U.N. Rejects Talks on Khmer Rouge Trial
UNITED NATIONS -- The United Nations rejected Cambodia's call to revive stalled plans for a Khmer Rouge genocide trial, saying it needed more signs that Cambodia would conduct a fair trial of the leaders of the "killing fields" regime that left nearly 2 million people dead.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen urged the world body to restart long-running talks on trying the Khmer Rouge leaders, but the United Nations indicated it still had concerns that a law adopted by Cambodia to enable the trial would not guarantee impartial hearings.
"We continue to seek concrete signs that our minimum requirements for a fair and credible trial will be met," a U.N. spokesman said.
The United Nations in February ended five years of talks with the Cambodian government over possible trials, unable to agree on how to make the proceedings fair and independent.
The world body's stand was a blow for Hun Sen, who said Tuesday he would consider amending his country's legislation if it would help forge a compromise with the United Nations to get the trial talks back on track. He had previously insisted he would not change the law.