Cambodian and the United Nations on Tuesday signed two Supplementary Agreements to complete the legal framework for the establishment of the special court to try former Democratic Kampuchea (DK) leaders.

The two agreements reaffirmed the assignment of responsibility for the security, facilities and services of the court.

Under the agreements, Cambodia will be responsible for general security outside the grounds of the court room, while the United Nations will be for security within the court room.

Meanwhile, Cambodia will also responsible for provision of the necessary buildings for the court, office accommodation, detention of defendants and safe housing of witnesses and victims requiring protection, and also the electricity and water, and services for telecommunications.

While the UN will provide equipment, vehicles, computers hardware and software, telecommunications running costs, training, support for the defense and for witnesses and victims.

Cambodia and the UN signed the main agreement on June 6, 2003, to jointly set up an extraordinary chambers in the courts of Cambodia to try surviving DK leaders for genocide and crimes against humanity committed in the late 1970s.

"It has taken many years to get to this point but we now stand on the brink of finally establishing an internationally recognized judicial procedure to address the crimes committed in Cambodia between 1975 and 1979," said Sok An, deputy prime minister and chairman of the Cambodian Task Force for Khmer Rouge Trials.

He also reaffirmed that trial will be carried out under the precondition of maintaining the country's political stability and national reconciliation.

At least three former DK leaders are still alive -- Noun Chea, the DK ideological leader, Ieng Sary, the deputy prime minister and foreign minister, and Khieu Samphan, the head of state.

Ieng Sary defected to the government in 1996 along with thousands of troops and was subsequently granted amnesty by King Norodam Sihanouk, while Noun Chea and Khieu Samphan defected to the government in December 1998.

Khmer Rouge chief Pol Pot died in 1998 and the movement collapsed the following year.

The trial's total cost is estimated at 56.3 million U.S. dollars, and it is expected to run for three years.

Source: Xinhua