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US Seeks International Tribunal for Khmer Rouge Leaders

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The United States is pushing for the establishment of an international tribunal to prosecute Khmer Rouge leaders responsible for the deaths of an estimated 2 million people in Cambodia between 1975 and 1979. A preliminary draft resolution, being circulated among UN Security Council members, aims to create a tribunal to prosecute senior Khmer Rouge leaders who planned or directed serious violations of international humanitarian law. The move comes after the death of Pol Pot, the 70-year-old leader who died in a jungle camp on April 15, and the Cambodian government's request for help in obtaining justice for the mass slayings.

Key Takeaways:

  • The US is seeking an international tribunal to prosecute Khmer Rouge leaders responsible for the deaths of an estimated 2 million people in Cambodia between 1975 and 1979.
  • The draft resolution calls for a tribunal to prosecute senior Khmer Rouge leaders who planned or directed serious violations of international humanitarian law.
  • The proposed tribunal would be similar to the ones established for crimes against humanity in Rwanda at Arusha, Tanzania, and for crimes in the former Yugoslavia at The Hague.
  • Despite sponsoring the resolution, the US has not supported the creation of a permanent International Criminal Court.
  • Former Secretary-General Kofi Annan's special representative for human rights in Cambodia, Thomas Hammarberg, stated that Pol Pot's death did not remove the need to assist the Cambodian people in establishing justice for what happened from 1975-1979.
  • The Cambodian government had requested help from the UN to obtain justice for the mass slayings by the Khmer Rouge under Pol Pot's leadership.

Statistics:

  • Estimated number of deaths in Cambodia between 1975 and 1979: 2 million
  • Number of members in the UN Security Council: 15
  • Number of international tribunals already established: 2, one for Rwanda and one for the former Yugoslavia
  • Year the Khmer Rouge controlled Cambodia: 1975-1979
  • Age of Pol Pot at the time of his death: 70

Sources:

  • United Press International
  • United Nations Security Council
  • United Nations Commission on Human Rights

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