Cambodia’s judiciary independence called into question
The United Nations supported tribunal investigating crimes of genocide and war crimes are set begin shortly in Cambodia. The tribunal will be made up of Judges from both Cambodia and the international community. However, doubt has been cast over the independence of the judiciary in Cambodia after last week the country’s National Military Court convicted opposition parliamentarian Cheam Channy on charges of forming a “secret army”. Channy, a member of the Sam Rainsy Party, was sentenced to seven years imprisonment after a half-day trial, which observers have labelled as nothing more then a sham. The Wire’s Sarah Bassiuoni, spoke with Sam Zarifi, Deputy Director of the Asian division of Human Rights Watch about the timing of the trial and what it could symbolise.