Resolution on Cambodia
Date: 1999-04-15
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: Cambodia, crime against humanity, international court













EUR-Lex - 51999IP0374 - EN






Avis juridique important




|



51999IP0374

Resolution on Cambodia  


Official Journal C 219 , 30/07/1999 P. 0406 





B4-0374, 0390, 0400, 0407 and 0422/99Resolution on CambodiaThe European Parliament,- having regard to its previous resolutions on Cambodia,A. considering that following the arrest and the military detention on 6 March 1999 vof Ta Mok, a senior member of the Khmer Rouge, the opportunity at last exists to hold to account some of those responsible for crimes against humanity in Cambodia between 1975 and 1979,B. taking note of the decision of the Cambodian government that Khmer Rouge leader Ta Mok will not be prosecuted by an independent international tribunal as called for by international human rights organisations, and worried about reports that Cambodian government officials themselves have acknowledged the country's lack of capacity to bring the Khmer Rouge to justice,C. concerned about the risk that a trial in Cambodia is not likely to bring out the full truth about the crimes against humanity and war crimes committed by the Khmer Rouge while in power,D. concerned about fears that international aid for trials under domestic treason law, as proposed by Hun Sen for the case of Ta Mok, could ultimately be used to legitimise prosecutions of Hun Sen's current political opponents for reasons that have nothing to do with the atrocities perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge,E. whereas Ta Mok is the only Khmer Rouge leader to be charged and detained and Hun Sen has warned of renewed civil war if all of them are put on trial,F. deploring the fact that the Hun Sen government, despite having called on the United Nations in June 1997 to set up an ad hoc UN tribunal, is currently refusing to let such a tribunal be constituted,G. whereas legal proceedings against those responsible for the acts of genocide are an essential measure to reinforce the democratic process in Cambodia and contribute to the stability of the new institutions and the reconstitution of civil society;1. Condemns all attempts by the Cambodian government to prevent the constitution of an international ad hoc tribunal by the UN, and is therefore of the opinion that real justice to the victims of the Khmer Rouge's cruel regime and the ending of the deeply entrenched culture of impunity in Cambodia would best be served by handing over Ta Mok and other top Khmer Rouge leaders to an international tribunal;2. Calls on the UN to institute an ad hoc tribunal on genocide in Cambodia; calls on all the EU Member States and the Council to offer their full cooperation for its creation;3. Calls on the Commission to help Cambodia in its efforts to reconstitute and develop its national legal system;4. Considers that the difficulties encountered in the attempts to create an international ad hoc tribunal for Cambodia demonstrate the imperative need to act as swiftly as possible in order to set up a permanent international criminal tribunal;5. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the UN, ASEAN and the Government and Parliament of Cambodia.7