WASHINGTON (AFP) — The United States on Monday welcomed the arrests of Khmer Rouge leader Khieu Samphan and two key associates by Cambodia's UN-backed genocide tribunal.
"The US strongly supports bringing to justice senior leaders responsible for the atrocities committed under the Khmer Rouge regime," the US State Department said in a statement.
The detention Monday of Khmer Rouge leader Khieu Samphan and the arrests November 12 of former foreign minister Ieng Sary and his wife, former social affairs minister Ieng Thirith, are "welcome steps for the Tribunal," it said.
"And we await the outcome of the proceedings with great interest," the statement said.
Khieu Samphan was charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity after nearly 10 hours of talks between tribunal judges and the detainee's lawyers.
Khieu Samphan was arrested earlier Monday by about 30 armed security forces who seized him from a hospital in the capital Phnom Penh where he had been undergoing treatment since last week.
Witnesses said he was able to walk on his own to a waiting vehicle, but had to be lifted into his seat before being driven away in a police convoy.
Khieu Samphan is the last of five top regime cadres currently under investigation by the tribunal to be detained.
Last week Ieng Sary and his wife Ieng Thirith were arrested by the court and charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity for their alleged role in Cambodia's 1970s genocide.
Regime ideologue Nuon Chea and prison chief Duch were arrested earlier this year and also charged with crimes against humanity.
All have been widely implicated in atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge, including "murder, extermination, imprisonment, enslavement and forced labor," according to court records.
Khieu Samphan denied the regime's murderous policies in a new book published just days before his arrest.
"The US strongly supports bringing to justice senior leaders responsible for the atrocities committed under the Khmer Rouge regime," the US State Department said in a statement.
The detention Monday of Khmer Rouge leader Khieu Samphan and the arrests November 12 of former foreign minister Ieng Sary and his wife, former social affairs minister Ieng Thirith, are "welcome steps for the Tribunal," it said.
"And we await the outcome of the proceedings with great interest," the statement said.
Khieu Samphan was charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity after nearly 10 hours of talks between tribunal judges and the detainee's lawyers.
Khieu Samphan was arrested earlier Monday by about 30 armed security forces who seized him from a hospital in the capital Phnom Penh where he had been undergoing treatment since last week.
Witnesses said he was able to walk on his own to a waiting vehicle, but had to be lifted into his seat before being driven away in a police convoy.
Khieu Samphan is the last of five top regime cadres currently under investigation by the tribunal to be detained.
Last week Ieng Sary and his wife Ieng Thirith were arrested by the court and charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity for their alleged role in Cambodia's 1970s genocide.
Regime ideologue Nuon Chea and prison chief Duch were arrested earlier this year and also charged with crimes against humanity.
All have been widely implicated in atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge, including "murder, extermination, imprisonment, enslavement and forced labor," according to court records.
Khieu Samphan denied the regime's murderous policies in a new book published just days before his arrest.
5 comments:
Thank you, Carpet Bomber!
yes just bomb those motherfuckers.
Yes, and thanks for turning Ah Khmer-Yuon to commie's slaves, muah ha ha ha ha....muah ha ha ha ha.....
Hey, stop that! That was my crack!
Oh, sorry for the trespassing, 10:32!
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