By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
01 February 2008
Khmer Rouge tribunal prosecutors said Friday they hope to arrest more leaders of the regime, but experts say the next round of arrests has been hampered because former leaders hold government positions.
Two separate sources told VOA Khmer the next arrests could include another five people.
The next round would likely include top regional military commanders, some of whom now hold posts as local governors or government aides, officials said.
“We are continuing our preliminary investigation. I am confident that more people will be identified,” tribunal prosecutor Robert Petit said.
Petit stressed that the investigation is a complex matter, factually and legally, but declined to make comment further.
Some senior former Khmer Rouge leaders have been folded into the government, in positions as governor, military commander, district chiefs, and others, making investigation difficult, experts said Friday.
Hisham Mousar, a tribunal expert for the rights group Adhoc, said there are many issues stopping prosecutors from sending a list of names to the investigating judges.
Two separate sources told VOA Khmer the next arrests could include another five people.
The next round would likely include top regional military commanders, some of whom now hold posts as local governors or government aides, officials said.
“We are continuing our preliminary investigation. I am confident that more people will be identified,” tribunal prosecutor Robert Petit said.
Petit stressed that the investigation is a complex matter, factually and legally, but declined to make comment further.
Some senior former Khmer Rouge leaders have been folded into the government, in positions as governor, military commander, district chiefs, and others, making investigation difficult, experts said Friday.
Hisham Mousar, a tribunal expert for the rights group Adhoc, said there are many issues stopping prosecutors from sending a list of names to the investigating judges.
6 comments:
The ECCC a must issues the arrest of the Khmer Rouge Leaders starting from the Village, District, Regional, and military Leaders and so on so forth.
These are the real Killers of the Khmer victimes.
The Real Killer are now working in the Government and held Top Positions such as Soc Anh, Keith Chhun, Hun Sen, Heng Samrin, Chea Sim, Hor Namhong, Va kimhong, Tea Banh, etc.........
The top leaders were the most responsible for what had happened in Cambodia under their policy in those days. Therefore, they must be held accountible for their inactive repercussion for those division heads and below who, i agreed, were the real killers i.e., the ones who actually carried out the atrocities. But, the so-called Angkar, as they were called under the KR regime, who condone, and turned blinded-eye to what was going under their commy gov't, was totally responsible for everything that happened. No excuses!!
Think about it, if the top people didn't allow the killing, the starving, the execution, etc, of the people, then, perhaps, people weren't dying in the millions. I lived through it, and I, among other Cambodian people, can tell you the truth. It was totally controlled, monitored, and carried out without any kind of justice for the dying people. It was like they do whatever they were pleased to do without any regard, mercy, forgiveness, love, sympathy for the youngs, the olds, the handicaps, the sicks, whatsoever. It was pure evil, pure hell on earth. And no country in the world did anything to in the name of justice for the Cambodia. I think the Vietnamese gov't was the only one who actually did something about it. And for this, they (youn gov't) earned a first step in Cambodian people's reconciliation in terms of friendship with vietnam. But even for their action to oust the KR gov't, the Vietnamese still have a lot of work to do in terms of gaining friendship, trust, and likable from the general Cambodian public because, one has to deeply understand the animosity between the two people going back to the dark period in Cambodian history when Vietnam took aways a big chunk of Cambodian territory. Consequently, Cambodian people in general hated the Vietnamese for that. This is a sensitive issue for Cambodia, especially. This is why Khmer don't really trust youn, even though youn helped to oust the KR. One has to study Khmer-Youn historical relations to understand all of this.
Get ready for a change!
Imagine the new Cambodian society without those former KR. None! Zero KR society.
Gentleman
There were three political factions in cambodia, either pre darkest period and in evenfull of 1975-1979. A far leftish KR backed by China, Indochinese group who are currently in control until current time, and nationalist group who struggled against oppression in our society and predominently has been eradicated. However as long as oppression and foreign intervension still continues, nationalists are always there from every walks of life.
ECCC is for justice for victims of crime against humanity in cambodia.Criminals who commited killing should face trial, regardless from what faction they were from. So the investigation should continue for justice prevailed.
I hope the king should be pleased and facilitate ECCC for cambodian victims of crime and prevent any further crime perpetrated, for safety of his people as part of his duty of care.
Thank you for UN trial, for the hope of cambodians.
Neang SA
The killers are not top leaders for few listed.
The one who killed my families were Village Leader and Village securities team.
We urge the ECCC to arrest all the low level organization leaders too.
Otherwise these ECCC will not fair, and injustice for the victimes.
These trial must conduct to the international standard otherwise the world will view you as the jungle trial, Unfair, injustice, by the international law.
khmervictime
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