A coalition of rights organizations Friday called for trials of the leaders of Burma's junta who have instituted a brutal crackdown on monk-led pro-democracy demonstrations, on the last day of protests in front of the Burmese Embassy in Phnom Penh.
"Today is the final day for showing our will," said Chea Mony, president of the Free Trade Union of Workers of the Kingdom of Cambodia. "We are appealing to the international community to conduct investigations and punishment, especially to try the Burmese leaders who killed the monks and their own people. We see this as a crime."
Thun Saray, head of the human rights group Adhoc, called on the international community to maintain pressure on the military leaders and to call for trials of those who ordered the killings.
"It would be good for the whole of humanity, not just for the Burmese people," he said.
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Hun Sen called on the junta to be "patient" with demonstrators and to avoid a violent crackdown. He stopped short of calling the crackdown criminal.
"I want the world to bring the Burmese leaders to the court, like the [International Criminal Court]," said Burmese activist Hla Htay, "because [the junta] tries to destroy our country and also our religion."