Foreign Minister of Japan H.E. HAYASHI Yoshimasa has issued a statement welcoming the completion of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) or the Khmer Rouge Tribunal.
“On Sept. 22, the Supreme Court Chamber of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) pronounced the appeal judgement upholding the pronouncement by the Trial Chamber (the sentence of life imprisonment) in Case 002/02 concerning KHIEU Samphan. This judgement completed long-lasting Khmer Rouge Trials. Japan pays its respect to many people who contributed to the trials,” he said in the statement released this afternoon.
The Khmer Rouge Trials are a crucial step toward the conclusion of the entire peace process in Cambodia, and contribute to delivering justice and strengthening the rule of law in the country, he stressed, adding that in light of this, Japan has been playing a leading role in the international community in extending support for the trials.
“Japan hopes that the significance of the trials will be widely understood among the Cambodian people and succeeded as a legacy for the next generations and the international community through educational activities which are to be continued after the completion of the legal process, and it will contribute to strengthening the rule of law,” he said.
According to the statement, Japan has provided roughly US$88.67 million (US$72.18 million to the international side and US$16.49 million to the domestic side), or about 30 percent of the international assistance for the Khmer Rouge Trials, since they began in 2006.
Source: Agency Kampuchea Press