The UN war crimes tribunal in Cambodia on Monday postponed hearings against two former leaders of the Democratic Kampuchea, or Khmer Rouge regime, to January next year after lawyers for one of the defendants continued boycotting the court proceeding.

"The hearings will be resumed on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2015," the tribunal's president Nil Nonn said, blaming the adjournment to the ongoing boycott of proceedings from a defense team.

The tribunal began the second and final trial for Khieu Samphan, 83, the regime's former head of state, and Nuon Chea, 88, the chief ideologue of the Communist Party of Kampuchea, for genocide charges on Oct. 17, but has been adjourned due to the boycott of defense teams.

Defense lawyers for Khieu Samphan said they boycotted the trial in order to prepare for his appeal against a guilty verdict in the first part of the trial.

The two former Khmer Rouge leaders were among the few surviving leaders of the regime that was responsible for the deaths of an estimated 1.7 million people from starvation, overwork, torture, execution and massacre from 1975 to 1979.

In August, the two ex-leaders were given life sentences for crimes against humanity after their first trial at the tribunal. They have appealed against the verdicts. Endi

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