Judge Quits Cambodia's Troubled Khmer Rouge Trial

[geovalin]

PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA—

An international judge announced his resignation Tuesday from the U.N.-backed war crimes trials in Cambodia -- the fourth to quit so far and another blow for the troubled tribunal probing the atrocities of the 1970s Khmer Rouge regime.

Mark Harmon, from the United States, said in a statement his reasons for stepping down after three years in Phnom Penh were "strictly personal" and "with considerable regret." He did not elaborate.

Several of Harmon's predecessors at the hybrid United Nations-Cambodian court have alleged political interference and a lack of cooperation by Cambodia's government, which contains remnants of the Khmer Rouge regime.

Prime Minister Hun Sen, a former Khmer Rouge soldier, has warned that more trials could cause anarchy and a return to civil war. He has promised to thwart new indictments, and he once said he would be happy if the U.N. packed up and left.

The decade-old tribunal so far has delivered verdicts involving three high-profile leaders from the 1975-1979 "killing fields" era. Attempts to pursue more cases have been met by strong government resistance.

Cambodian police have refused to act on an arrest warrant issued by Harmon for Meas Muth, a former navy chief alleged to have sent detainees to a torture center where about 14,000 people died.

Court spokesman Lars Olsen said Harmon's resignation was unrelated to any development in cases he was working on. Harmon would continue his role until his replacement was sworn in.

source: http://www.voanews.com/content/judge-quits-cambodia-khmer-rouge-trial/2852115.html

[Lupatria]

Prime Minister Hun Sen, a former Khmer Rouge soldier, has warned that more trials could cause anarchy and a return to civil war. He has promised to thwart new indictments, and he once said he would be happy if the U.N. packed up and left.

​Was there ever an official announcement of Pol Pot's reincarnation?

[oneday]

Looks like these trials are a waste of time and money...

Edited July 8, 2015 by oneday

[BuaBS]

Mark Harmon

Isn't he an actor ?

As long as there is still some Khmer rouge in the government , justice will never be served.

[Andrew65]

Looks like these trials are a waste of time and money...

...the lawyers have probably figured that there is still tens of millions of dollars to be wrung out of this one. Meanwhile, defendants, lawyers & judges are dying before these kinds of cases are concluded. See Europe.....

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

"Cambodian police have refused to act on an arrest warrant"

Sound familiar? Looks like Thailand isn't the only place that needs to axe the entire police force and start over. Hopeless.

[Ulic]

Money-threats, or a combination of the two. There will be no justice as long as corruption

remains endemic in Cambodia.

[cookee68]

Let the country roll in its own shit, they are no different than Hitler.