Soldiers stationed at RCAF headquarters in Kandal province’s Ang Snuol district will leave in the coming weeks so members of the Khmer Rouge tribunal task force can begin working by Jan 15, Prime Minister Hun Sen said Monday.
Speaking to reporters at a conference at the Interior Ministry, the premier said the move highlights the government’s commitment to the tribunal despite its inability to pay its share of the tribunal budget.
The government will try to find the remaining $10.8 million even as it works to get the tribunal up and running, he said.
“I think the budget cannot become an obstacle for the prosecution,” Hun Sen said. “We already have some of the budget and we will use the budget to proceed and we will continue to seek” the remainder.
Last week, the head of the UN delegation, Michelle Lee, said her team would return in February and take up residence at the RCAF headquarters to begin tribunal preparations.
At the time, tribunal coordinator Sean Visoth said that while the government is committed to moving ahead with the tribunal, its budgetary shortfall could create delays.
Sean Visoth and government tribunal task force member Helen Jarvis could not be reached for comment Monday.
So far, India, with a $1 million contribution, has been the only country that has responded to numerous appeals from the government to the international community for contributions to aid the government’s budgetary commitment.
