'Long-overdue' justice necessary in Cambodia, says Secretary-General Ban
15 April 2008 - Noting that today is the tenth anniversary of the death of the notorious Cambodian dictator Pol Pot,
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on the United Nations-backed tribunal to "soon deliver long-overdue justice for
the people" of the South-East Asian country.
"I would like to remind the international community of the urgent importance of bringing to closure one of history's
darkest chapters," Mr. Ban said in a statement.
"The United Nations and the Royal Government of Cambodia remain actively engaged in efforts to hold the Khmer Rouge
senior leaders and those most responsible accountable for their horrific crimes."
The Secretary-General said it was his hope that the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) - which has
been operational since July 2006 - could soon deliver justice.
Under an agreement signed by the UN and Cambodia, the ECCC was set up as an independent court using a mixture of
Cambodian judges and staff and foreign personnel. It is designated to try those deemed most responsible for crimes and
serious violations of Cambodian and international law between April 1975 and January 1979.
Estimates vary but as many as three million people died during the rule of the Khmer Rouge, which was then followed by a
protracted period of civil war in the impoverished country.
ENDS