18 Jun 07By Chey Sachak
Moneakseka Khmer
Translated from Khmer and posted online
Nuon Chea, former Brother Number Two after Khmer Rouge genocide ringleader Pol Pot, is said to be seriously ill in Pailin City and totally incapable of making any comments about the process of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Court of Cambodia [ECCC].
As for Ka Savuth, defense lawyer working for Kaing Khek-iev alias Duch, former security chief of the Kampuchea Communist Party attached to Prison S-21 or Tuol Sleng, he also has called for a speedy trial of his client.
A report said that Nuon Chea is very sick. He probably would not last long while the process to try the former Khmer Rouge leaders continues to drag its feet.
This claim coming directly from Nuon Chea's mouth that he is very sick has rekindled the fear that the former top leader of the Democratic Kampuchea [DK] or Maoist Khmer Rouge regime would all die before any of them could be tried.
Nuon Chea stressed that he was sick after the ECCC Co-Judges unanimously approved the very important 113-article Internal Rules on Wednesday last week in order to open the door to the prosecution of the former Khmer Rouge leaders that the national and international communities have been waiting to see happen for more than 3 decades on charges of involvement in the massacre of nearly 2 million Cambodians between 1975 and 1979.
Nuon Chea, former chairman of the National Assembly of the DK regime and its Brother Number Two, has been presumed by most circles that although he did not say anything in detail about the Khmer Rouge tribunal it still means that his serious illness would not let him live until the opening of the court hearing.
It should be noted that Nuon Chea is now about 81 years old and is generally known to be ill from all sorts of ailment, including high blood pressure, heart conditions, fatigue and fragility from old age that have made it very difficult for him to travel.
A separate report said that Nuon Chea's neighbors in Pailin City have noted that he can move around only with the help of a cane and he is always escorted by several followers when he makes his rare public appearances. This means that Nuon Chea is becoming extremely frail.
The other former Khmer Rouge leaders, such as Khieu Samphan and Ieng Sary, too, are getting very old with fragile health.
It should be noted that Pol Pot alias Saloth Sar, top architect of the Khmer Rouge regime of genocide, died in the Anlung Veng region in 1998 and a number of other Khmer Rouge leaders also had died one after another, such as former Khmer Rouge military commander Ta Mok, former Interior Minister Son Sen, and DK regional commander Ke Pok.
Chhang Yuk, director of the Document Center of Cambodia, stated that the court for trying the former Khmer Rouge leaders should know how to save time, avoid making waste, and see to it that its proceedings conform to the advanced ages of the former Khmer Rouge leaders before they are dead.
However, ECCC spokesman Reach Sambat smugly claimed, "The stance of the jurists, both local and international, concerning the trial of the former Kh mer Rouge leaders since the beginning has been to be committed to doing everything to push this tribunal forward in response to the wishes of the Cambodian people."
Moreover, the opening of the hearing of the former Khmer Rouge leaders' trial, Reach Sambat explained, could begin at the beginning of 2008.
He went on to say, "Everybody has about the same understanding, for old age is not a problem that is confined to the Khmer Rouge leaders alone; even the witnesses are getting very old too."
Cambodia and the United Nations are spending US $56.3 million to set up a multinational tribunal to try the former Khmer Rouge leaders. However, so far not a single Khmer Rouge chieftain has been seen brought to the trial on charges of the genocidal massacre in Cambodia.
Nevertheless, the defense lawyer of Kaing Khek-iev alias Duch, former warden of Tuol Sleng Prison, has urged this tribunal to try his client as soon as possible.
Kaing Khek-iev's defense lawyer Ka Savuth strong reacted to the fact that his client has been imprisoned for years without trial.
Kaing Khek-iev alias Duch, now nearly 70 years old, was arrested in 1999. He has since been detained by the Military Tribunal on charge of crime against humanity. Later, he was also charged with war crime. But Kaing Khek-iev alias Duch has not yet been indicted by the ECCC.
In this context, according to some jurists in Cambodia, this prolonged detention of Kaing Khek-iev alias Duch is in violation of the legal procedure. Kaing Khek-iev alias Duch ran Prison S-21 or Tuol Sleng under the Khmer Rouge regime. He is also the only former Pol Pot cadre who is kept in prison by the current rulers.
At the same time, there is speculation that Duch could be the first man to be brought to the court hearing. Robert Petit, Co-Prosecutor of the Khmer Rouge tribunal, said that the Co-Prosecutors' Office is examining the summons for initial interrogations to be handed over to the Co-Investigating Judges before indictment is to be made.
As for Ka Savuth, defense lawyer working for Kaing Khek-iev alias Duch, former security chief of the Kampuchea Communist Party attached to Prison S-21 or Tuol Sleng, he also has called for a speedy trial of his client.
A report said that Nuon Chea is very sick. He probably would not last long while the process to try the former Khmer Rouge leaders continues to drag its feet.
This claim coming directly from Nuon Chea's mouth that he is very sick has rekindled the fear that the former top leader of the Democratic Kampuchea [DK] or Maoist Khmer Rouge regime would all die before any of them could be tried.
Nuon Chea stressed that he was sick after the ECCC Co-Judges unanimously approved the very important 113-article Internal Rules on Wednesday last week in order to open the door to the prosecution of the former Khmer Rouge leaders that the national and international communities have been waiting to see happen for more than 3 decades on charges of involvement in the massacre of nearly 2 million Cambodians between 1975 and 1979.
Nuon Chea, former chairman of the National Assembly of the DK regime and its Brother Number Two, has been presumed by most circles that although he did not say anything in detail about the Khmer Rouge tribunal it still means that his serious illness would not let him live until the opening of the court hearing.
It should be noted that Nuon Chea is now about 81 years old and is generally known to be ill from all sorts of ailment, including high blood pressure, heart conditions, fatigue and fragility from old age that have made it very difficult for him to travel.
A separate report said that Nuon Chea's neighbors in Pailin City have noted that he can move around only with the help of a cane and he is always escorted by several followers when he makes his rare public appearances. This means that Nuon Chea is becoming extremely frail.
The other former Khmer Rouge leaders, such as Khieu Samphan and Ieng Sary, too, are getting very old with fragile health.
It should be noted that Pol Pot alias Saloth Sar, top architect of the Khmer Rouge regime of genocide, died in the Anlung Veng region in 1998 and a number of other Khmer Rouge leaders also had died one after another, such as former Khmer Rouge military commander Ta Mok, former Interior Minister Son Sen, and DK regional commander Ke Pok.
Chhang Yuk, director of the Document Center of Cambodia, stated that the court for trying the former Khmer Rouge leaders should know how to save time, avoid making waste, and see to it that its proceedings conform to the advanced ages of the former Khmer Rouge leaders before they are dead.
However, ECCC spokesman Reach Sambat smugly claimed, "The stance of the jurists, both local and international, concerning the trial of the former Kh mer Rouge leaders since the beginning has been to be committed to doing everything to push this tribunal forward in response to the wishes of the Cambodian people."
Moreover, the opening of the hearing of the former Khmer Rouge leaders' trial, Reach Sambat explained, could begin at the beginning of 2008.
He went on to say, "Everybody has about the same understanding, for old age is not a problem that is confined to the Khmer Rouge leaders alone; even the witnesses are getting very old too."
Cambodia and the United Nations are spending US $56.3 million to set up a multinational tribunal to try the former Khmer Rouge leaders. However, so far not a single Khmer Rouge chieftain has been seen brought to the trial on charges of the genocidal massacre in Cambodia.
Nevertheless, the defense lawyer of Kaing Khek-iev alias Duch, former warden of Tuol Sleng Prison, has urged this tribunal to try his client as soon as possible.
Kaing Khek-iev's defense lawyer Ka Savuth strong reacted to the fact that his client has been imprisoned for years without trial.
Kaing Khek-iev alias Duch, now nearly 70 years old, was arrested in 1999. He has since been detained by the Military Tribunal on charge of crime against humanity. Later, he was also charged with war crime. But Kaing Khek-iev alias Duch has not yet been indicted by the ECCC.
In this context, according to some jurists in Cambodia, this prolonged detention of Kaing Khek-iev alias Duch is in violation of the legal procedure. Kaing Khek-iev alias Duch ran Prison S-21 or Tuol Sleng under the Khmer Rouge regime. He is also the only former Pol Pot cadre who is kept in prison by the current rulers.
At the same time, there is speculation that Duch could be the first man to be brought to the court hearing. Robert Petit, Co-Prosecutor of the Khmer Rouge tribunal, said that the Co-Prosecutors' Office is examining the summons for initial interrogations to be handed over to the Co-Investigating Judges before indictment is to be made.
9 comments:
Just Go To Hell Ah Nuon Chea because there is no trial for you at all.
Go take him to S21, and throw him in the mass grave that he buried those people in the '70s! While he's still alive, isolated him from any human contact. Locked down until the trial.
GO AHEAD YOU HAVE MY PERMISSION BECAUSE ALL THOSE SOULS COMMUNICATED TO ME!
Oh man, Come on none of these guys die yet. I and the rest of Cambodians want to see and hear from them and want to know what was in their mind to get 2million killed????????????????????????????
it's all in their plan....waste of fund....that why they keep delayinggggggggggg......
Those who want these former KR leader to go to hell already are the people who wishes to deny Cambodian people justice and and truth.
Their selfish feelings of revenge will ultimately cause Cambodian people a real story and lesson to not be repeated again.
I pray in Buddha and God's name that these leaders will make it to their trial and that the trial will come to fruition quickly so not to forever deny 2 million Khmer justice.
Our family are dead, we deserve to know the answer. We demand answers and full participation in the tribunal.
This is how justice understood. The old man who clearly doesn't own anything but his house , blamed by those having millions of stolen money. The old man who doesn't have anybody but 2-3 followers charged by those who has divisions in their power.
Khmer Rouge trial is a shame trial , it's a dirty trial. Its hypocritic lies are obvious to anyone who's willing to see.
Who will charge Khmer Rouge for not having a PROSTITUTION , not having CORRUPTION , not having an ADULTERY , not having DRUGS , not having ABORTS , not having WOMEN DOMESTIC ABUSES . Why all positive is always washed down ?
I'm afraid to walk on streets of Phnom Penh . The very thing I feel that Phnom Penh is occupied , occupied by CORRUPTION , THIEVERY , PROSTITUTION , TREASON , LIES , GREED. Yes there were some people killed by Khmer Rouge but now people killed by Yama , AIDS , malnutrition , domestic violence , high child death rate. Aren't you willing to analyze or you just being lead by your masters to do whatever they say ?
Support the comment of 9:29AM, Yes you are right. The History is written by those who occuppied or the winners. If the world really care about this trial for the Cambodians they should do anything or send the best doctors to take care them before they going to die. I just wish the time really come soon so thes OLD former KR's can tell us. Was it just them or the foreigner behind this during their time in power?
tsk tsk... This justice and truth you speak of 9:21 is bull. The real culprits who should be brought to justice is Vietnam, China, Thailand, and America for hurting us all. They all funded and provided the KR with weapons, they even bombed our homeland and brought us into war when we were neutral. Before you speak of justice, open your eyes to the wrong doings of those you think are "helping" for a better Cambodia
Cambodia was a mere pawn in powerful game of dominance between China ( and US ) and Soviet Union (Vietnam ). After death of Mao Zedong China became Imperialist oriented country while Soviet Union became Imperialist since Stalin's death . Two Imperialist countries fought for their dominance in region , Vietnam itself was a pawn as Cambodia. The real plan of 1979 incident was given a green life by Soviet Union in 1977 . So , Khmer Rouge were doomed already in 1977 , they didn't have time , money etc. etc. Their fast militarization which caused to some extent hunger was a reflection of feeling that the conflict is near. Now , Nuon Chea and others will be brought to trial while the real agressors USSR , China , Thailand and US will be ...the ones who will wash their hands.
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