A royal pardon for former Khmer Rouge foreign minister Ieng Sary does not mean he should not see trial under the Cambodian tribunal, a leading human rights expert said Tuesday.
Ieng Sary defected to the Cambodian government in 1996, in what was seen a critical step in bringing peace to the country.
He did so under an immunity deal and was pardoned, but that does not excuse him from tribunal charges against him, said Lao Mong Hai, of the Hong Kong-based Asian Human Rights Commission. Ieng Sary was arrested last week and charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity by the Khmer Rouge tribunal.
