PHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- Unsubstantiated corruption allegations against the Cambodian judiciary overshadowed the Khmer Rouge war crimes tribunal, denying it the pristine start that supporters would have hoped for. The United Nations linked their funding for the trial to an inquiry into whether Cambodian judges paid kickbacks for their jobs, resulting in a cash shortfall after staffers balked at the demand. However, the Japanese announced a $4.1 million grant for the Cambodian side of the tribunal, which should ensure enough funds until the end of 2009. The allegations stole a lion's share of the attention from center stage, where the trial of Kang Guek Eav, former head of the dreaded S-21 detention centre, has gripped Cambodians and longtime observers alike, casting a fresh light on the inner workings of Pol Pot's regime. Also known as Duch, his testimony leaves little doubt about the calculating brutality that characterized the ultra-Maoists, before and after they came to power in April 1975.
Despite Snags, Khmer Rouge Trial Offers Revelations
