A vocal Theary Seng (L) argued with police during the Dream for Darfur gathering in front of Tuol Sleng (Photo: Reuters)
Cambodian defense lawyers for the civil party (Photo: AFP)PHNOM PENH (AFP) — Survivors of Cambodia's Khmer Rouge publicly confronted the regime's "Brother Number Two" at a UN-backed genocide tribunal Friday, marking the first time victims have faced a senior cadre in court.
Theary Seng, whose parents were both killed during the Khmer Rouge's 1975-1979 rule, stood before the tribunal to urge the judges not to free Nuon Chea before his trial on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The 81-year-old is the senior-most Khmer Rouge cadre detained by the court over his alleged role in one of the 20th century's worst atrocities.
His lawyers have asked the court to release him pending trial, saying he was wrongly interrogated without his attorneys after his arrest in September.
Theary Seng, a Cambodian-American who survived the regime's atrocities as a child and is now a lawyer, urged the court not to free him, saying that his regime had shown no mercy when she was jailed as a seven-year-old.
"My brother, who was younger than me, and I were put in prison under Mr. Nuon Chea's regime. We were not informed of our rights. There was no due process and we were arrested arbitrarily," she told the court.
"They treated us inhumanely -- for us, the graveyard was our playground," she said, standing behind a desk opposite Nuon Chea in the pre-trial chambers.
"Here Mr. Nuon Chea is afforded all the protection of the best legal principles and ideals (in) both domestic and international law. He has both national and international lawyers. When he was arrested he was informed of his rights," she said.
"As victims, we have been waiting for 30 years for justice. There is a risk that the accused will fail to appear in court, and without his presence we will suffer a great loss."
Nuon Chea, who was the Khmer Rouge's chief ideologue, sat impassively as Theary Seng and two lawyers representing other Cambodian victims spoke.
It was the second day in a row that he appeared in the court, following the opening of his first public hearing Thursday.
Helen Jarvis, the tribunal's spokeswoman, called Theary Seng's appearance "historic."
"To actually stand across the room from someone who a victim feels is responsible for their suffering is very important and at the leading edge of international justice," she told AFP.
The court is expected to rule next week on Nuon Chea's request to be released, but there is still no date for his actual trial.
Nuon Chea was the closest deputy of Khmer Rouge supreme leader Pol Pot -- who died in 1998 without ever facing justice -- and was allegedly the architect of the regime's devastating execution policies.
Up to two million people died of starvation and overwork, or were executed by the Khmer Rouge, which dismantled modern Cambodian society in its effort to forge a radical agrarian utopia.
Cities were emptied, their populations exiled to vast collective farms, while schools were closed, religion banned and the educated classes targeted for extermination.
Cambodia's genocide tribunal was convened in 2006 after nearly a decade of fractious talks between the government and United Nations over how to prosecute the regime's leadership.
Despite the arrests last year of five top cadres, the tribunal remains dogged by delays. On Thursday the court announced that it would ask donors to triple its 56.3-million-dollar budget so that it could continue to work for two years past its scheduled 2009 end date.
Theary Seng, whose parents were both killed during the Khmer Rouge's 1975-1979 rule, stood before the tribunal to urge the judges not to free Nuon Chea before his trial on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The 81-year-old is the senior-most Khmer Rouge cadre detained by the court over his alleged role in one of the 20th century's worst atrocities.
His lawyers have asked the court to release him pending trial, saying he was wrongly interrogated without his attorneys after his arrest in September.
Theary Seng, a Cambodian-American who survived the regime's atrocities as a child and is now a lawyer, urged the court not to free him, saying that his regime had shown no mercy when she was jailed as a seven-year-old.
"My brother, who was younger than me, and I were put in prison under Mr. Nuon Chea's regime. We were not informed of our rights. There was no due process and we were arrested arbitrarily," she told the court.
"They treated us inhumanely -- for us, the graveyard was our playground," she said, standing behind a desk opposite Nuon Chea in the pre-trial chambers.
"Here Mr. Nuon Chea is afforded all the protection of the best legal principles and ideals (in) both domestic and international law. He has both national and international lawyers. When he was arrested he was informed of his rights," she said.
"As victims, we have been waiting for 30 years for justice. There is a risk that the accused will fail to appear in court, and without his presence we will suffer a great loss."
Nuon Chea, who was the Khmer Rouge's chief ideologue, sat impassively as Theary Seng and two lawyers representing other Cambodian victims spoke.
It was the second day in a row that he appeared in the court, following the opening of his first public hearing Thursday.
Helen Jarvis, the tribunal's spokeswoman, called Theary Seng's appearance "historic."
"To actually stand across the room from someone who a victim feels is responsible for their suffering is very important and at the leading edge of international justice," she told AFP.
The court is expected to rule next week on Nuon Chea's request to be released, but there is still no date for his actual trial.
Nuon Chea was the closest deputy of Khmer Rouge supreme leader Pol Pot -- who died in 1998 without ever facing justice -- and was allegedly the architect of the regime's devastating execution policies.
Up to two million people died of starvation and overwork, or were executed by the Khmer Rouge, which dismantled modern Cambodian society in its effort to forge a radical agrarian utopia.
Cities were emptied, their populations exiled to vast collective farms, while schools were closed, religion banned and the educated classes targeted for extermination.
Cambodia's genocide tribunal was convened in 2006 after nearly a decade of fractious talks between the government and United Nations over how to prosecute the regime's leadership.
Despite the arrests last year of five top cadres, the tribunal remains dogged by delays. On Thursday the court announced that it would ask donors to triple its 56.3-million-dollar budget so that it could continue to work for two years past its scheduled 2009 end date.
2 comments:
Theary!!!Theary, Mrs. Lawyer, please read more about Khmer Rouge history. If you want to hung Khmer, your brother on East side of Cambodia might be very happy. Whatever, please leave Daravuth Seng alone..
Kon Khmer
Theary!!!those days I was a student at Phnom Penh University. If I was not confused YOUR DAD may have sold weapon and a lots weapon to Khmer Rouge like others did.
Kon Khmer
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