Wed, 09/19/2007Foreign Policy Blog (Washington DC, USA)
I asked Brian Calvert, a reporter for Voice of America Khmer in Washington, to weigh in on today's news that a key lieutenant of the notorious Pol Pot had finally been taken into custody. Here's Brian's take:
The indictment and detention Wednesday of Nuon Chea, Pol Pot's chief lieutenant in the Khmer Rouge, for war crimes and crimes against humanity is the most significant action taken so far by a bedeviled tribunal that was established more than a year ago.
Whether or not his arrest will spell justice, and for whom, remains to be seen.
Nuon Chea, also known as Brother No. 2, was flown by helicopter Wednesday morning from his home in the mountains of northwest Cambodia and questioned in Phnom Penh, the capital, by judges of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, the official name of the Khmer Rouge tribunal.
Nuon Chea has said he will happily face a trial. But it’s not because he regrets his actions. Rather, he sees a trial as a chance to exonerate his role in the Khmer Rouge, which called itself Democratic Kampuchea. In his view, Pol Pot’s regime was only defending the Cambodian people from Vietnamese agents and American bombs.
In reality, the Khmer Rouge used the fear of a Vietnamese takeover and of U.S. fighting in Indochina as fuel for their insurrection. After they took power, as many as 2 million people starved to death or were executed. The legacy of that regime and the civil strife that followed its ouster has been a war-battered people, a devastated infrastructure, and a country that still hasn't recovered.
Nuon Chea is widely believed to be a chief architect of the regime's murderous policies. According to the Documentation Center of Cambodia, which has been gathering evidence in Cambodia for potential trials for a decade, Nuon Chea held posts as deputy secretary of the Cambodian Communist Party's Central Committee and as a member of the Party's Standing Committee, the bodies most responsible for policies of the regime.
Given Cambodia’s bloody history, it may be hard for many to imagine why it has been so difficult to bring Khmer Rouge figures like Nuon Chea to justice. The joint tribunal has struggled since its inception, hamstrung by bickering among U.N.-appointed international jurists and their Cambodian counterparts. Nuon Chea is only the second man to be taken into court custody. Since July, the courts have been holding Kaing Guek Eav, better known by his revolutionary name, Duch, the head of S-21, Cambodia's infamous torture center. Also known as Tuol Sleng, it's now a genocide museum for tourists.
The courts are investigating at least three more suspects for war crimes and crimes against humanity, but their names have not been released.
Will there be justice for the Khmer Rouge's victims? We just don't know. The U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia, Joseph Mussomeli, recently told VOA Khmer that over the next one or two years, "we'll have at least, I would guess, somewhere around a dozen people being brought up on charges of genocide."
"There were hundreds of people who were guilty of genocide, but, frankly, you have to draw the line somewhere," he added. "You can't have the trial last for 20 years or 30 years, you can't spend hundreds of millions of dollars on the trial, but you have to find at least the most responsible for genocide and bring them to trial, and I think we are now on the way to doing that."
We'll know soon enough if he is right.
The indictment and detention Wednesday of Nuon Chea, Pol Pot's chief lieutenant in the Khmer Rouge, for war crimes and crimes against humanity is the most significant action taken so far by a bedeviled tribunal that was established more than a year ago.
Whether or not his arrest will spell justice, and for whom, remains to be seen.
Nuon Chea, also known as Brother No. 2, was flown by helicopter Wednesday morning from his home in the mountains of northwest Cambodia and questioned in Phnom Penh, the capital, by judges of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, the official name of the Khmer Rouge tribunal.
Nuon Chea has said he will happily face a trial. But it’s not because he regrets his actions. Rather, he sees a trial as a chance to exonerate his role in the Khmer Rouge, which called itself Democratic Kampuchea. In his view, Pol Pot’s regime was only defending the Cambodian people from Vietnamese agents and American bombs.
In reality, the Khmer Rouge used the fear of a Vietnamese takeover and of U.S. fighting in Indochina as fuel for their insurrection. After they took power, as many as 2 million people starved to death or were executed. The legacy of that regime and the civil strife that followed its ouster has been a war-battered people, a devastated infrastructure, and a country that still hasn't recovered.
Nuon Chea is widely believed to be a chief architect of the regime's murderous policies. According to the Documentation Center of Cambodia, which has been gathering evidence in Cambodia for potential trials for a decade, Nuon Chea held posts as deputy secretary of the Cambodian Communist Party's Central Committee and as a member of the Party's Standing Committee, the bodies most responsible for policies of the regime.
Given Cambodia’s bloody history, it may be hard for many to imagine why it has been so difficult to bring Khmer Rouge figures like Nuon Chea to justice. The joint tribunal has struggled since its inception, hamstrung by bickering among U.N.-appointed international jurists and their Cambodian counterparts. Nuon Chea is only the second man to be taken into court custody. Since July, the courts have been holding Kaing Guek Eav, better known by his revolutionary name, Duch, the head of S-21, Cambodia's infamous torture center. Also known as Tuol Sleng, it's now a genocide museum for tourists.
The courts are investigating at least three more suspects for war crimes and crimes against humanity, but their names have not been released.
Will there be justice for the Khmer Rouge's victims? We just don't know. The U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia, Joseph Mussomeli, recently told VOA Khmer that over the next one or two years, "we'll have at least, I would guess, somewhere around a dozen people being brought up on charges of genocide."
"There were hundreds of people who were guilty of genocide, but, frankly, you have to draw the line somewhere," he added. "You can't have the trial last for 20 years or 30 years, you can't spend hundreds of millions of dollars on the trial, but you have to find at least the most responsible for genocide and bring them to trial, and I think we are now on the way to doing that."
We'll know soon enough if he is right.
9 comments:
Actually Yuon special team sent it in, to kill khmer people in 77 -78-79 by helicopters at night time in Phnom Penh secretly (sources student from 1990 go to study in Soviet and youn student have told Khmer students) but I do not know Nuon Chea have the evidences or proof to show UN court??
Yuon secret agents/spies, who are well-educated in Khmer culture, tradition, language, religion and custom...etc. can speak, read and write Khmer much better than about 80% Khmer peasants and farmers do, had secretly impersonated themselves as KR soldiers who were unfairly accused of killing their own people, but the most of killers are Yuon spies/Secret agents are all behind killing fields like Trinh Ba Cam, a spokesman for the Vietnamese Embassy, who can speak Khmer fluently when we heard his voice on RFA at 2007/08/17 05:30
After all Khmer victims really hated Angkar Leu/Cap Tren. Suddenly Yuon troops pretended to rescue us from their comrade-at arms KR. In fact nearly murderers are Yuon/Yavana secret agents/spies! They didn't want themselves to get caught in International Law/UN so they had to use their Yuon citizens who used to live in Cambodia before 1970 by borrowing KR's hands to kill our family members. Aren't they cunning like a fox?
U believe me or not. It's up to you! But u look at Kampuchea Krom and Champa which are clearly erased on the World Map, already.
Khmer sralanh/love Khmer!
King Jayavarman VII was reincarnated as DR Joshua Cooper who cares for his Khmer people in the 21st century trying to free Cambodian victims from oppressors, human rights violators and brutal Yavana/Yuon colonialists and communists/Commo leaders who are the worst violators of human rights on earth.
Thank you so much to Dr Joshua Cooper!
King Chey Chetha II was Reincarnated as Hun Sen, who loves sex with Yuon/Yavana taxigirls, serves his Hanoi masters to keep him in power so that any Yavana can come to live in Cambodia freely and safely. So in 30/50 years' time, Cambodia will be overpopulated by Yuon parasites/leeches like Champa and Khmer Krom for sure.
When Hun Sen, dies one day, whose body is buried without salt. (=No Coffin for him.) But if he can change his mind by protecting all his Khmer people during KRT, he will be considered as a Khmer National Hero until the end of earth.
Khmer sralanh Khmer said...
If we Victims of Vietnamese Hidden Faces Behind Killing Fields use microscope to find out Yuon/Yavana secret agents/spies secretly have been hiding in Cambodia since the Murderous French Colonial Period, we still can't find out any of them killing Khmer innocent people from 1975-1979, but if we can speak, read and write Yuon then we must impersonate ourselves working with Yuon restaurant owners or any department in both Cambodia and Khmer Krom and then we know all One Million Super-Dirty Demonic tricks all Yuon Hanoian Commo leaders used to kill Cambodians secretly in the name of Angkar Leu/Cap Tren. That's why A Chinese Proverb goes like this: What you see is not a true sign; [but] what you can’t see is a true sign. (Yuon secret agents/spies secretly used in cunning killing and rescuing operation. It means to kill Cambodian innocent people by using Yuon citizens living in Cambodia as KR and then they started to rescue Cambodians from the killing fields. Nearly whether all educated and uneducated Cambodians who are terribly misled that KR brutally killed their country fellowmen by thanking Yuon troops as their rescuers.)
Murderous Hanoian Leaders' One Million Super-Dirty Demonic Tricks are used to round up all Khmer nationalists who have a real human gut to reclaim our lands from Yuon coconut shells.
Yuon/Yavana secret agents/spies everywhere in Cambodia stirring up all unrests in the country can arrest any Khmer nationalist/KK by blaming to undermine Cambodia's relationship with Vietnam.
All Khmer compatriots must wake up from your day-dreams that Yuon coconut shells came to rescue you and your family from Pol Pot. In fact, the real murderers are all but Yuon/Yavana secret agents/ spies who secretly had impersonated themselves as the KR.
English proverb: Truth will out. (The truth always becomes known.)
All Killing Fields were secretly created by Vietnamese/Yavana secret agents/spies in order to erase all Cambodian race on earth. They have secretly been killing Cambodian people since 18th Century up until now. Read Khmer History of Tae Ong.
Murderous Hanoian commo leaders who are so cunning didn't want themselves to get caught in action so they used their Yuon/Yavana citizens, who used to live in Cambodia before 1970, are well-educated in Khmer language, culture, tradition, custom, and religion...etc. to have impersonated themselves as the Khmer Rouge soldiers to brutally kill Cambodian innocent people.
Now there are more than 4000 000 illegal Yuon citizens living in Cambodia so far so worse, many of whom are former Khmer Rouge soldiers/killers.
Hanoi commo leaders from now on in a big trouble when all Khmer Rouge leaders are put on trial with the UN in Phnom Penh. My Khmer compatriots, you will take revengeful action against Yuon citizens living in Cambodia. And Murderous Hanoi leaders will secretly order their secret agents to kill Khmer Krom people in revengeful manner.
There will be a big turmoil on its way to be erupted like earthquake soon during the KR Trial! Khmer victims will take revengefulness against Yuon who will kill KK in KK in return.
Trust in Lord Buddha!
Khmer Sralanh Khmer/Khmer love Khmer!
He who laughs last
laughs longest. Remember this proverbe and bear it mind for the rest of your life, dummy!
An eye for an eye and
a tooth for a tooth: you should pay for what you have done in the past and don't say you are so sorry.
http://www.ngoforum.org.kh/Documents/Hun_Sen_RF/Cambodia's_Dictator.htm
thanks for sharing anonymous @ 8:31am.
The truth shald set us all free.
The evil will be paid by ten folds because life is not from evolution ! but from God. God will bring us all justice. Its just in his own timing.
Do you think Cambodia will be freed from YOUN any time soon, if you just pray to your god 9:14am?
Well, that's quite a mouthful, 8:14AM! Thanks for your inside knowledge and hindsight.
I can't claim to know everything during the KR regime, as I was still quite young then. But, I couldn't help noticing that the KR Regional Chiefs or Zone Chiefs appeared to have fair complexion. Their look did not strike you as a typical Khmer farmer or feature. They moved from zone to zone to oversee the fruits of the laborious work that we had to do days and nights. We kept wondering if they were Chinese, but they spoke Khmer fluently and had a Chinese-sounding name, such as Tieng, Seng, Song, etc. As it was well-known that the KR regime was at odd with Vietnam, they were assumed to be Chinese Cambodians with a special privilege to be that high in the KR hierarchy. During the KR regime, anyone with a piece of paper with some instructions from Angkar Leu written on it could practically go anywhere without challenge. Plus, the local KR cadets could neither read nor write, anyone with that paper and a black uniform had to be respected and his/her order had to be followed without questions. When following the order, the local cadets' actions were usually excessive with a view to pleasing Comrade Zone Chief even more.
The KR outfit was full of a few Chinese Cambodian intellectual communism idealist zealots at the top tier, and numerous illiterate rank-and-file cadets at the lower tier. It was not clear about those who occupied the management tier of the organisation. The lightning speed of the Vietnamese invasion and the apparent stockpile of petrol at the strategic locations inside Cambodia before the invasion to keep their tanks and vehicles rolling, and the mysterious disappearance of those Zone Chiefs during the invasion, made me wonder if there was something fishy going on.
The ordinary Cambodian people usually trust the top leadership, regarded as the water faucet, to take care of the country. But, they have no clue as who are actually in charge of turning the water faucet on and off. Ignorance could spell the end of the Cambodian race as we know it.
I live in France and my family and I are among the victims.
I start to uderstand a little about the killing fied . I wonder why vietnameses killed us like animals, we ( cambodians) never go to their country to kill their cititizen and we never think about it .
They use every thing in order to kill khmer and to take their land ( for example the Kompuchea Krom that France sent to them without any reasons).
Nobody want to pay attention on our situation . People in cambodia can suffer , every body is against us if we have conflit with vietnam.
Why such injustice to Khmer people who always wellcome foreigners in their country ???
Have we to live like that all our lives ?
It is almost too late now, our governments members are vietnameses .
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