VZCZCXRO3999
OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHPF #1845/01 2831040
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 101040Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7434
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 2236
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 0542
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 3089
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 2177

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PHNOM PENH 001845 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS, S/WCI, AND INR/GGI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM KJUS PREL EAID CB
SUBJECT: CAMBODIA'S ECCC MAKING GOOD PROGRESS 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  Summary.   During an October 1-5 visit to 
Cambodia, S/WCI and INR officials met with a wide range of 
interlocutors concerning the work of the Extraordinary 
Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC).  ECCC officials 
from the office of Administration underscored budgetary gaps 
and unfilled funding requirements.  In meetings with the 
international investigating judge and deputy prosecutor, both 
stressed the excellent cooperation with Cambodian 
counterparts and early progress by their offices.  While 
cognizant of Cambodia's history of political interference in 
judicial affairs, NGO observers and legal professionals 
familiar with the ECCC's work believe that the potential good 
that can emerge from international involvement in the 
Tribunal outweighs a position of non-support.  The unified 
message throughout each meeting was encouragement for USG 
assistance to the Tribunal.  The UN Human Rights Office 
reported that a Special Representative of the Secretary 
General will likely be named to monitor the implementation of 
the UN-Cambodian Government agreement regarding the ECCC. 
ECCC judges (Cambodian and international) will return for a 
plenary session in November to agree on internal rules and 
procedures.  End Summary. 
 
ECCC:  So Far So Good; But Budget Woes 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  Sandra Hodgkinson, Deputy to S/WCI Ambassador 
Clint Williamson and INR/GGI/WCAD Chief Donald Braum visited 
Cambodia from October 1-5 to review the progress in 
establishing the ECCC, meet with a variety of interlocutors 
on potential USG assistance to the Court, and discuss 
prospects for the ECCC to serve as an example in the area of 
legal reform, judicial transparency, and respect for the rule 
of law.  At the ECCC, they met with Peter Foster, Reach 
Sambath and Helen Jarvis of the Public Affairs Office, 
international investigating judge Marcel Lemonde, 
international deputy prosecutor Bill Smith, Craig Etcheson 
and Steve Spargo of the prosecutor's office, Director of 
Administration at the ECCC Sean Vissoth, and Linda Ryan from 
the ECCC's budget office. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  From the offices of the international 
investigating judge and prosecutor, the general sense was one 
of satisfaction for the excellent cooperation from their 
Cambodian counterparts.  Craig Etcheson noted that despite 
having heard complaints from critics of the ECCC before 
joining the staff, his experience thus far has surpassed his 
expectations.  The Cambodian judicial side has a strong 
desire to learn, and the overall quality of those Cambodian 
officials working at the ECCC is good.  Cambodian prosecutor 
Chea Leang has participated actively with international 
prosecutor Robert Petit in outreach programs and responded 
positively to Petit's mentoring in public speaking.  Marcel 
Lemonde noted that while he and his counterpart did not share 
a common language,  Cambodian investigating judge You Ben 
Leng has hired three well-qualified staff members who speak 
English and French well. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  In terms of their ability to work, Bill Smith said 
his office was already conducting interviews; Etcheson 
remarked that his current investigations adhere to the draft 
criminal code under RGC review.  By October 20, the ECCC 
plans to publish draft rules and procedures after which they 
will give the NGOs 1-2 weeks to comment.  In November, there 
will be a second plenary session for all the ECCC judicial 
personnel to vote and adopt internal rules and procedures. 
Smith provided a formal request to the visitors for USG 
documentation and image assistance to the court.  (Note:  A 
copy of the request has been faxed to the Department.  End 
Note.) 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  Lemonde agreed that having internal rules and 
procedures was necessary before he could open investigations. 
 While acknowledging that the international system of justice 
is more common-law based than the civil law system under 
which Cambodian jurisprudence operates, Lemonde said that the 
two can be harmonized.  Asked about the transparency of the 
investigation phase, Lemonde responded that he has met with 
the media to explain the procedures to be employed.  However, 
because the nature of the crimes committed during the 
1975-1979 period are publicly known, Lemonde believes he can 
be a little more open about the investigative phase to build 
the public's trust in the proceedings.  Both the 
investigative judge and the prosecution team agreed that the 
supermajority formulation provided inherent safeguards so 
that the Cambodian side cannot prevent 
 
PHNOM PENH 00001845  002 OF 003 
 
 
investigations/prosecutions from going forward if the 
international side deems them worthy.  The formula should 
also ensure that at least one international judge is on board 
for any acquittal. 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  Helen Jarvis provided a tour of the courtroom and 
outlined remodeling plans for the building site including the 
addition of a small detention facility on the court's 
grounds.  She and fellow PA officer Peter Foster explained 
that they conduct monthly meetings with the NGO community to 
ensure there is no overlap or duplication of NGO support 
programs for the ECCC, and that the information provided to 
the public regarding the ECCC is accurate.  They both 
underscored the budgetary limitations of their work and the 
need for continued donor support to the NGOs if public 
outreach is to be effective.  Director of the ECCC 
administrative offices, Sean Vissoth, continued this same 
theme, and encouraged the USG to contribute directly to the 
ECCC as appropriate to USG interests.  He noted that the 
United States played a seminal role in the negotiation and 
successful conclusion of the UN-RGC agreement to establish 
the ECCC.  Work is proceeding apace, continued Vissoth, with 
the recent arrival of Principal Defender Rupert Skilbeck, 
near completion of the draft rules and procedures, early work 
by the prosecution team, training programs for ECCC staff, 
and Japanese agreement to contribute prefabricated buildings 
for the temporary detention facility. 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  Linda Ryan explained that the original three-year 
$56.3 million budget was a plan, but the ECCC has the 
authority to shift funding based on changing priorities. 
When asked if the court could complete its mandate within the 
three-year time period, she said it was too soon to say. 
From an exclusively budgetary angle, she said the small 
staffing structure was a limitation, and the ECCC had 
inadequate training and travel allotments as well.  Some 
shifting of funds will be needed in the short term to meet 
existing work demands, she noted.  Current funding shortfalls 
on both the UN and RGC side amount to approximately $4.2 
million and $5 million, respectively. 
 
NGOs and Monitoring 
------------------- 
 
¶8.  (SBU)  The visiting USG team met with a roundtable of 
civil society NGOs, and held separate meetings with the UN 
Human Rights Office, the Open Society Justice Initiative, and 
a former UNDP legal consultant to the ECCC, respectively. 
NGOs expressed a high degree of commitment to playing an 
active role in engaging the Cambodian public regarding the 
ECCC and its impact on the legal system.  As they outlined 
their respective ECCC-related activities, it was clear that 
the ECCC's monthly coordination meetings are paying off as 
there was an effective distribution of labor with no overlap. 
 Many of the participants at the roundtable were skeptical of 
how the trial phase would play out, but all agreed that the 
international community as well as concerned Cambodians 
should support the process to ensure its success.  They 
maintained there is a huge potential benefit to Cambodia's 
broken legal system if the international legal personnel and 
staff can mentor their Cambodian counterparts and the lessons 
are imparted to the broader legal community and public.  NGOs 
outlined familiar points of concern:  transparency and lack 
of political will, inadequate plans for victim/witness 
support and protection, the unresolved question of whether 
former Khmer Rouge Minister of Foreign Affairs Ieng Sary will 
be prosecuted, and lack of internal rules and a criminal 
procedure code.  There are also questions about the aftermath 
of the trials -- will the RGC subsequently grant clemency to 
those convicted?  (Note:  On the Ieng Sary issue, both the 
investigating judge and co-prosecutor agreed that this issue 
would undergo judicial examination by the court.  End note.) 
 
¶9.  (SBU)  The UN Office for Human Rights director Margo 
Picken explained that her office is awaiting the designation 
of a high profile legal professional from a civil law country 
to be designated as the Secretary General's Special 
Representative for monitoring the implementation of the 
UN-RGC agreement that established the ECCC.  She also 
anticipates adding a staff member as a local monitor to the 
court process.  Picken agreed with the view that there may be 
aspects of the ECCC that are flawed, but argued that donor 
engagement remains the best option to see that the ECCC 
accomplishes its objectives and meets the expectations of the 
Cambodian people. 
 
 
PHNOM PENH 00001845  003 OF 003 
 
 
¶9.  (SBU)  Heather Ryan from OSJI noted that she was 
encouraged by staffing selections -- particularly Craig 
Etcheson in the prosecutor's office and Steve Heder in the 
investigating judge's office.  Both are experts on the Khmer 
Rouge genocide, are familiar with DC-CAM's holdings (Craig 
helped to establish DC-CAM), and are invaluable to getting 
the early phase of the ECCC's work done more rapidly than 
would ordinarily be the norm. 
 
Donor Views 
----------- 
 
¶10.  (SBU)  At a Japanese Embassy-sponsored lunch that 
included representatives from the Australian and French 
missions, donors were unanimous in encouraging greater USG 
funding to the ECCC's work, both for NGO support as well as 
directly to the Tribunal.  Japan emphasized many of the 
funding issues outlined during the August Friends of the ECCC 
meeting.  Australia noted that the GOA had sponsored some NGO 
public outreach funding and had been encouraged by the ECCC's 
progress; France was also supportive of the ECCC's work and 
encouraged the USG visitors to take a positive message back 
to Washington.  All noted that USG support to the Tribunal 
would add to its international legitimacy. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶11.  (SBU)  Now that the investigating judges and 
co-prosecutors as well as their staff have begun to work, 
there is a greater basis for assessing the ECCC and its 
capability of living up to the expectations of the Cambodian 
public as well as the international community.  During their 
meetings with the USG visitors, interlocutors were realistic 
regarding the challenge of moving forward quickly on a 
limited budget and as-yet undetermined roster of defendants, 
but optimistic that USG support and assistance funds would 
not be wasted given the potential for the trials to have a 
crucial impact on judicial reform in Cambodia.  At this 
stage, there is a palpable sense of excitement among those 
working at the ECCC -- both on the international and 
Cambodian side -- that they are contributing to something 
historic in Cambodia, and a determination that the process 
will succeed. 
 
¶12.  (U)  Neither Hodgkinson nor Braum had the opportunity to 
clear this message before departure. 
CAMPBELL