The China Post (Taiwan)
Just a few weeks ago, it seemed as if delayed justice might eventually be brought to the people of Cambodia, who suffered genocide and widespread atrocities during the brutal reign of the Khmer Rouge regime from 1975 until 1978.
After years of delays mostly blamed on the Cambodian government and apathy in the international community, the United Nations and Phnom Penh finally began the process of establishing a special tribunal to punish Khmer Rouge officials for their crimes against humanity.
Unfortunately, the tribunal that is not expected to be up and running until sometime next year will no longer have any major Khmer Rouge leaders to put on trial.
This is because the last high-ranking Khmer Rouge leader awaiting trial, Ta Mok, died last week of natural causes at the age of 82.
With the death of Ta Mok, dubbed "The Butcher" for his role in killing millions of his countrymen, it seems there is little point for the tribunal to continue its work.
Indeed, this is yet another sad chapter in the United Nations' long history of failure to make good on its promises to work for the protection of human rights.
Following the death of Ta Mok, who was the top military commander during the Khmer Rouge's time in power, means that the only notable figure left who could still stand trial is the former prison commander Kaing Khek Iev.
The Khmer Rouge's supreme leader, Pol Pot, had already died in 1998 while under house arrest after Ta Mok ousted him from the guerrilla organization in a coup.
There are many other Khmer Rouge leaders still alive who should face justice.
But for reasons of political expediency, these killers have all been granted immunity by the Cambodian government in exchange for quitting the organization.
Nuon Chea, known during the Khmer Rouge years as "Brother Number Two," was pardoned by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen in 1998 and now enjoys a quiet retirement in Pailin, the village that once functioned as the Khmer Rouge's bush headquarters after its ouster by Vietnamese forces.
Nuon Chea's next-door neighbor is Khieu Samphan, the titular head of state during the Khmer Rouge regime who has also been pardoned.
Ieng Sary, a brother-in-law of Pol Pot who was foreign minister between 1975 and 1978, was pardoned by the Cambodian monarch and travels between Pailin and his Phnom Penh villa when not in Bangkok receiving medical treatment.
The Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen was himself a Khmer Rouge commander who fled to Vietnam to escape Ta Mok's purges, a fact that probably explains much of his resistance toward putting Khmer Rouge leaders on trial.
The tranquil passing of Ta Mok is especially ironic, since he was one of the Khmer Rouge's most bloodthirsty leaders and is widely thought to be responsible for countless purges and massacres of urban Cambodians denounced as "parasites" after the 1975 Khmer Rouge takeover.
Many of our readers will remember that before Khmer Rouge troops seized Phnom Penh in 1975 shortly before Saigon fell to North Vietnamese forces, Cambodia was ruled by Prime Minister Lon Nol, an anti communist who had warm ties with our government and the United States.
After taking over the dwindling guerrilla force in 1997 in a coup against Pol Pot, Ta Mok was captured inside Thailand in 1999 and taken to a military facility in Cambodia to await trial.
In recent months, he spent most of his time in a military hospital, a far cry from the punishment that countless Cambodians thought he deserved.
Now that no major Khmer Rouge leaders can possibly stand trial, it is clear that the Cambodian government and the United Nations have done too little, too late to bring justice for the Cambodian people.
While the former prison commander should be held accountable for his crimes, the entire leadership of what was the most brutal regime in contemporary history has gone completely unpunished for their actions.
The United Nations should be ashamed of its inability to bring about trials of Khmer Rouge leaders.
Some people may question the significance of trying the Khmer Rouge after such a long passage of time.
But we believe that if Khmer Rouge offenders had been held accountable for their actions, this would have had at least some degree of a deterrent effect on others who might contemplate crimes against humanity in the future.
Now that the Khmer Rouge have gone completely unpunished, we can expect regimes in other countries to think they can get away with murder, as well.
After years of delays mostly blamed on the Cambodian government and apathy in the international community, the United Nations and Phnom Penh finally began the process of establishing a special tribunal to punish Khmer Rouge officials for their crimes against humanity.
Unfortunately, the tribunal that is not expected to be up and running until sometime next year will no longer have any major Khmer Rouge leaders to put on trial.
This is because the last high-ranking Khmer Rouge leader awaiting trial, Ta Mok, died last week of natural causes at the age of 82.
With the death of Ta Mok, dubbed "The Butcher" for his role in killing millions of his countrymen, it seems there is little point for the tribunal to continue its work.
Indeed, this is yet another sad chapter in the United Nations' long history of failure to make good on its promises to work for the protection of human rights.
Following the death of Ta Mok, who was the top military commander during the Khmer Rouge's time in power, means that the only notable figure left who could still stand trial is the former prison commander Kaing Khek Iev.
The Khmer Rouge's supreme leader, Pol Pot, had already died in 1998 while under house arrest after Ta Mok ousted him from the guerrilla organization in a coup.
There are many other Khmer Rouge leaders still alive who should face justice.
But for reasons of political expediency, these killers have all been granted immunity by the Cambodian government in exchange for quitting the organization.
Nuon Chea, known during the Khmer Rouge years as "Brother Number Two," was pardoned by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen in 1998 and now enjoys a quiet retirement in Pailin, the village that once functioned as the Khmer Rouge's bush headquarters after its ouster by Vietnamese forces.
Nuon Chea's next-door neighbor is Khieu Samphan, the titular head of state during the Khmer Rouge regime who has also been pardoned.
Ieng Sary, a brother-in-law of Pol Pot who was foreign minister between 1975 and 1978, was pardoned by the Cambodian monarch and travels between Pailin and his Phnom Penh villa when not in Bangkok receiving medical treatment.
The Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen was himself a Khmer Rouge commander who fled to Vietnam to escape Ta Mok's purges, a fact that probably explains much of his resistance toward putting Khmer Rouge leaders on trial.
The tranquil passing of Ta Mok is especially ironic, since he was one of the Khmer Rouge's most bloodthirsty leaders and is widely thought to be responsible for countless purges and massacres of urban Cambodians denounced as "parasites" after the 1975 Khmer Rouge takeover.
Many of our readers will remember that before Khmer Rouge troops seized Phnom Penh in 1975 shortly before Saigon fell to North Vietnamese forces, Cambodia was ruled by Prime Minister Lon Nol, an anti communist who had warm ties with our government and the United States.
After taking over the dwindling guerrilla force in 1997 in a coup against Pol Pot, Ta Mok was captured inside Thailand in 1999 and taken to a military facility in Cambodia to await trial.
In recent months, he spent most of his time in a military hospital, a far cry from the punishment that countless Cambodians thought he deserved.
Now that no major Khmer Rouge leaders can possibly stand trial, it is clear that the Cambodian government and the United Nations have done too little, too late to bring justice for the Cambodian people.
While the former prison commander should be held accountable for his crimes, the entire leadership of what was the most brutal regime in contemporary history has gone completely unpunished for their actions.
The United Nations should be ashamed of its inability to bring about trials of Khmer Rouge leaders.
Some people may question the significance of trying the Khmer Rouge after such a long passage of time.
But we believe that if Khmer Rouge offenders had been held accountable for their actions, this would have had at least some degree of a deterrent effect on others who might contemplate crimes against humanity in the future.
Now that the Khmer Rouge have gone completely unpunished, we can expect regimes in other countries to think they can get away with murder, as well.
4 comments:
According to Tamok nephew, Tamok has follow ordered from his leader who was Sihanouk. He said Sihanouk shouldn't shake up the earth anymore. Pol Pot was not numbered one but was number two. Number was a winner the rest are the loosers.
My God That is the story.
Tamok's Nephew might be a good source of info to get ouf from after all he is the closest person to TaMok. We should interview all of Tamok's famiy members and dig into Tamok's life and what he had said and done while he was under house arrest by HunSen. We all know that his death was not a natural death. It was perpatraited by HunSen team to make it look natural.
Now Tamok died. How about Sihanouk, Khieu Samphan and Ieng Sary? They still live freely. They now live in a luxury villa with body-guard. Why UN don't bring them to trail?
that's one good question my friend! and they need to do it fast. otherwise, end up like Ta Mok.
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