Civil Society Group Asks When ECCC Second Trail Panel Be Established

Cambodia (Kohker) - A group of civil society organizations that coordinate activities in the fields of outreach, victim participation, monitoring, and advocacy around the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) has issued a join statement expressing their strong support for the order by the ECCC Supreme Court Chambers (SCC) regarding the need for establishment of a second trial panel.

The SCC on July 23rd, 2013 instructed the Administration Office of the ECCC to explore the establishment of a second panel of national and international judges, which it stated was "imperative" for the commencement of case 002/02.

"In the interests of transparency and justice, we call the office of Administration headed by H.E Kranh Tony and Mr. Knut Rosandhug to report publically on what precise progress has been made in the month since the SCC's unambiguous instruction directed to the office of the Administration in carrying out that direct, clear and exact instruction," the group said in the statement dated August 23.

They also called on the ECCC's Administration office to report a clear timeframe as to when the establishment of the second trail panel is likely to come into operation, and appealed to the United Nations and Cambodian government to provide adequate funds to support the ECCC's "expeditious and unhindered progression into the prosecution of case 002/02."

The group, which consists of CHRAC, ADHOC, LAC, KYA, PDP-Center, Kdei Karuna, and YFP, also expressed their support to a full, impartial and unhindered investigation into case 003 and 004.