The Victims Support Section (VSS) of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) is holding its first Regional Forum in 2012 for the 150 Civil Parties of Case 002 at TEA SENGHENG Meeting Room, Chba Morn Town, Kampong Speu Province, Friday, 16 March 16 2012 from 1:30-4:30 p.m. (The identities of the Civil Parties are protected).
The aims of the Regional Forum are: (i) to periodically update the Civil Parties in Case 002 on the work of the ECCC; (ii) to provide Civil Parties with the opportunity to hear explanations from their lawyers about the severance order in Case 002, which split the case into separate trials; and (iii) to help the Civil parties to exercise their rights. The 150 Civil Parties, who have not attended the Case 002 hearings during the first quarter of 2012, are from Kampong Speu, Kampot, Kandal, and Prey Veng provinces.
The Regional Forum offers a unique opportunity for Civil Parties and their lawyers to meet and discuss the current developments of the case, and to consider at which stages Civil Parties should be engaged in the proceedings. VSS plans to organize eight Regional Forums in addition to other activities for the period of 2012-2013, under the project heading of “Meaningful Victims Participation in the Proceedings of the ECCC”. From 2009-2011, VSS held 14 Regional Forums under the scheme of “Victims' Improved Participation in the Proceedings of the ECCC”.