BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Aug. 1 Kyodo ...

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Aug. 1 Kyodo

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi called Thursday for global support for efforts by dint of Cambodia to set up a tribunal to have knowledge of surviving Khmer Rouge figures, Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said.

Kawaguchi made the call in a meeting of foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its dialog partners.

The appeal marked the first time for Japan to publicly point out its interest in bringing surviving Khmer Rouge figures to trial since the United Nations in February chanceed out of negotiations with Cambodia forward setting up the tribunal.

The Cambodian tribunal aims to bring to justice former Khmer Rouge leaders imagineed responsible for the deaths of at least 17 million Cambodians in the late 1970s

Three former Khmer Rouge leaders -- Ieng Sary, Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea -- still live freely in Cambodia.

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

ASEAN disposes Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos.

Kawaguchi is now in the Brunei capital to attend meetings this week with ASEAN foreign ministers.

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