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Japan promises more aid to Cambodia genocide tribunal

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] Japanese Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone pledged an additional $21 million in aid for the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) on Sunday during a visit to the country. This pledge doubles the amount of aid provided by Japan to the tribunal. In spite of the pledge, the ECCC still faces a budgetary shortfall of more than $22 million. Japan has contributed much more aid to the UN-sponsored tribunal than any other member nation, and the latest contribution doubles its financial support. France, the UK and Germany are the next-largest donors. The US does not currently contribute to the tribunal's budget. The promise of additional Japanese aid comes in the wake of recent allegations of corruption at the ECCC. Late last week, ECCC judges denied corruption allegations made against them after a court in Phnom Penh agreed to hear a case against two of the judges alleged to have offered a portion of their salaries to the government as kickbacks in exchange for receiving their appointment to sit on the Khmer Rouge war crimes tribunal. The court has previously been cleared of charges of financial mismanagement by an independent audit but the audit did not address the previously raised issue of kickbacks.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on January 11, 2009 (boomark / email).