle of the Victims Unit to process civil party applications and complaints—of which over 1,800 have been received to date.

The report also provides an overview of recent developments in the cases of all five defendants now in the court's custody: Ieng Sary, Khieu Samphan, Nuon Chea, Kaing Guek Eav, and Ieng Thirith.

Recent Developments at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia: October 2008 is the latest in a series of regular Justice Initiative publications offering news, analysis, and recommendations on the ECCC.