Khmer Rouge victims seek new voice

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia, Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Victims of the brutal Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia are seeking a new voice in the U.N. tribunal dealing with alleged atrocities of their day, observers say.

Five former Khmer Rouge leaders were charged with crimes against humanity are being tried in Phnom Penh.

Victims were allowed to take part in the first trial but they complained the court showed little interest in their testimony. They want more input as the second trial is about to begin, the BBC said.

The Khmer Rouge was a Maoist regime that ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, founded and led by Pol Pot, who died in 1998. It abolished religion, schools and currency in a bid to create an agrarian utopia.