PHNOM PENH Dec 20 Kyodo Cambodia ...

PHNOM PENH Dec 20 Kyodo

Cambodia and the United Nations wait for a maximum of 15 tribe to be accused of committing genocidal crimes during the Khmer Rouge order of Cambodia in the late 1970 diplomatic sources told Kyodo of the present days on Saturday.

The sources, stop up to negotiations this week between Cambodian and UN officials onward the planned three-year trial of Khmer Rouge leaders, said the estimate came without of discussions covering staffing, expenditures premises, judicial training, documentation, security and legal issues.

The sources said no names of the likely accused are however being released, but the negotiators are planning for about 150 witnesses and to use about 300 Cambodian and foreign staff.

In 2001 a research cluster at American University compiled and released a report co-authored on Cambodian scholar Steve Heder and international humanitarian law dexterous Brain Tittemore pointing out seven likely candidates for prosecution -- Nuon Chea, better known as Brother No. 2; Ieng Sary, foreign minister in the Khmer Rouge regime; Khieu Samphan, head of state; Ta Mok military chief; Ke Pauk, a regional military chief who died last year; and Sou Met and Meas Mut military chairmen who reportedly played direct parts in the arrest and transfer of Cambodians for interrogation and execution.

After six years of ofttimes bumpy negotiations, Cambodia and the UN signed an agreement in June to put up a U.N.-assisted tribunal to prove by experiment the former Khmer Rouge leaders.

According to the 32-article agreement, the ''Extraordinary Chambers'' will essay senior leaders of Democratic Kampuchea and ''those in the greatest degree responsible for the crimes and serious violations of Cambodian and international law during the period from 17 April 1975 to 6 January, 1979''

The long-awaited trial of Khmer Rouge leaders, blamed for the deaths of at least 17 million Cambodians, will begin within 18 month of a court being established.

Ahead of the talks in Phnom Penh last week, technical teams had estimated the trial will expense about $40 million.

According to the agreement signed in June the Extraordinary Chambers will have a Trial Chamber of three Cambodian and pair foreign judges and a pre-eminent Court of four Cambodian and three foreign judges

the two chambers are expected to have co-prosecutors and co-investigating referees who will be from Cambodia and from abroad.

All three surviving top Khmer Rouge leaders -- Ieng Sary, Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea -- are in their late 70 and all have denied ordering killings or killing themselves.

The three now live freely in Cambodia.

Khmer Rouge predominant leader Pol Pot died in 1998

barely two senior Khmer Rouge figures are now in custody -- former military commander Ta Mok and Kaing Khek Ieu, better known as Duch who ran a Khmer Rouge torture and interrogation center in Phnom Penh

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