HONG KONG, China, Nov. 21LAO MONG HAY
Posted at UPI Asia Online
Column: Rule by Fear
The Khmer Rouge tribunal has now arrested five top Khmer Rouge leaders who are charged with crimes against humanity and/or war crimes. All but one have denied the charges.
They are, in the chronological order of their arrests, Kaing Guek Eav, alias Duch, 65, director of Security Prison S-21, known as the Tuol Sleng Torture Center, arrested in 1999; Nuon Chea, 81, chairman of the Democratic Kampuchea's People's Assembly, known as "Brother No. 2," arrested in September 2007; Ieng Sary, 82, foreign minister, and his wife, Ieng Thirith, 75, minister for social action, arrested on Nov. 12; and Khieu Samphan, 76, head of state, arrested on Nov. 19.
Duch has admitted he committed these crimes; the others have not and have maintained their innocence. In court, Nuon Chea denied the charges and disputed them. He claimed he had had no direct contact with the bases where people were killed. As expected, Khieu Samphan also disagreed with the court and appealed against his detention.
The most vocal former leaders of the Khmer Rouge regime in protesting their innocence, however, have been Ieng Sary and his wife Ieng Thirith. Ieng Sary disputed the crimes and declared, "There are certain accusations that I cannot accept." He further demanded that proof of his guilt be provided. Meanwhile, Ieng Thirith said in court that "The claims of the co-prosecutors are 100 percent false."
In 1996, Ieng Sary led a breakaway group from the remnant Khmer Rouge movement that had boycotted the U.N.-organized election in 1993 and continued its armed struggle against the government that had been formed from the results of that election. His breakaway and subsequent support for the government, however, were rewarded with a royal pardon.
In his public statements at that time, Ieng Sary laid the blame on the Khmer Rouge's leader Pol Pot, who is now dead, and Nuon Chea for the killings that took place under the regime. Ieng Sary expressed no remorse, saying, "I have no regrets because this was not my responsibility." He regretted though the death of intellectuals living abroad that he had urged to return to help rebuild the country, all of whom were later killed.
What is unknown, overlooked or even forgotten is that Ieng Sary was the staunchest defender of the Khmer Rouge regime against criticism of its human rights record and used the most undiplomatic words and phrases to attack critics.
Immediately after their victory in April 1975 the Khmer Rouge closed the country to the outside world, but news of their atrocities leaked out, and the British government began to take action to halt the abuses. In early March 1978, it tabled at the U.N. Commission on Human Rights in Geneva a draft resolution (E/CN.4/L.1402) "to request the chairman to appoint a special rapporteur to carry out a thorough study of the human rights situation in Democratic Kampuchea," as Cambodia was then called.
Debates on this resolution and human rights conditions in Cambodia ensued. The resolution was not passed, but the commission sent the documents and summary reports of that particular session to the Khmer Rouge government for comments.
Ieng Sary, then Khmer Rouge foreign minister, vehemently reacted to the British initiative. In a note to the U.N. secretary-general dated April 1978 and later distributed in June, he made the excuse that all Khmer Rouge officials were so "engaged in the work of national construction" in the aftermath of a devastating war that his government was not yet in a position to send a delegation to fight the charges of human rights abuses.
Nevertheless, he called the British initiative "odious interference in the internal affairs" of Cambodia, an "affront to the honor and dignity" of the Cambodian people and to their "sovereignty." To him, the charges of human rights abuses were "slander and denigration" of his country and an "infamous calumny" against the Cambodian people.
Ieng Sary then fiercely accused the British government of helping the Americans wage a war of destruction against Cambodia. He charged that the British government was a "colonialist and imperialist regime" which was "the most infamous and abject in the history of mankind." The British had been, and continued to be, "extremely barbaric and cruel" and had no right to speak of human rights. Moreover, they should be "in the dock" instead, he said. He called on the United Nations not to allow such interference in the internal affairs of other countries.
Ieng Sary's fierce attacks did not deter Britain or other countries, such as Canada, Norway and the United States, nor leading human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International and the International Commission of Jurists, from having concern for human rights abuses in Cambodia. All these countries and organizations successively made their respective submissions on human rights, altogether some 1,000 pages, to the Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities of the U.N. Commission on Human Rights for analysis and action.
Ieng Sary again mounted a fierce attack on that subcommission's decision to proceed with an analysis of the materials submitted. In a short telegram dated Sept. 16, 1978, he charged that its decision was "impudent interference in the internal affairs of Democratic Kampuchea." He claimed that those countries and organizations set out to "defame" his country and "whitewash their crimes." To counter their action, he said that the "people and government of Democratic Kampuchea will make mincemeat of any criminal maneuvers of the imperialists and their partisans."
Almost 30 years after Ieng Sary's inability to attend those U.N. human rights bodies to explain himself about human rights abuses in his country the United Nations has gone to his country instead to assist in his own and his associates' trials under the law of his country. In short, history has caught up with Ieng Sary and his co-murderers.
--
(Lao Mong Hay is currently a senior researcher at the Asian Human Rights Commission in Hong Kong. He was previously director of the Khmer Institute of Democracy in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and a visiting professor at the University of Toronto in 2003. In 1997, he received an award from Human Rights Watch and the Nansen Medal in 2000 from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.)
They are, in the chronological order of their arrests, Kaing Guek Eav, alias Duch, 65, director of Security Prison S-21, known as the Tuol Sleng Torture Center, arrested in 1999; Nuon Chea, 81, chairman of the Democratic Kampuchea's People's Assembly, known as "Brother No. 2," arrested in September 2007; Ieng Sary, 82, foreign minister, and his wife, Ieng Thirith, 75, minister for social action, arrested on Nov. 12; and Khieu Samphan, 76, head of state, arrested on Nov. 19.
Duch has admitted he committed these crimes; the others have not and have maintained their innocence. In court, Nuon Chea denied the charges and disputed them. He claimed he had had no direct contact with the bases where people were killed. As expected, Khieu Samphan also disagreed with the court and appealed against his detention.
The most vocal former leaders of the Khmer Rouge regime in protesting their innocence, however, have been Ieng Sary and his wife Ieng Thirith. Ieng Sary disputed the crimes and declared, "There are certain accusations that I cannot accept." He further demanded that proof of his guilt be provided. Meanwhile, Ieng Thirith said in court that "The claims of the co-prosecutors are 100 percent false."
In 1996, Ieng Sary led a breakaway group from the remnant Khmer Rouge movement that had boycotted the U.N.-organized election in 1993 and continued its armed struggle against the government that had been formed from the results of that election. His breakaway and subsequent support for the government, however, were rewarded with a royal pardon.
In his public statements at that time, Ieng Sary laid the blame on the Khmer Rouge's leader Pol Pot, who is now dead, and Nuon Chea for the killings that took place under the regime. Ieng Sary expressed no remorse, saying, "I have no regrets because this was not my responsibility." He regretted though the death of intellectuals living abroad that he had urged to return to help rebuild the country, all of whom were later killed.
What is unknown, overlooked or even forgotten is that Ieng Sary was the staunchest defender of the Khmer Rouge regime against criticism of its human rights record and used the most undiplomatic words and phrases to attack critics.
Immediately after their victory in April 1975 the Khmer Rouge closed the country to the outside world, but news of their atrocities leaked out, and the British government began to take action to halt the abuses. In early March 1978, it tabled at the U.N. Commission on Human Rights in Geneva a draft resolution (E/CN.4/L.1402) "to request the chairman to appoint a special rapporteur to carry out a thorough study of the human rights situation in Democratic Kampuchea," as Cambodia was then called.
Debates on this resolution and human rights conditions in Cambodia ensued. The resolution was not passed, but the commission sent the documents and summary reports of that particular session to the Khmer Rouge government for comments.
Ieng Sary, then Khmer Rouge foreign minister, vehemently reacted to the British initiative. In a note to the U.N. secretary-general dated April 1978 and later distributed in June, he made the excuse that all Khmer Rouge officials were so "engaged in the work of national construction" in the aftermath of a devastating war that his government was not yet in a position to send a delegation to fight the charges of human rights abuses.
Nevertheless, he called the British initiative "odious interference in the internal affairs" of Cambodia, an "affront to the honor and dignity" of the Cambodian people and to their "sovereignty." To him, the charges of human rights abuses were "slander and denigration" of his country and an "infamous calumny" against the Cambodian people.
Ieng Sary then fiercely accused the British government of helping the Americans wage a war of destruction against Cambodia. He charged that the British government was a "colonialist and imperialist regime" which was "the most infamous and abject in the history of mankind." The British had been, and continued to be, "extremely barbaric and cruel" and had no right to speak of human rights. Moreover, they should be "in the dock" instead, he said. He called on the United Nations not to allow such interference in the internal affairs of other countries.
Ieng Sary's fierce attacks did not deter Britain or other countries, such as Canada, Norway and the United States, nor leading human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International and the International Commission of Jurists, from having concern for human rights abuses in Cambodia. All these countries and organizations successively made their respective submissions on human rights, altogether some 1,000 pages, to the Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities of the U.N. Commission on Human Rights for analysis and action.
Ieng Sary again mounted a fierce attack on that subcommission's decision to proceed with an analysis of the materials submitted. In a short telegram dated Sept. 16, 1978, he charged that its decision was "impudent interference in the internal affairs of Democratic Kampuchea." He claimed that those countries and organizations set out to "defame" his country and "whitewash their crimes." To counter their action, he said that the "people and government of Democratic Kampuchea will make mincemeat of any criminal maneuvers of the imperialists and their partisans."
Almost 30 years after Ieng Sary's inability to attend those U.N. human rights bodies to explain himself about human rights abuses in his country the United Nations has gone to his country instead to assist in his own and his associates' trials under the law of his country. In short, history has caught up with Ieng Sary and his co-murderers.
--
(Lao Mong Hay is currently a senior researcher at the Asian Human Rights Commission in Hong Kong. He was previously director of the Khmer Institute of Democracy in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and a visiting professor at the University of Toronto in 2003. In 1997, he received an award from Human Rights Watch and the Nansen Medal in 2000 from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.)
11 comments:
...Ieng Sary attacks everyone except Yuon Yietcong & Chen.
He's Yuon spy,Master mind to destroy Khmer Rouge regime into pieces .
Like or not Khmer Rouge themselves
had stained Khmer Blood in their hand after their ruling murderous revolution from their illution of the Great Leap forward.
You are an idiot khmer with a Khmer Rouge mentality. This is how they end up killing millions of their own people. People of Khmer Krom origin like Sary, would dislike the VN more than other khmers. In Elizabeth Becker' book, He was more vocal against the VN than the rest of the group. Samphan surprisingly was more friendly with the VN.
Bring your proof that he's youn spy.
This Monster Ieng Sary is blind murderer, after all these years and still denying that killing were not took place. Everyone suffering in his regime is wrong, only him is right. The leader like this is no leader. He is the monster - he is not deserved my mercy. For anyone here inspiring this man is sick man himself.
3:40AM mother fucker can those bones are enought? and ask any Cambodian who is not lost a brother , sister, children except Iensary the Youn spy!
Deny or admit of acusation is the rights of defedents in front of the court of law. In American justice system no one is guilty until he is proven;while in European justice system every one assumed guilty in front of the court until he/she is proven of not guilty. For all these Khmer Rouge leaders, the prosecutors have plenty of proofs and eyewitnesses to prove them guilty easily. But the defense lawyers will have a dificulty to defense them in front of tons of evidences and countless witnesses. Let them say what they want but justice will be served for all victims.
Son Sann, Son Ngoc Minh, Tou Samouth, Son Sen, Sieu Heng, Ieng Sary, and Son Ngoc Thanh.
Take your pick. Don't believe it?
Stop bickering about Ieng Sary folks.
It is unlawful try anyone that had been pardoned by the King. To do so will destroyed the monarch and credibility of all laws in Cambodia, and it will be a disaster here.
Therefore, get a life, will ya?
as human being he should feel sorry at least for the lost of lifes and devastate the coutry, but since he is animal, no councious to be regret, if i have a chance to be near him, i will knock his head with my shoe like it did it to the dog i hate.
that my comment
When I was working in France I heard some co vietnames workers they talking to each others that vietnam has a lot of spies in Cambodia now and in pol pot's regime and even before that since 1930 when hochimin want to take indo-china in his hand.
so 10:36am is right ,Hun sen must take those secret killers to U.N's back khmer rouge trial then all Khmer every where like in thailand and Kampuchea krom people can live in peace and harmony.
12:45am vietcongs in Cambodia don't want to hear that OK.
Nope, the trial has nothing to do with Vietcong. The UN don't want to try spy because they are just doing their job.
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