European Parliament resolution on the need for an international trial of the Khmer Rouge
Date: 2000-02-17
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: Cambodia, International Court of Justice, crime against humanity, dictatorship, human rights, ruling

C 339/278

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

29.11.2000

Thursday 17 February 2000

1.
Expresses its deep concern about the fate of Andrei Babitsky, whose work is a model of free and
independent information in a difficult situation such as the war in Chechnya, and about the conditions
of work for journalists trying to supply information direct from the conflict;

2.
Calls upon the Russian and the Chechen authorities for immediate clarification of this journalist’s
disappearance; calls on the Council, the Member States and the High Representative for the CFSP to inter-
vene with the Russian Government and the Chechen authorities for an immediate clarification of his dis-
appearance;

3.
Calls upon the Russian authorities for immediate clarification of the conditions of detention in the
detention centres, or so-called ‘filtration camps’, of Chernokozovo and Mozdok, reminding them that
everybody responsible for arbitrary detention, ill-treatment and killing of civilians, exposes him- or herself
to the accusation of war crimes and of crimes against humanity;

4.
Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Council of
Europe, the OSCE, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Russian State Duma and Federal Coun-
cil, the Government of the Russian Federation and the authorities in Chechnya.

17. Human rights: Cambodia

B5-0154 and 0161/2000

European Parliament resolution on the need for an international trial of the Khmer Rouge

The European Parliament,

4 having regard to its previous resolutions on Cambodia,

A. whereas on 8 February 2000 the UN Secretary General wrote to the Cambodian Prime Minister Hun
Sen calling for urgent steps towards establishing a special tribunal to prosecute former Khmer Rouge
leaders,

B. whereas the UN has reacted with great reservations to Cambodia’s final draft of a law to establish a

court to try former Khmer Rouge leaders in which a majority of judges would be Cambodian,

C. whereas the UN is sending a team of legal experts to Phnom Penh soon to try to resolve differences

with Cambodian officials,

D. whereas the UN Secretary-General has identified four key issues having far-reaching implications for
the nature of the tribunal and eventual UN endorsement, namely that those indicted would surrender
or be arrested, that there would be no amnesties or pardons, that international prosecutors and an
investigating judge would be appointed and finally that the majority of judges would not be Cambo-
dian and would be appropriately appointed,

E.

F.

G.

considering the need to try those leaders of Democratic Kampuchea who were responsible for the
deaths of almost two million Cambodians in the 1975-1979 period,

disturbed at the climate of intimidation which seems to be developing against the opposition, which is
openly favourable to this process,

recalling that the democratic process in Cambodia, the stability of the new institutions and the reha-
bilitation of civil society can only become reality if those responsible for the genocide face a fair trial
conducted by an independent court,

29.11.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 339/279

Thursday 17 February 2000

1.
Fully supports the new initiative addressed by the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to the Cambo-
dian Prime Minister Hun Sen for the establishment of a special international tribunal to prosecute former
Khmer Rouge leaders;

Urges the Cambodian government to allow Ta Mok and others accused of crimes against humanity

2.
and genocide to be tried by a UN ad-hoc independent tribunal;

3.
Recalls that the transparency and impartiality of the judicial system, international judicial cooperation
and respect for human rights, democratic principles and the rule of law are essential elements for the
renewal of EU/Cambodia relations;

Urges the Cambodian authorities to refrain from any act of intimidation against the democratic

4.
opposition;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the United Nations,

5.
ASEAN and the government and parliament of Cambodia.

18. Environmental disaster in the Danube

B5-0164, 0167, 0168, 0173 and 0179/2000

European Parliament resolution on the ecological disaster caused by a cyanide spill from a Roma-
nian gold mine into the Lepos, Somes, Tisza and Danube rivers

The European Parliament,

A.

alarmed at the ecological, environmental, agricultural and social disaster caused by the spillage of
cyanide from a gold mine,
located in Aurul, Romania, and owned by a company formed by the
Romanian government, Remin S.A., and the Australian company Esmeralda Exploration Limited
based in Perth,

B. whereas more than 100 000 cubic metres of water heavily poisoned with cyanide has polluted the
Lepos and Somes rivers in Romania, the Tisza in Hungary and the Danube in Serbia and Bulgaria,

C.

considering the threat this disaster represents for the delta of the Danube, one of the most important
wetlands in Europe covering some 4 300 square kilometres,

D. whereas the concentrations of cyanide have been found to be over seven hundred times the normal

levels, killing vast numbers of fish, birds and aquatic flora,

E. whereas this accident has greatly damaged natural ecosystems, leading to loss of biodiversity, contam-
ination of food chains and of drinking and agricultural water resources by heavy metals deposited in
the river, and will affect the life of all
inhabitants of the region, especially fishermen and those
involved in local tourism,

1.

Expresses its sympathy and support for the countries affected by this catastrophe;

2.
Considers the EU should intervene to help the countries affected by this ecological disaster and calls
on the scientific community, environmental groups and the EU institutions to provide all necessary assist-
ance and to take part in the major clean-up operation required;

3.
Notes that, according to the information available, the Aurul mine was using technology that did not
comply with the environmental acquis communautaire and calls on the Romanian authorities to do their best
to speed up the incorporation of the acquis, particularly in the field of industrial safety;