KR commander's appeal fails

Chhouk Rin said he will file an appeal to the Supreme Court

A former Khmer Rouge commander has failed in his appeal against a life sentence in connection with the murder of four western tourists in 1994.

A Cambodian appeal court found him guilty and upheld a life sentence, but he will remain free pending another appeal.

The court has sufficient evidence to find him guilty in the alleged killings Samrith Sophal presiding judge

The panel of judges was made up of the same three judges who convicted him on the previous occasion in September 2002

"The court has sufficient evidence to find him guilty in the alleged killings," said presiding judge Samrith Sophal.

The judges said Chhouk Rin may not have participated in the kidnapping himself, but there was sufficient evidence that he had ordered his unit of Khmer Rouge fighters to join the attack on the train, in which the three backpackers were seized.

Mark Slater from Britain, Australian David Wilson and Jean-Michel Braquet from France, were killed when ransom negotiations with the government failed.

13 Cambodians also died during the attack on the train which was travelling from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville.

Two Khmer Rouge commanders, senior to Chhouk Rin, are already serving life sentences over the deaths.

Chhouk Rin said he was too ill to attend Wednesday's hearing, but insisted that he was innocent and said he would file another appeal, to the Supreme Court.

That will take another 60 days, so he will remain free during that period.

The appeals court said that the issue of compensation for the deaths would be settled at a future date.