2006年VOA标准英语-Cambodia Approves Judges to Try Khmer Roug

By Scott Bobb
Bangkok
04 May 2006

Cambodia has announced judges for the tribunal that is to try surviving leaders of the Khmer Rouge¹ regime accused of war crimes. The country's highest judicial² body, headed by King Sihamoni, approved the list, which includes both Cambodian and international jurists.

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Former Khmer Rouge commander Chhouk Rin, center, is led into court (July 2000 file photo)  
  

Cambodian officials Thursday said the special court that is to try the surviving leaders of the former Khmer Rouge regime will include 17 Cambodian legal experts as well as 13 jurists from Europe, North America and Asia.

A spokesman for the special court, Peter Foster, said that unlike other war crime tribunals, namely Rwanda's and Bosnia's, these proceedings³ will be held where the violations⁴ occurred, in Cambodia and under Cambodian law. And measures have been taken to ensure that they meet international standards of law.

"To ensure that these international standards are met, the Cambodians have asked that international prosecutors⁵ and international judges take place (participate) in the process and be a part of that from beginning to end," he said.

Foster says the proceedings are to begin in June. Under Cambodian law, which resembles French law, prosecuting⁶ judges will conduct an investigation⁷ lasting⁸ up to 18 months, followed by a trial sometime next year.

Up to a dozen senior Khmer Rouge leaders are expected to be tried.

The ultra-Maoist Khmer Rouge controlled Cambodia for four years in the late 1970s. During that time an estimated one-point-seven million people, or nearly one-fifth the population, died from starvation, forced labor⁹, torture or execution.

The group's leader Pol Pot died eight years ago. Two of his senior deputies have been jailed for years, but others live freely in the country. Most are aging and in ill health, raising concerns that they might die before they can be tried.

Youk Chhang is the head of the Documentation Center of Cambodia, which for years compiled documents on Khmer Rouge atrocities¹⁰. He welcomes the tribunal and also approves of the individuals named to the special court.

"I can see people who have been trained abroad, people who are less political," he said. "I see people who are well educated. I see people who have been trained in international law, domestic law. So I think it's a good list."

Negotiations¹¹ between the Cambodian government and the United Nations to convene¹² the tribunal were difficult and took many years. However, the two sides eventually agreed on a process that respects Cambodian sovereignty and upholds international standards of law.

A funding shortage also delayed the tribunal's start, but $56 million eventually was raised for what is expected to be a three-year process.

Chhang acknowledges that many of the killers¹³ and torturers, witnesses and surviving victims have died. Nevertheless, he says the tribunal is important for their children and for the future of Cambodia.

"The trial will set a very solid foundation to build rule of law in Cambodia," he noted¹⁴. "(It) will serve as a reference for the survivors¹⁵ to move on with their lives."

He also acknowledges that much remains¹⁶ to be done to address the legacy¹⁷ of the period, such as the emotional trauma¹⁸ that many Cambodians continue to experience today. However, he says the trial will legitimize the other processes needed to support the survivors and help the victims move beyond what happened them.

1 rouge   

n.胭脂，口红唇膏；v.(在…上)擦口红

参考例句：

• Women put rouge on their cheeks to make their faces pretty.女人往面颊上涂胭脂，使脸更漂亮。
• She didn't need any powder or lip rouge to make her pretty.她天生漂亮，不需要任何脂粉唇膏打扮自己。

2 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。

3 proceedings   

n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

4 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

5 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

6 prosecuting   

检举、告发某人( prosecute的现在分词 )； 对某人提起公诉； 继续从事（某事物）； 担任控方律师

参考例句：

• The witness was cross-examined by the prosecuting counsel. 证人接受控方律师的盘问。
• Every point made by the prosecuting attorney was telling. 检查官提出的每一点都是有力的。

7 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

8 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

9 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

10 atrocities   

n.邪恶，暴行( atrocity的名词复数 )；滔天大罪

参考例句：

• They were guilty of the most barbarous and inhuman atrocities. 他们犯有最野蛮、最灭绝人性的残暴罪行。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The enemy's atrocities made one boil with anger. 敌人的暴行令人发指。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

11 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

12 convene   

v.集合，召集，召唤，聚集，集合

参考例句：

• The Diet will convene at 3p.m. tomorrow.国会将于明天下午三点钟开会。
• Senior officials convened in October 1991 in London.1991年10月，高级官员在伦敦会齐。

13 killers   

凶手( killer的名词复数 )； 消灭…者； 致命物； 极难的事

参考例句：

• He remained steadfast in his determination to bring the killers to justice. 他要将杀人凶手绳之以法的决心一直没有动摇。
• They were professional killers who did in John. 杀死约翰的这些人是职业杀手。

14 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

15 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

16 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

17 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

18 trauma   

n.外伤，精神创伤

参考例句：

• Counselling is helping him work through this trauma.心理辅导正帮助他面对痛苦。
• The phobia may have its root in a childhood trauma.恐惧症可能源于童年时期的创伤。