Nuon Chea, Pol Pot's right hand man from the Khmer Rouge, sits in the dock during his second public appearance at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) in Phnom Penh February 7, 2008. Nuon Chea appeared before Cambodia's "Killing Fields" tribunal to request bail, arguing he was not a flight risk and would not try to influence potential witnesses. REUTERS/Chor SokuntheaBy Mean Veasna, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
08 February 2008
Jailed Khmer Rouge ideologue Nuon Chea made his final plea to a pre-trial panel of judges Friday, wrapping up a second day of bail hearings.
Nuon Chea and his defense sought to counter prosecution arguments that he would flee the country, destroy evidence or threaten witnesses against him.
“Nowadays, our country’s peace is moving forward,” Nuon Chea told the courts, reading slowly from a piece of paper. “I myself as well as all the countrymen hope that the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia will use their wisdom to judge my request to be released on bail.”
The judges released no decision Friday, but tribunal observers were doubtful that Pol Pot’s former lieutenant would be released ahead of his atrocity crimes trials.
“There was nothing found to claim Nuon Chea would be safe and secure if he staid outside the prison,” said Lor Chunthy, a lawyer for Legal Aid of Cambodia.
Nuon Chea and his defense sought to counter prosecution arguments that he would flee the country, destroy evidence or threaten witnesses against him.
“Nowadays, our country’s peace is moving forward,” Nuon Chea told the courts, reading slowly from a piece of paper. “I myself as well as all the countrymen hope that the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia will use their wisdom to judge my request to be released on bail.”
The judges released no decision Friday, but tribunal observers were doubtful that Pol Pot’s former lieutenant would be released ahead of his atrocity crimes trials.
“There was nothing found to claim Nuon Chea would be safe and secure if he staid outside the prison,” said Lor Chunthy, a lawyer for Legal Aid of Cambodia.
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Nuon Chea used a number of aliases throughout his life, including Long Rith, Nuon, Second Brother and Grand Uncle.
Born Long Bunruot around 1923, he grew up in the northwestern province of Battambang. His family is thought to have had Chinese ancestry.
Was appointed Deputy Secretary of the Communist Party of Kampuchea (the Khmer Rouge's name for Cambodia) in 1960, a position that put him in charge of party and state security.
This included Phnom Penh's notorious S-21 interrogation and torture centre at the capital's Tuol Sleng high school.
-- On Jan 5, 1979, two days before the Vietnamese army overran Phnom Penh, Nuon Chea ordered S-21 head Duch, who has been charged with crimes against humanity, to kill all remaining prisoners.
Despite Duch's compliance, seven people are known to have survived. Along with Duch, they are expected to be key witnesses at the trial.
-- At a December 1998 news conference confirming his peace deal with Phnom Penh, Nuon Chea issued an apology of sorts to the Cambodian people. Those who had lived through four years of horror under the regime were unimpressed.
"Naturally, we are sorry -- not only for the lives of the people, but also for the animals. They all died because we wanted to win the war," he said.
(Sources: Reuters, "Pol Pot: The History of a Nightmare" by Philip Short)
http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-29613920070919?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0
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