The Associated Press
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: The bones of victims from the Khmer Rouge's notorious "killing fields" should be preserved because they could serve as critical evidence in upcoming genocide trials, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said Monday.
Human remains, particularly skulls, serve as the centerpieces of several memorials to the victims of the Khmer Rouge, who were responsible for the deaths of an estimated 1.7 million Cambodian from starvation, overwork, medical neglect and execution when the communist group held power from 1975-79.
Former King Norodom Sihanouk, with whom Hun Sen has many differences, has long advocated cremation of the remains.
The former king, who lost many members of his family to the Khmer Rouge, has in the past said the public display of the remains inflict added humiliation and dishonor on the victims.
None of the Khmer Rouge leaders has ever been tried for the atrocities. Last year, Cambodia and the United Nations jointly created a tribunal expected to try them for genocide and crimes against humanity, but it is not clear yet when the trials will be convened.
"The remains are the evidence of the crime of genocide. If they disappear, it would be difficult to try former Khmer Rouge leaders," said Hun Sen.
He also renewed his objection to suggestions that the remains be cremated according to the country's Buddhist traditions.
Hun Sen spoke Monday at a ceremony marking the start of repairs to the road linking the capital Phnom Penh to Choeung Ek, a former Khmer Rouge mass grave site about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) to the south.
Choeung Ek, now a grim tourist attraction, was where most of the prisoners who had been tortured at the Khmer Rouge's S-21 prison in the capital were taken to be killed. The prison is now the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum.
Noun Chea, a former top leader of the Khmer Rouge, last month alleged that photographs showing the skulls of people killed by the group were fakes, doctored using modern, high-tech retouching techniques.
The comments, made in an interview with the biweekly English-language Phnom Penh Post newspaper, were the latest in a long series of denials by former Khmer Rouge leaders that they were involved in any atrocities.
Hun Sen challenged the comments. "How could those skulls be artificial when they (Khmer Rouge) killed so many people?" he asked. "Those skulls at Choeung Ek and other places across Cambodia are not artificial."
Human remains, particularly skulls, serve as the centerpieces of several memorials to the victims of the Khmer Rouge, who were responsible for the deaths of an estimated 1.7 million Cambodian from starvation, overwork, medical neglect and execution when the communist group held power from 1975-79.
Former King Norodom Sihanouk, with whom Hun Sen has many differences, has long advocated cremation of the remains.
The former king, who lost many members of his family to the Khmer Rouge, has in the past said the public display of the remains inflict added humiliation and dishonor on the victims.
None of the Khmer Rouge leaders has ever been tried for the atrocities. Last year, Cambodia and the United Nations jointly created a tribunal expected to try them for genocide and crimes against humanity, but it is not clear yet when the trials will be convened.
"The remains are the evidence of the crime of genocide. If they disappear, it would be difficult to try former Khmer Rouge leaders," said Hun Sen.
He also renewed his objection to suggestions that the remains be cremated according to the country's Buddhist traditions.
Hun Sen spoke Monday at a ceremony marking the start of repairs to the road linking the capital Phnom Penh to Choeung Ek, a former Khmer Rouge mass grave site about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) to the south.
Choeung Ek, now a grim tourist attraction, was where most of the prisoners who had been tortured at the Khmer Rouge's S-21 prison in the capital were taken to be killed. The prison is now the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum.
Noun Chea, a former top leader of the Khmer Rouge, last month alleged that photographs showing the skulls of people killed by the group were fakes, doctored using modern, high-tech retouching techniques.
The comments, made in an interview with the biweekly English-language Phnom Penh Post newspaper, were the latest in a long series of denials by former Khmer Rouge leaders that they were involved in any atrocities.
Hun Sen challenged the comments. "How could those skulls be artificial when they (Khmer Rouge) killed so many people?" he asked. "Those skulls at Choeung Ek and other places across Cambodia are not artificial."
3 comments:
Nourn Chea,
You are a blind man. If number of deads were fabricated, it was your administration that did it from 1975-1979. Your group were the liers, murderers, with intectual level below cockcroaches's brain.
KHMENG WAT KHNONG SROK
TO
BUNHEANG, KHMER THIUE KY, KHMER SAM RAINSHIT, KHMER SVA AND DERACHHANN , KHMER GANGS AS THE IMPOSTER FOR BEING KHMENG WAT KHNONG SROK AND KIMADAY! THEY ARE THE TRAITORS, THE IMPOSTERS AND THE INFIDELS OF THE KHMER NATION AND RELIGION.
I URGE TO ALL KHMENG WAT AROUND THE STATES , CANADA AND AUSTRALIA!
IF YOU CAN CATCH THEM AS ABOVE MENTIONNED:
1- HACKED THEM TO DEATH
2-CLUBBED TO DEATH
3-BOMBED THEIR CAGES OF SHIT AND BURNED TO DEATH
4- HANGED THEM TO DEATH
AND THEY WILL REBORN AS HUMANS AGAIN.
GOD FORGIVES ME....
THEY DESERVED TO BE TREATED AS SUCH!!!! SATHOUK... SATHOUK...SATHOUK AND AMEN!
KHMENG WAT KHNONG SROK
Can we, Cambodia natonalist, take the idear above and do it to the family and friend of the laeder of the corrupted, treason government!
When time alowe, when they are alone do it!!!!!!!!!
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