Saturday, October 13, 2007

Khieu Samphan: I've Done Nothing Wrong

Interview with Khieu Samphan regarding his selection of a lawyer

12 October 2007
By Sok Serey
Radio Free Asia

Translated from Khmer by Khmerization


Khieu Samphan (pictured), the head of state of the Khmer Rouge regime, has a reputation as an honest politician. In the 1960s he was beaten and strip-searched on the way out of parliament after he made a speech criticizing the authority. In 1967, after the Samlaut Uprising, he was accused of inciting the Samlaut people to revolt against the government. The authority issued an arrest warrant. Fearing for his life he disappeared mysteriously- feared dead by many who knew him. A few months later, a long with Hu Nim and Hou Youn, he re-emerged in the jungle of Cambodia as one of the top Khmer Rouge leaders. In 1976, after Sihanouk resigned as the head of state of the Khmer Rouge regime, Khieu Samphan was chosen as Sihanouk's replacement. Now he is one of many possible candidates of suspects in the crime against humanity and genocide committed during the KR regime, a charge he always denied. In his first interview with Mr. Sok Serei of Radio Free Asia Khmer Service, after many months of silence, he claimed that he has done nothing wrong and that he has nothing to worry about a possible warrant for his arrest by the Khmer Rouge Court. Do you, the readers, believe that he is innocent? Below is what he had said in the interview:

Sok Serei: I heard that you have hired a lawyer. What is his name?

Khieu Samphan: His name is Say Bory.

Serei: You only hired a Khmer lawyer or do you plan to hire other lawyers too?

Samphan: I should respect the court's requirements that we should have both the Khmer and foreign lawyers. I have already chosen a foreign lawyer but I haven't had a Khmer lawyer just yet.

Serei: Who is your foreign lawyer?

Samphan: A Frenchman named Jaques Verges.

Serei: When did you hired Mr. Say Bory?

Samphan: About four days ago. In fact I have talked to him quite sometime back since I first published my book because I heard that the international court will be established and my name was mentioned as a possible suspect so I contacted Mr. Say Bory but at that time he could not be my lawyer as he was a member of the Constitutional Council.

Serei: Why did you choose Mr. Say Bory?

Samphan: I saw that Mr. Say Bory did not belong to any political party. He is a law professor. If he becomes my lawyer he doesn't seem to think much about the money. I saw that he is a respected person who only think about the law. In fact he told me that I was and still is an honest and incorruptible person who never took bribes from anyone. He doesn't know about anything else but based on my honesty and clean image he formed the view that maybe I have done nothing wrong.

Serei: The court has not issued an arrest warrant yet but why did you plan ahead?

Samphan: It is normal because my name was mentioned as a possible suspect so I can't be complacent because when the time comes I could be without a lawyer. I do not want a lawyer chosen for me by the court. I want to choose my own lawyer.

Serei: During the Khmer Rouge regime what was your official title role?

Samphan: My official title role, in simple term, would be the head of state. But in the Khmer Rouge official terminology I was the President of the Presidium. I wish to tell you that in the official document it was stated very clearly who has the power to arrest, who has the right to arrest whom. But the president of the presidium did not have any power to arrest anyone. Secondly, I wish to tell you that I was in the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cambodia only because I was a vice-president of the GRUNK goverment (the government of the resistance forces) seconded to His Majesty (Sihanouk). They (the KR) wanted to give me an honour. They only put me as a reserve member of the Central Committee from 1971 to 1976 and after that they let me be a full member and in the Central Committee the ones who have real power are those who had the responsibility on the ground. They were the ones who carried out the policies of the Central Committee. Others who had real power are those who controlled large units of the army. As for me, who was also a Central Comittee member but only acted as a liaison with His Mjesty (Sihanouk) and both His Majesty and me had no power at all.

Serei: Nuon Chea has already been arrested. Are you worried or do you have any plan to run away?

Samphan: No. I have no plan to run away. First, I have done nothing wrong- not even accepting a small bribe, let a lone killing someone. In fact, I am not worried about it (the possible arrest) at all.

Serei: Do you live in Phnom Penh or in Pailin at the moment?

Samphan: I live in Pailin.

Serei: Is your health still good?

Samphan: My health is normal. I don't have any serious illness but I have urine in my bloodstream for 3-4 years already but it is not serious. My doctor has advised me to abstain from eating chicken or drinking alcohol. But I never drink any alcohol, only once in a while when my friends invited me to their party.

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

The Master of Neo-Genocidal of Cambodians:

M. Khieu Samphan is right on the nail, At that time Cambodia was under Yuon Hanoi satellite since 1947, since June 15th 1955 thru- 60,66,69 and 70 Yuon Hanoi have Installation 230,000 Vietcongs, at the following areas:
Angkor, Baray, Tang kauk, Kampong Cham, Svay Reing, Prey Veng, Rattanakiri, Mondulkiri, Koh Thom, Kandal, Takeo, Kampot, Snoul, Kratié, Mémot, Chop, Chamkar Loeu, Prey Tortung, Borkeo, Borko, Phnom Del, Thnal Torteung, Ba kham, Phnom Penh.ect... I was the 1st Faced with Yuon Hanoi fighters at that times, all Yuon Hanoi thminh khmao, We called Yuon YeaK CÔng. So, he's right for that!

I believe, they'll reveal the truth.



In 1970, the number of Yuon Viêtcôngs install in Cambodia has reached from 1,500, 000
to 2,000,000 . [ One million five hundred thousand to Two million] personnel.]

In the North-Eastern Zone alone, they were 200,000 to 300,000. Lead by the members of the
central committee of the party, whose name Vô Chi Công, the secretary associated for the South Viêtnam and secretary of the Central Zone.

The army of the 5th East-zone, lived in this North-Eastern Zone of Cambodia.
The army of the 5th zone was there also. As for the central committee of the Southern Zone, which was at Mémot, East of Cambodia .

The members of the aforesaid committee were Nguyên Thi Thanh, Pham Hung, Nguyên Van Linh, known as [Muoi Côc], Tran Nam Trung, Hay So, Hay Van and Vang Van Thai.

Nguyên Chi Thanh, person in-charge for the army, and were a significant character,
who would have probably succeeded Lê-Duan if he had not died little afterwards.



I was 3 months and 20 at Pnom Srang, Pich Nil.
Reveal about Yuon in Cambodia will Continue...

Anonymous said...

Propaganda, Propaganda, Propaganda, ... it is a well known pattern everywhere. The khmer rouge used both Sihanouk's and yuon's name to rally people to save their asses. There is nothing new here, and it aint gonna do much good for them. Yuon is not on trial here. He should focus on defending himself by anticipating witnesses who believed or has been deceived to believe that he ordered any killing of innocent people. That will be better for him.

Anonymous said...

And who are you Anon@5:10AM to have such all mighty power of God to say so??? Yuon's mercenary/Slave?

Anonymous said...

All KR leaders denied and denied. take them all to court for Justice for who is right or wrong then you wil see the truth. why don't ECCC issues an order arrest him?

Anonymous said...

@5:59AM:-)
He has all the rights to denied dummy... until the stand trail is proceeding.
Why you so DUM? Huh? Are You Yuon or Slave Yuon huh?

Anonymous said...

3.44AM

It seems lot of informations that suffered cambodians are not aware of.Those details needed to send to UN,human right organisation and its associated groups, international media for clarification so that the darkest shadow explained in our history.And the over 2 millions dead have free spirit to move on.

I was in colledge when Mr khiev disappeared in to bush, under a false accusation published all over the country.I still believe that he is a courageous, compatriat, honest leader that evils in cambodia feared for.

Sadly, the crime against humanity mainly aimed at intellectuals, poor strugglers for better cambodians were wiped out.It has continued to carry out even after 1979, killing more cambodian human resource and natural resources . Corruption and evil acts appears to portray as act of greed among buddhist cambodians,non compliance acts against national constitution, but something is more senister than that; and everyone know that vietnam government still steer current government of ex KR , for its plan.

Vietnam is not only controller and benefiter with the trict as life saver for cambodia, in fact it is a mastermind with a clean hand of killing khmer in killigfield as well.Vietnam understand khmer's mentality, but we forget to look at our own.

However Mr Khiev and others and our former king have a lot to explain to suffering cambodians, not because of the destiny, but their negligence regardless what ever restraints might be.

Khmer Soth

Anonymous said...

I am Binding Now, :-)6:22Am

Anonymous said...

Yes, right!
Bull Shit!

Anonymous said...

to 5:59AM: Owing to nationale and international law he (Mr. Kieu Samphan) has the right to defend himself. Whether he will be quilty or not, is up to the law. But the very important issue for all Khmers is that he say the real khmer history for all Khmers.

Anonymous said...

Your time is up comrade, you are next to go. Guards! Please hang him high and short. To keep him alive is of no use, to let him go is of no loss.

Anonymous said...

I don't believe there were 1.5-2 mil of Youns in Cambodia. Is this exageration to make case? Where did they sleep, eat? How did we allow so many to stay in our land without resistant? The common sense did not add up just yet. We are interested only the truths and definately not the one 3:44 AM's alibi.

Anonymous said...

6:55AM

At that time, have you born yet?
Yu'll see when The court is in proceeding, in 1978 western presses were published to the whole world about Yuon too. That's why Hun Sen's Yuon's servens Installed Government has no sits at UN:-) that's not the alibies pal, It's the Truth. Call Yuon Hanoi if you want to conferm that! call Pham Van Kai... go ahead..

Anonymous said...

7:23AM,

Let not beat around the bush. You should answer directly questions posted. You should not base your facts half known. Whether I was born or not has nothing to do with you and it's not a joke either. Cambodia's in search of the truth is not based on false infomation from the old school. Whether you want to the truth be heard or not is another story. It has been enough stupidy to go around about Cambodia and as the consequence millions lives were lost. Now it is time to learn for a change from what we had lost and hopefully start fresh for a right course of direction.

Anonymous said...

5:36, everyone use propaganda. Khmer Rouge is no exception, and you don't need a college degree to know that. Get it?

Anonymous said...

Dr. Say Bory's performance in his defence of Prince Norodom Sereivuth in Phnom Penh Court some ten years ago was not satisfactory. He should have forcefully requested the court to summon the journalist who had recorded Sereivuth's conversation alluding to the assasination of then Second Prime Minister Hun Sen, to appear in court for cross examination. Sereivuth was then charged with attempted murder of then Second Prime Minister Hun Sen based on that tape recording. I was at that trial and even talked with him about the absence of that journalist in court. Sereivuth was convicted and was later pardoned.

Let's hope his perforamance will be better in his defence of former Khmer Rouge Head of State Kheu Samphan.

LAO Mong Hay, Hong Kong

Anonymous said...

Hmm ... that don't sound good for Kheu Samphan, Dr. Lao. I hope Jacques Verges will be a good back up.

Anyway, let me ask you if you think if it will be hard to defend Kheu Samphan. I mean is there any good evidence against him at this moment? I would not think so because they did arrested him yet.

Anonymous said...

Sahachivin Khieu Samphan is a key wiutness when cross examination arrived.
He can help in subpoena his boss Sahachivin Xee Haa Nuoc,s dictator from 1955 on.

Anonymous said...

Khieu Samphan should focus on his ass first and not being too overconfident until he know more about the other side.

Anonymous said...

Please remember that all Khmer Rouge leaders are" BIG LIARS ". LIAR is their strategy to win the war into their hands. Please stop talking about Vietnamese at this stage and we must concentrate on Khmer Rouge killings. I was one of the victims of their brutal regime.
I have travelled from Maung Russey to Kalaum Plok and from Sdock Pravuk to Phnom Pit. I met during 1975-1976 people from Koh Kralor and from leach to build dam in Phnom Pit, None of us have ever seen a single Vietnamese. All Khmer Rouge were all khmers of countrysides to control all of us. They were assigned by Khmiv Sam Phann, Pol pot Nuon Chea etc.. to kill people by enduring( Lout Dom) their lives. Sometime I have to walk from Prek Chik Maung Russei to Prey Svay at night just for my dinner of the day because they have cancelled my dinner in prek Chik already. This is how they killed people by enduring their lives with starvations and hardworks. If they are so nationalist and worried about Vietnamse, Why;
1-They don't join with Lon Nol regime to strenghten our National army?
2-Why they need to evacuate people from their residence in 1975?
3-Why they killed all Our National army who have already surrended to them?
4-Why they used all the lying methodes to kill all the people?
5-Why they kill all overseas students who were directly landed in Phnom Penh ( were they been killed in Phnom Penh by Vietnamese)?
6-Why they killed all their associated in S-21 by Duch?
Stop talking about Vietnamese, China and USA again. WE just want to ask these direct killers Nuon Chea, Khiev Samphann and Ieng Sary. They may not have killed themselves but they have ordered the killing because they were their leaders. Areak Prey

Anonymous said...

It's still very very short sighted of you Areak Prey. You're not influencing anybody to believe that the Viets/Yuon are not part of it. The world knows, history said so: it's the Viet's century long vision and plan to exterminate Khmer...Learn to look beyond transaprency here Areak Prey....unless you are..you know what...!

Anonymous said...

This is what you call Khmer fights Khmer. This is no difference from the generations before, ignorant. Everyone here seems ready to to throw a shot. I don't see this is productive as debaters rather a childish kind of behavior with derivative of hot temper and quick judgments. No one seems to know much but pretend to know everything leaving no room for debates. When will you learn to be a mature adult? Some of you are from the West should know better with level headed. I know there are some of the people here are employed by the Vietnamese government and some from the Cambodian People Party just to stir the debate and divert the issues from real concerns, but we must keep ourselves contained and unmoved. Otherwise it is like we are letting the evils achieving its goals to have Khmer fight one another like animals. Let get ourselves together to the next level of maturity. We must learn to respect and value each other otherwise we are no values.

Anonymous said...

We kind of agree, just because we did not see the Vietcong that didn't mean they couldn't order the killing. No one knew about Angkar. It was just a name. A hidden name to scare us. Who is Angkar? Let Mr. Kiev Sam Phan or Mr. Noun Chea get it out of their chests. So that we can see who is the real murderer?

Between 1975 vand 1979, Cambodia was so disorganized and so isolated. No one really knew what really happened, except that people were missing and dying all over the places. I do agree one thing that with all the rices that we produced during that time, whata hell happen to them? and why they weren't letting us eat? and for Mr. Kiev Sam Phan or Mr. Noun Chea to just say, they don't know or not responsable for it, that is Prahok!!! Shame on them! Let's get their ass..into the court room and extract those secrets out of their bones!!!

You ran the country and you'd better knew whata hell you were doing Mr.!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

To 6:42AM

It is very cheap of you to attack people character! If you are all that and why don't you give the world your opinion and reasoning!

You said that Cambodian people are rush to judgment? Then tell me, why AH HUN SEN Vietcong slave government was so quick to frame Sok Sam Oeun and Born Samnang even though all the fucken evidence point that these men didn't kill Chea Vichea!

It is you who divert from the real issue! By the way, it is the nature of the Cambodian politic to kill people without leaving evidence or even to manufacture evidence to frame dirt poor innocence Cambodian people!

Anonymous said...

Who fighting with who? The only people who do the fighting is Ah Khmer-Yuons in here. As for our Khmer people, our civil war will be formally over once the tribunal concluded.

Anonymous said...

Khmer sralanh Khmer! said...
Khieu Samphan is quite right for what he's clearly told us about Yuon's One Million Dirty-Demonic Tricks, which they secretly used to kill our Khmer Brothers in Kampuchea Krom since 18th Century.

Those who were brutally murdered in the name of Ankgar Leu/ in Vietnamese "Cap Tren" from 1975-1979 terribly convulsed the world and Khmer children be aware of Yuon's endless ambition over Cambodia.

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% of 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!

Yuon secret agents aren't stupid as Lao Mong Hay who is a bull-shit Dr.

I saw Yuon boatpeople who were escorted by Vietcong to Srok Yuon with my own eyes. Some of Vietcong/Bo Dois dressed up real KR along Mekong spoke in Vietnamese to my mother who is Viet too. ABout more than 250 000 Yuon citizens escorted by Vietcong to Srok Yuon safely, freely and happily and happily whilst we were in turmoil. But when Pol Pot didn't listen to his Hanoi masters under murderous Ho CHi Minh's nighmare Indochinese Federation. Hanoian leaders who were so angry so they gave all secret orders to their secret agents/spies who had been waiting since 1945/46 for a right to kill us all.

9:54 AM
Anonymous said...
Mr. 7.57

I would suggest to come forth in public with factual evidence of the presence of those Vietcong in the different areas you enumerated.

You need to
(1)state who you are, and who you were at the time you saw or witnessed the presence of those Vietcong;
(2)specify each area, the dates of their presence, the number of Vietcong in specific areas, the sex and age of those present there, whether they were living in family, their activities, the date of their presence, their relationships with local people and/or local authorities, etc...
(3) draw a map showing their presence in those different areas.

All these data and information are important factual evidence or proofs that could be incorporated in books and other documentation on the history of Cambodia. They could also be used to convince the national and international communties to win their support for our Khmer cause.

When I was working with the Khmer People's National Liberation Front, there were allegations of the presence of the Vietnamse in Cambodia. When UNTAC asked for hard facts showing their presence, none of us could come up with these facts and UNTAC threw out our allegations.

Your statement was good but it was still an allegation. This allegation cannot be turned into admissible evidence (in legal terms) until and unless it is backed by hard facts.

Without such admissible evidence we cannot win our case.

LAO Mong Hay, Hong Kong

Anonymous said...

Folks, the KKF propaganda about Yuon mastermind the genocide in Cambodia is just nonsense. The Viet need not to come to Cambodia to execute their plant because it is a lot easier to do that in south vietnam. Furthermore, if there is any khmer that viet is currently hated, that will be Ah Khmer-Yuon, not Khmer in Cambodia. Ah Khmer-Yuon had played a huge role in the death of millions of of vietnamese people by helping the US to split vietnamese people, where we (Khmer) have done nothing but to help unified Vietnamese people; thus,it is impossible for them to hate us (Khmer) more than Ah Khmer-Yuon to want to kill million of us (Khmer) instead of Ah Khmer-Yuon in south Vietnam. Isn't that realistic?

Anonymous said...

7:41 AM

If you understand my writing well you should not write you wrote. You are an example of quick judgment and hot temper. You take the time to understand then act, not re-act. Learn to have some self-control, if you lose your self-control you lose everything. Yes I Know Hun Sen is the evil guy that is why he did what he did. But for those have been educated in the West should know better not to get drawn the fight. We must lead the way for civil society. We cannot just throw shots at each other and hope our goals will be achieved.

Anonymous said...

The one who did the most killing is in Govnt.operating today.
[FUNK]1= NVA/VC/NFL + Servents
[FUNK]2= Khmer Revelution
[GRUNK]= [FUNK1]+ [FUNK2]= Khmer Rouge.

Khmer Rouge = Atrocities
Who's KR?

Anonymous said...

Yep, and Sam Rainy = long suffering.

Anonymous said...

Logically, Yes Preah Ang Hero King-very glorious name... Preah Ang should be in KR Trial at least as Evidence/witnesses of the KR Regime... as we have seen your voice from Pekin Radio in 1970s... your photographs with Ieng Sary... K Samphan..Hou Nim Huo Yun etc. in 1973 and other top KR Leaders/or Khmer Rumdos(Liberation Khmer) Leaders...
What did you do then and what did you talk about then etc...
Please be fair come to KR Trial Preah Ang... the History will apologize you if you come to KR Trial if NOT.... you are the most coward guy and unresponsible for your acts performed before... similar to other former KR Cadres.. Ieng Sary... K Samphan... Camarade Noun Chea etc.. do NOT Blame foreigners any more Guys... please amend/change your Cultures of Unresponsibility.. Blaming others.... you Are all lile/or worth than animals....


Excellency Phd. Dr General 7 Diamond stars Oknha Achar Knoy- Phd in Banditism from Chea Chamroeurn University, PP Cambodia- Adviser to Excellency Lor Sy