U.N. Ends Talks with Cambodia over Ad Hoc Tribunal for Khmer Rouge

On February 8, 2002, the United Nations announced it was ending almost five years of controversial negotiations with the Cambodian Government concerning the established for a tribunal to try former leaders Khmer Rouge over war crimes and other war crimes and other atrocities that killed an estimated 1.7 million Cambodians during 1957 to 1979. According to Fred Eckhard, Mr. Annan’s spokesman, Mr. Annan said the U.N. was disassociating itself from the court because it could not guarantee its “independence, impartiality and objectivity”. Ouch Borith, Cambodia’s U.N. ambassador, said the Cambodian Government “is determined to go ahead” with a new tribunal, “with or without” the help of the U.N. Mr. Borith explained that, while the U.N. requested assistance from the U.N., it would not allow the U.N. to dictate to it.