Khmer Rouge tribunal ends work after 16 years, 3 judgments

By SOPHENG CHEANG and GRANT PECK
Associated Press

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — The international court that judged the Khmer Rouge for its brutal 1970s rule ended its work by rejecting the last surviving leader’s appeal. The tribunal lasted 16 years and convicted just three men over the regime’s crimes that caused the deaths of an estimated 1.7 million people. The tribunal reaffirmed the life sentence Khieu Samphan received after being convicted in 2018 of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. Busloads of Cambodians, including survivors of the Khmer Rouge’s brutality, watched the final proceedings in court Thursday. While the accountability the tribunal provided was limited, experts involved in its work say it matters that the proceedings took place in Cambodia and attacked the impunity of those who commit crimes against humanity.