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Australia exchanges views with Cambodia on the issues of land, judiciary and ECCC

By Ek Tha
Phnom Penh, Jan. 22, 2013 (PRU) –Australia welcomes the ongoing land title process, while Cambodia said its court acts independently and both sides on Monday voiced concern over the shortfall budget for the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC).

The Australian Ambassador Penny Richards said that she is pleased with the ongoing process of land registration initiated by Samdech Prime Minister Hun Sen. The Royal Government of Cambodia is strongly committed to issue more than 1 million land titles for the local people nationwide, which would motivate farmers to produce more crops and in turn contribute towards poverty reduction.

His Excellency Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Sok An reassured Her Excellency Ambassador that Cambodia’s courts act fully independently according due process of law.

The court is obliged to take legal action against those who accuse or defame others on the basis of false information and that is a normal process of law, said the Deputy Prime Minister, adding that the government has recently decriminalized defamation in contrast with many other countries that still have this crime on their books.

The Deputy Prime Minister said that even some advanced countries still use defamation laws to give serious punishment against critics. “In that respect, we can say that we are proud of our laws,” His Excellency Dr. Sok An, who is also Minister in Charge of the Office of the Council of Ministers, said.

“We always try to maintain the rule of law, as part of our commitment to the process of judicial and legal reform,” said the Deputy Prime Minister who is also Chairman of the Council for Legal and Judicial Reform.
He also said that Cambodia respects human rights and freedom of expression, as evidenced by the strong and constant criticisms voiced on various radio stations. “They even insult the government’s leaders and act as though the election campaign period has already begun,” His Excellency Dr. Sok An explained. According to Cambodia’s election law, electoral campaigning is allowed only during a period of one month ahead of polling day. 

Both sides also raised concern over the acute shortfall of funds to support the ECCC work. His Excellency Sok An said the ECCC national staff and judges, have not received their salaries for nearly two months and saying that the current trend could force consultation on how to proceed based on the article 46 of ECCC Law.

His Excellency Sok An expressed thanks for Australia’s continuing support as the second largest donor, having injected $17.3 million (of which $14.1 has been allocated to the U.N. side and the remaining to the Cambodian side of ECCC budget). 

The Royal Government has contributed an equivalent of $16.9 million, making it the third largest donor to the ECCC. Its cash contribution for 2013 amounts to $1.8 million, having increased three times over the initial commitment of $0.5 million in 2006. 

Cambodia has to face the reality that it cannot further increase this already significant contribution without jeopardizing the country’s judicial reform program, as funds for the ECCC already exceed the commitment from the national budget to the country’s Supreme Court by 300% and to the Appeals Court by 257%.

Both sides, however, called for new donors, including countries in the region, to come forward with contribution to support the ongoing trial of the senior leaders of Democratic Kampuchea regime, which ruled the country from 17 April 1975 till early 1979, during which time nearly 2 million people died of starvation, execution, disease and forced labour.

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