Mr. William J. Borns(Second from right) and his delegation are meeting with the management team of ECCC
A visiting senior official of the US government on Saturday 17 July paid a visit to the Khmer Rouge tribunal to gain first-hand knowledge of the work of the tribunal, which is expected to hand down its first judgment on 26 July.
US Under-Secretary of State for Political Affairs Bill Burns led a six-member delegation to the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, and toured the main courtroom with the 500-seat public gallery.
Welcoming the delegation, ECCC’s Acting Director of Administration H.E. Tony Kranh and Deputy Director Knut Rosandhaug thanked their visit and presented the overview of the tribunal. The ECCC senior management further briefed on the progress and impacts the court has made so far and the challenges it faces in coming months and years, including financial matters.
In response, Mr. Burns congratulated the ECCC for the achievements, saying that the court has made a lasting impact on Cambodia’s society at large and its judicial system in particular. “During my tour of the ECCC, I was impressed by the dedication of the court’s Cambodian and international staff,” he said. “Preparing to issue its historic first verdict, the court represents a milestone in Cambodian justice, both in holding to account those most responsible for the horrific crimes of the Khmer Rouge era, and in strengthening the rule of law in Cambodia.”
Mr. Burns’ visit to the court was part of his two-day trip to Cambodia to commemorate the 60th anniversary of US-Cambodia bilateral relations. It was his first official engagement after he landed in Phnom Penh.