By VOA Khmer, ReportersOriginal reports from Phnom Penh & Washington
15 November 2007
With four ageing Khmer Rouge leaders indicted for atrocity crimes and a free fifth leader in a Phnom Penh hospital, the US ambassador to Cambodia said Thursday delayed trials could mean a lost opportunity for justice.
"If we delay too much longer, all of them will be dead, and this would be very unfortunate, because you cannot try people who are already dead, it makes no sense," Ambassador Joseph Mussomeli said.
His statement comes just two days after Khieu Samphan, the nominal head of the regime who is widely expected to be indicted by the Khmer Rouge tribunal, suffered an apparent stroke in his home in Pailin. He was flown by government hospital for observation at Calmette Hospital on Wednesday.
Former Khmer Rouge leaders Ieng Sary, Ieng Thirith, Nuon Chea and Duch have all been charged and are awaiting trial on charges of atrocity crimes for their roles in the regime.
Khieu Samphan's apparent health deterioration revived concerns that ageing leaders might die before they see a day in court.
"The Cambodian people will loose a great opportunity" to try and punish those responsible for deaths under the regime if the leaders die, Mussomeli said.
Meanwhile, Youk Chhang, director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia, said Khieu Samphan's health condition could be a political ploy to avoid prosecution by the Khmer Rouge tribunal.
Tribunal spokesman Reach Sambath said the courts would not make any comment unless a warrant was issued for Khieu Samphan's arrest.
"If we delay too much longer, all of them will be dead, and this would be very unfortunate, because you cannot try people who are already dead, it makes no sense," Ambassador Joseph Mussomeli said.
His statement comes just two days after Khieu Samphan, the nominal head of the regime who is widely expected to be indicted by the Khmer Rouge tribunal, suffered an apparent stroke in his home in Pailin. He was flown by government hospital for observation at Calmette Hospital on Wednesday.
Former Khmer Rouge leaders Ieng Sary, Ieng Thirith, Nuon Chea and Duch have all been charged and are awaiting trial on charges of atrocity crimes for their roles in the regime.
Khieu Samphan's apparent health deterioration revived concerns that ageing leaders might die before they see a day in court.
"The Cambodian people will loose a great opportunity" to try and punish those responsible for deaths under the regime if the leaders die, Mussomeli said.
Meanwhile, Youk Chhang, director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia, said Khieu Samphan's health condition could be a political ploy to avoid prosecution by the Khmer Rouge tribunal.
Tribunal spokesman Reach Sambath said the courts would not make any comment unless a warrant was issued for Khieu Samphan's arrest.
11 comments:
"If we delay too much longer, all of them will be dead, and this would be very unfortunate, because you cannot try people who are already dead, it makes no sense," -- Ambassador Joseph Mussomeli said.
Thank you, your excellency. we don't what we will do without you to tell us this.
2:50PM! Your excellecy is the voice of America, it may mean USA will help finance the process!
He is not Ranarith nor Hun Sen!
Hey 2:50pm, What the hell are you talking about: "we don't what we will do without you to tell us this".
12:49, I was talking about Khmer people are retarded that they can't tell "delayed trials could mean a lost opportunity for justice." as stated by the US Ambassador.
It's true and why keep delaying? So that those criminal can escape? is that right?
Kieu Samphan is the most important.
As he is also an intellectual, it will be very interesting to debate with him.
Mao controlled his country because most of his counrtymen believed and agreed with him.
Hitler controlled country for the same reason.
And what about the traitor of the nation Pol Pot?
I never know that khmers people loved or support him.
5:59, we did not delayed the trial. It is the complexity of westerner system that delayed the trial. Maybe they don't have direct witnesses to testify that those leaders order the killing. So they have to find circumstantial evidences to nail them, and that will take years and cost millions.
That doesn't really sound convincing. Look! Mr. Pot Pot, Mr. Ing Sary, Mr. Khiev Samphan, Mr. Noun Chea were all heads of the jungle men when they were marching into Phom Pehn in April of 1795. They didn't just sit and do nothing to stop it, but they allowed the evacuvation from the city to last nearly four years. 2 millions of those people never saw their homes or families again. What more proof does The UN wants? and where were those idiots men? When they could just reverse their stupid system with one order? and why Mr. Ing Sary had traveled to Europe and America only to recruit his innocents people to go back home & be kiiled?!!!! Why were they so stupid and so dumb blind or so obeident to others? If they say they don't know?!!!!!!!!and to whom? ah Vietcong ?!!!!!!!!or Ah Chin? They better say it right and say it fast! Their heads should be under the guiletine and not just going to jail for life. Chop them up or make soup for those who associate with them. Tell them that is the price they must pay for being dumb in high position.
I agree, 8:27. Actually, this trial is not really needed. After the Vietnamese captured Phnom Penh, they should have just hunted them down and assassinated all of them and done with it. Hell, the KR also kill lot of Vietnameses also. I am not sure, maybe it is easier said than done?
I didn't know about the other zones but my zone the KR squads they were searching Khmer Krom and Cham people and some cases they beated khmer and khmer krom to admit that they are vietnamese then they took them away.
3 to 4 hour later they bring back the victims cloths to the cooperative to share with the old base people(nak moulathan chas). They kept searching like this until another order has changed.
Actually, they were searching for Ah Khmer-Yuon spies, but sometime they mistake some khmers who used to live in Yuon neighborhood and speak Khmer with yuon accent as Ah Khmer-Yuons. That is how some Khmer people got killed by KR.
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