Original report from Washington
27 September 2007
Victims of the Khmer Rouge should bring their cases to the tribunal now if they feel they directly suffered under Nuon Chea or Duch, a tribunal spokeswoman said Thursday.
They have the right to file complaints to the special courts, whenever they have a case against defendants officially charged by the Khmer Rouge special courts, spokeswoman Helen Jarvis said.
"If they feel they are direct victims, directly affected by crimes testified in the charges against any of the charged persons, please come forward," Jarvis said. "Some people have already come forward."
The tribunal is holding Nuon Chea, the senior-most surviving member of the Khmer Rouge, and Kaing Khek Iev, better known as Duch, the former head of Phnom Penh's Tuol Sleng prison, on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Tribunal judges are investigating three more unnamed suspects for possible indictment.
Jarvis said the tribunal was working to ensure victims of the regime would have a chance to participate in the trial process, parrying criticism from rights groups it had not done enough to include them.
The tribunal will make a publicity push next month, through radio broadcasts, booklet distribution and other outreach efforts, Jarvis said.
One of the tribunal's main aims is to bring a sense of justice and understanding to the victims of the Khmer Rogue, but so far an under-funded tribunal has been unable to stand up a Victim's Unit, and those who wish to file complaints or cases with the special courts have found the red tape difficult to navigate.
Without a Victim's Unit, ensuring the rights of victims was more difficult, Jarvis said, but the tribunal was ready to receive complaints.
They have the right to file complaints to the special courts, whenever they have a case against defendants officially charged by the Khmer Rouge special courts, spokeswoman Helen Jarvis said.
"If they feel they are direct victims, directly affected by crimes testified in the charges against any of the charged persons, please come forward," Jarvis said. "Some people have already come forward."
The tribunal is holding Nuon Chea, the senior-most surviving member of the Khmer Rouge, and Kaing Khek Iev, better known as Duch, the former head of Phnom Penh's Tuol Sleng prison, on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Tribunal judges are investigating three more unnamed suspects for possible indictment.
Jarvis said the tribunal was working to ensure victims of the regime would have a chance to participate in the trial process, parrying criticism from rights groups it had not done enough to include them.
The tribunal will make a publicity push next month, through radio broadcasts, booklet distribution and other outreach efforts, Jarvis said.
One of the tribunal's main aims is to bring a sense of justice and understanding to the victims of the Khmer Rogue, but so far an under-funded tribunal has been unable to stand up a Victim's Unit, and those who wish to file complaints or cases with the special courts have found the red tape difficult to navigate.
Without a Victim's Unit, ensuring the rights of victims was more difficult, Jarvis said, but the tribunal was ready to receive complaints.
7 comments:
"...if they feel they directly suffered under Nuon Chea or Duch, "
Here, I just want to discuss a little bit about Duch. Essentially, he's just an executioner. He did not go from house to house and cut people throat or abused them. They send people to him to be executed, tortured, or whatever, and he must do it. He can't just quit, can he? we all know fair well what will happened if he choose to quit.
Anyhow, the question is this: If a judge -- say in the US -- accidentally sentence an innocent prisoner to dead, Who do we hold accountable for that? The prosecutor, the Juries, the judge, or the executioner?
No bullshit, can you give me your opinion on this?
Your point is very well taken and thank you.
As a matter of a defense legal strategy, the defense counsels would raise the issue of "Following Orders" as a legal defense strategy to implicate those former KR officials, which they had involved with the killing of innocent Khmer people. It is definitely very relevant!
Whether the water is becoming limpid or continuing to having dregs, but this KRT will becoming bouillabaises.
Given fair legal representation and proper witness protection program, Khmer and the world would definitely will hear the testimony versions of the alleged defendants as to what was really happened and who were the ones that mandated the direct orders (Angkar Leu).
The Khmer people would want to acknowledge about the atrocities from the REAL KHMER HERO, LET ALONE THE ONES IN THE FOXHOLE!
Thanks for the answer.
Anymore? Agree? Disagree?
I agree with 12:16 thank for good idea.
Thank you spokeswoman Helen Jarvis that intend to provide justice for almost 2 millions soul of dead Cambodians in the secret POLPOT's regime in 1975-1979.Almost 30 years with painfull and unforgetable
nightmare for most Cambodian people and up to today the secret killers haven't been found for trial and those killers are still hiding and working in high rank in the government ministries.NOUN CHEA perhaps didn't know about the secret killing under his administrations so maybe very hard to find direct cases against NOUN CHEA.Duch was a secret executed prison guard ,not too many survivors to come forward to file cases against him but if he is survived during this trial,he is one of the several witnesses.
Regretfully, if we don't have the answer to above question, maybe we shouldn't be involved in this case. Let me paste the question here again, and try one more time if you like.
"If a judge -- say in the US -- accidentally sentence an innocent prisoner to dead, Who do we hold accountable for that? The prosecutor, the Juries, the judge, or the executioner?"
Could the west be a culture of impunity, since no one could be held accountable for any wrong doing?
Post a Comment