Cambodian citizen, Moo Pich, has submitted a 90,000 strong petition to the International Criminal Court (ICC), asking that legal action be taken against Thai government and military leaders for crimes against the Cambodian people.
Pich, who serves as president of the Cambodian Intellectuals Group, told The Post today, November 17, that he submitted the complaint, signed by 91,275 Cambodians, to the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands.
He added that the complaint is 35 pages long, excluding the list of supporters, and was submitted through three methods: the ICC’s Online Submission Portal, the official email account of the ICC Prosecutor’s Office, and by mail, to the ICC Prosecutor’s Office.
The complaint includes cases of Cambodian citizens being shot in Prey Chan village and the disproportionate use of weapons, such as Grippen and F-16 fighter jets, to bomb Cambodian villages.
“We submit his complaint to the international court through the prosecutor office because we have specific evidence and strong grounds to substantiate the illegal acts and crimes committed by the Thai side, including political leaders and Thai military leaders, against Cambodia and the Cambodian people,” he said.
He added that this complaint is not based on political reasons but is made to demand justice, dignity and protect the sovereignty of his homeland, with the main objective being to hold those who committed crimes accountable under international law.
Pich stated that this endeavour was made possible with the support of the Cambodian Intellectuals Group and each of the Cambodian citizens who signed up to support the complaint.
At this difficult time, he encouraged people not to question or blame each other as to who should have filed the complaint.
“We must ask what each of us can do to protect the justice, peace, dignity, sovereignty and fundamental rights of our people,” he said.