Cambodian terror trial lawyers 'under threat'

Tight security has been put in place for the trial

By Phelim Kyne
Special to CNN

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (CNN) -- Defense lawyers in the trial of 32 alleged Cambodian terrorists have ended a boycott of court proceedings due to threats to their physical safety.

The six lawyers, representatives of the non-profit Cambodian Defenders Project (CDP) organization, returned to the courtroom Wednesday morning saying that the previous evening they had received threatening phone calls against themselves and their families.

They said unidentified individuals had told them their lives were at risk if they continued with the two-day-old boycott.

The boycott had been sparked by concerns about the fairness of the trial's conduct and restrictions on court access to relatives of the accused, media and human rights observers.

"Someone called a friend of mine and told him to tell me that people were looking for the people who behind the boycott of the trial boycott," CDP lawyer Teang Vuthea told CNN after the morning's court proceedings.

CDP lawyer Chum Sovannaly confirmed that he too had been threatened.

"I'm afraid for my security," he said.

A total of 17 defense lawyers walked out on the first day of trial proceedings.

Street battles

In all 32 suspects are facing charges of terrorism, weapons possession and membership in an armed group after a series of coordinated attacks in the Cambodian capital last November that left at least eight people dead and seven injured.

Violent street fighting and running gun-battles with government forces rocked Phnom Penh on November 24 as Cambodia.

The clashes came as the country was enjoying its longest period of peace and stability in 30 years following the defection of the final remnants of the Khmer Rouge in late 1998.

According to CDP Acting Director Soun Visol, the lawyers' fears caused them to violate a decision made by the organization yesterday evening to continue the boycott unless the trial judge responded to their concerns regarding the fairness of the trial's conduct.

Lawyers from the Cambodian Bar Association and Legal Aid of Cambodia will reportedly continue their boycott.

"The lawyers came back because they were afraid of threats against their lives," Visol told CNN.

"We haven't yet made a decision about how to proceed but if there is some threat we'll allow them to continue [to attend court proceedings]."

Marlene Alejos of the UN High Commission for Human Rights office in Phnom Penh has expressed concern about the threats against the lawyers and said UN monitors were investigating the matter.

Cambodia is still recovering from the damage done to the country by the Khmer Rouge regime, which is accused of being responsible for the deaths of almost two million Cambodians during its 1975-1979 rule.