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U.S. GROUP SAYS WORLD WATCHES CAMBODIA WASTE TRIAL

by Reuters

SIHANOUKVILLE, Cambodia, 9 July, 1999 -- A U.S.-based lawyers group warned Cambodia on Friday its judicial system was on trial over the court case of two human rights workers.

Kim Sen and Meas Minear face prosecution in the southern port city of Sihanoukville accused of inciting violent unrest last December after the discovery of 3,000 tonnes of hazardous waste imported from Taiwan.

"The Lawyers Committee for Human Rights has, on several occasions, expressed its concern about the ability of Kim Sen and Meas Minear to enjoy their internationally guaranteed right to a fair trial," the group said in a statement.

"The Cambodian government should be aware that the conduct of its judicial system is a matter of international concern," it said.

Both men, members of local rights group Licadho, have denied responsibility for the violent protests sparked by the pollution scare. One person was killed during the disturbances.

The two told the court on Thursday, the first day of the trial, they had taken no part in the protests over the mercury-laced waste but had only observed the demonstration in line with their duty as human rights monitors.

The trial is viewed as a test case for human rights groups and their freedom to operate in a country much criticised for its poor rights and judicial standards in recent years.

International human rights groups Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have both condemned the charges against the pair and called for their prosecution to be scrapped. Senior U.N. human rights officials have expressed concern about the case.

Thousands of people fearing contamination fled the city in panic. The rubble-like waste was imported from Taiwan''s Formosa Plastics Corp, which has since removed it.

Local customs offices were stoned and a hotel housing a state shipping agency was ransacked during two days of protests. The home of senior provincial official Khim Bo was looted.

A representative for Khim Bo urged the court, which is also prosecuting eight others in connection with the protests, to punish the accused and make them pay damages. Khim Bo is seeking some $500,000 in compensation.

In June, two Taiwan businessmen were convicted in absentia on charges of dumping the waste on behalf of Formosa Plastics. They, and their Cambodian interpreter, were sentenced to five years'' jail and ordered to pay more than $480,000 compensation.

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