VZCZCXRO9372
OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHPF #1118/01 1660046
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 150046Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6858
INFO RUEHZS/ASEAN COLLECTIVE
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 3072
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 2225
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0389
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0120
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0539
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1479
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2157

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PHNOM PENH 001118 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS; GENEVA FOR RMA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PREL KJUS CB
SUBJECT:  Inaugural Meeting of the Friends of the ECCC 
 
 
¶1. (SBU)  Summary:  On June 12, the Japanese and French Ambassadors 
co-chaired the inaugural Friends of the Extraordinary Chambers in 
the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) meeting.  Donors agreed that the 
Friends group would serve to disseminate information on the ECCC's 
progress, provide non-judicial advice to the ECCC, and seek ways to 
use the ECCC to strengthen and reform the Cambodian judiciary.  The 
swearing-in ceremony for all court officials will be July 3; all are 
expected to attend.  A strategy and planning session will follow 
from July 5-8; July 10 is the first official workday for the ECCC. 
Donors discussed the utility of separate, restricted meetings of 
major donors at the Ambassadorial level; the Charge urged a more 
inclusiveness and USG interest in attending such meetings.  End 
Summary. 
 
General Agreement of Friends Role 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U)  Several proposals for the role and responsibilities of the 
Friends group were laid out jointly by the French and Japanese 
embassies: 
 
--  Non-judicial advisory role only 
 
--  No formal institutional structure 
 
-- Confidential (no official records nor joint public statements 
 
--  Inter-governmental (no IOs or NGOs) 
 
--  Respect the independence of the Extraordinary Chambers 
 
--  Respect the prerogative of the Office of Administration 
 
--  Meetings by Ambassadors of main donor countries may be held, 
when necessary 
 
--  Semi-regular meetings for diplomatic missions, in principle, at 
the Counselor-Secretary level, roughly every second month on the 
last Thursday. 
 
Office of Administration Developments 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (U)  Sean Vissoth, Director of the Office of Administration 
(OA), briefed donors on the general progress of the ECCC, 
institutional and personnel matters, financial matters, court 
management, and outreach.  On July 3, after the swearing-in 
ceremony, there will be a strategy and planning session from July 
5-8 for the judges and prosecutors.  The ECCC will begin its work on 
July 10.  The RGC still lacks USD 4.6 million for the Cambodian side 
of the budget and Vissoth asked donor countries for further 
assistance. He assured donor countries that the UNDP will thoroughly 
monitor contributions through the establishment of a trust fund; 
transfer of donor money from the old UN Trust Funds will flow 
through the UNDP mechanism. On outreach, the ECCC (with Australian 
assistance) has printed information booklets regarding the KRT, 
which are available in Khmer and English.  The ECCC is planning a 
more comprehensive outreach campaign involving posters, TV ads, and 
other media to educate the public. 
 
¶4.  (U)  Michelle Lee, the Deputy Director of the Office of 
Administration, updated donors on staffing levels for the ECCC. 
Livingston Armitage, ECCC legal advisor, explained that the strategy 
and planning sessions from July 5-8 will be a forum for discussing 
court procedures, ethics, internals rules and regulations, and 
international protocols. 
 
Donor Country Concerns 
---------------------- 
 
¶5.  (U)  The Charge questioned the necessity of  "meetings of 
Ambassadors of main donor countries" and whether it was only 
restricted to these countries.  The Japanese Ambassador responded 
that there were specific issues pertinent only to those countries. 
Also, Japan and France will consider other non-main donor countries 
on a case-by-case basis.  The Charge expressed the USG's interest in 
participating in these meetings, and noted the USG contribution of 
an additional USD 2 million to DC-CAM.  The German Ambassador 
requested that such meetings be inclusive, rather than exclusive. 
 
¶6.  (U)  The German Ambassador suggested that the USD 4.6 million 
 
PHNOM PENH 00001118  002 OF 002 
 
 
deficit be supplemented by the RGC.  He noted that while additional 
financial contributions might be difficult, some countries have 
indicated a willingness to consider in-kind contributions.  Vissoth 
responded that he would discuss the suggestion.  The Australian 
Ambassador inquired about the fence that was to be built between the 
court and military compound.  Vissoth replied that due to the rainy 
season, there had been a setback, and that the fence should be 
completed by the July 21.  Vissoth assured donors that all the 
judges have accepted the appointments and will be present at the 
July 3 ceremony. 
 
¶7.  (U)  The Australian Ambassador requested that, for public 
relations purposes, donor contributions from the old UN Trust Funds 
should be publicized by the UN in New York and Cambodia.  Michelle 
Lee replied that there were donor statements and official signings 
by the UNDP and RGC for the transfer of some of the trust fund 
money, but publication of individual country contributions has not 
been done yet.  The Australian Ambassador also asked if the ECCC 
were considering the psychological effect of the trials on the 
Cambodian population.  Helen Jarvis answered that the ECCC plans to 
provide assistance to witnesses, and is looking into what can be 
provided as part of the ECCC's  outreach efforts, but there is only 
so much the ECCC can do in this regard.  She noted that virtually 
every Cambodian family has been traumatized in some way by the Khmer 
Rouge period. 
 
¶8. (SBU)  The French Ambassador suggested that the next Friends of 
the ECCC meeting be held in July, rather than August.  He 
anticipates that the July 3 swearing-in ceremony and follow-on 
strategy and planning sessions will be of interest to donors, and 
offered to host the next meeting at the French Embassy.  Canada 
asked about inclusion of the non-resident Embassies based in 
Bangkok; Japan noted they had been invited to the June 12 meeting 
and their mission in Bangkok would brief those Embassies on the 
Friends discussions. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶9.  (SBU) The suggestion regarding a selective grouping of 
Ambassadors from major donor countries came at the initiative of the 
French and Australian Embassies, according to the Japanese Embassy. 
We and the Germans pushed back on the non-inclusiveness, but did not 
press the issue.  This is not a new proposal; the French have tried 
this before.  The Japanese were to have taken on the role as sole 
chair of the Friends of the ECCC; the idea of co-chairing the 
Friends was Sok An's.  According to the Japanese, Sok An is unhappy 
with Japanese unwillingness to side with the RGC against Michelle 
Lee and the UN side of the OA, and is hoping that the French will be 
more supportive.  End Comment. 
 
MUSSOMELI