* Last week, the Open Society Justice Initiative released a report calling for greater whistle blower protection at the ECCC and urging donors to demand additional anti-corruption reforms. Despite progress in other areas of the Khmer Rouge tribunal's operations, "the ECCC's struggle to address concerns about corruption poses a serious and potentially fatal problem for the court," according to the report.

I found the most interesting element of OSJI's report to be commentary on the corruption allegations recently investigated by the UN. While little information has been made public about the allegations, OSJI writes that the "UN's Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) reviewed those claims and reportedly found them credible. By mid-September, the OIOS had transmitted a confidential report to the Cambodian government, apparently recommending that it conduct an investigation."

The UN does not have the authority to conduct an investigation on its own. But, despite receiving the UN's report, the Cambodian government has taken no public action and "the Cambodian government's overt hostility is worrisome," OSJI writes.

* The court recently rejected a request from Ieng Sary's lawyers to make submissions related to Joint Criminal Enterprise.

* Attorneys for Khieu Samphan have withdrawn their appeal against provisional detention after the court insisted on deciding the matter without an oral hearing. An April hearing was abruptly adjourned when attorney Jacques Verges refused to participate because his client's entire case filed had not been translated into French. Verges is continuing to push for complete translation.