The Mirror, Vol. 12, No. 557
“On the morning of 25 April 2008, the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia [ECCC] held a conference to release the result of the special monitoring over an accusation of corruption in the tribunal of the former Khmer Rouge leaders; it is asserted that there is no fault as had been raised in the accusation.
“The United Nations Development Program [UNDP] Country Director for Cambodia Mr. Jo Scheuer, who participated in the press conference this morning, said that about a year ago, because of different irregularities and accusations, the UNDP pushed for an internal audit of the process of staff recruitments for the tribunal of former Khmer Rouge leaders, to respond to points which were considered to be weaknesses in the management of human resources.
“He continued that all weak points were reviewed, in the reports and in the ongoing audits in the ECCC, and some recommendations continued to be raised to be solved. While the audit was continuing, the ECCC had already begun different measures of improvements, such as creating a staff work books and a code of ethics.
“The UNDP Country Director said that in late February 2008, the UNDP hired an independent monitoring team to monitor the management of human resources. This renewed monitoring aimed to assess the management of human resources so far. Among the monitors, two were management experts from India, another team member is Khmer, an expert on human resources. The monitoring took four weeks to be finished.
“The director of the Office of Administration of the ECCC, Mr. Sean Visoth, told reporters that this special monitoring was initiated by the Project Council, and it was implemented since late February 2008 by an independent expert team from the Deloitte company in India. This renewed monitoring aimed mainly to finish the reports of the previous audits of the ECCC.
“Mr. Sean Visoth went on to say that the monitoring is to show clearly whether there is transparency and accountability in the management of human resources, and in the implementation of human resources policies in the ECCC, and whether these are in line with international standards, and whether or not the responses satisfy what was raised by the Project Council. The director of the Office of Administration of the ECCC said that although not everything can be done perfectly, it had been possible to achieve what had been intended. Mr. Sean Visoth claimed that more than US$100,000 was spent on the monitoring team.
“The European Community Charge d’Affaires in Cambodia, Mr. Rafael Dochao Moreno, said that the community has strongly vowed to fight different the culture of impunity and crimes. The ECCC work in the last two years was processed under the strict monitoring of the donor community. However, what regrettable is the management of human resources in the ECCC. At the same time, the European Community also called for the monitoring on the accusation in order to use the finance correctly. The European Community is also satisfied with the most positive reports by the monitoring team. Nonetheless, the European Community asked for further efforts to promote the management of human resources. Meanwhile, the European Community declared to support the ECCC with both policy and finance.
“According to the monitoring reports, after the evaluation at place within two weeks at the ECCC, the Project Council is pleased to announce that no essentially weak points were found, and the implementation of human resources at this stage meets acceptable standards.
“Although the monitoring did not shows any irregularity, the tribunal still has a problem – funding; on that morning, the ECCC and the European Community did not show to have any extra funds.” Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.7, #1625, 26.4.2008
Newspapers Appearing on the Newsstand:
Saturday, 26 April 2008
Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.7, #1625, 26.4.2008
- More Than US$100,000 Wasted on ECCC Audit
- Monk [Ruon Ratha] Had Sex with a Married Woman; He Was Hit Twice [on his head by her husband; he has been defrocked, Daun Penh, Phnom Penh]
- AK-47 Gun Robbers Entered a House and Wounded a House Owner and Then Took Money and Gold Worth About US$10,000 [on 24 April 2008 – Angk Snuol, Kandal]
Khmer Machas Srok, Vol.2, #141, 26.4.2008
- [US Assistant Secretary of State, in charge of the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs] Mr. Christopher R. Hill Will Visit Cambodia in May
- Secretary of State at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs [responsible for Foreign Affairs and Human Rights, Ms. Rama Yade – the full name is Ramatoulaye Yade-Zimet] Met with Ms. Tioulong Saumura [Sam Rainsy Party parliamentarian from Phnom Penh, and wife of the Sam Rainsy Party president] in Phnom Penh to Discuss Human Rights Issues and Democracy
Koh Santepheap, Vol.41, #6329, 26.4.2008
- Thailand Announced [on 25 April 2008] Discussion with Cambodia in Paris about Preah Vihear Temple [at UNESCO request – date not mentioned]
- Secretary of State of French Ministry of Foreign Affairs [responsible for Foreign Affairs and Human Rights, Ms. Rama Yade] Visits Cambodia
- Khmer Kampuchea Krom Human Rights Organization [KKKHRO] Asks Vietnamese Embassy for Permission to Visit Mr. Tim Sakhan [who had been defrocked on accusation of having perpetrated an offense against the Buddhist law, because he is accused to have destroyed the harmony between Vietnam and Cambodia, now jailed in Vietnam]
- In Ten Years, China and India Will Be More Influential than the USA [according to the opinion of about 67% of Canadians]
Moneaksekar Khmer, Vol.15, #3444, 26-27.4.2008
- Sam Rainsy: If John McCain Is Elected US President and Then Just Pushes Federal Bureau of Investigation to Release the Reports [on grenade attack opposite the National Assembly on 30 March 1997], Hun Sen’s Politics End
- Secretary of State of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs [responsible for Foreign Affairs and Human Rights, Ms. Rama Yade] Voices Concern over Political Situation and Democracy in Cambodia
Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.16, #4573, 26.4.2008
- France Provides US$1 Million for Khmer Rouge Tribunal for 2008
- Mr. Sam Rainsy Uses Samdech Euv [former King] as Protection, after Mr. Hor Namhong Has Sued Him [Sam Rainsy said that he just repeated what the former King had said about Hor Namhong]
- Robbers Shot Dead Gold Seller and Took Gold and Money [which had been kept] in a Motorcycle, and also the Motorcycle, All Together Worth More Than U$50,000 [on 24 April 2008 – Ou Chrov, Banteay Meanchey]
