French lawyer Jacques Verges (file pic)Jacques Verges has strongly anti-colonialist views
Former Khmer Rouge leader Khieu Samphan (file pic)Khieu Samphan, detained in November, is accused of war crimes
BBC News
A French lawyer whose previous clients have included a Nazi war criminal has agreed to represent former Khmer Rouge leader Khieu Samphan in Cambodia.
Jacques Verges has defended World War II criminal Klaus Barbie, as well as Venezuelan terrorist Carlos the Jackal.
He will join Khieu Samphan when he appeals on Wednesday against his pre-trial detention by the UN-backed genocide tribunal in Cambodia.
The Khmer Rouge exercised a reign of terror in Cambodia in 1975-79.
They are blamed for more than one million deaths, many of them in the notorious "killing fields", where Cambodians endured brutal slave labour conditions.
Five senior Khmer Rouge officials are now in the custody of the tribunal.
Khieu Samphan, the former Khmer Rouge head of state, has repeatedly denied involvement in the radical communist group's atrocities.
Mr Verges declined to comment on the case when he arrived in the capital Phnom Penh on Monday.
Jacques Verges has defended World War II criminal Klaus Barbie, as well as Venezuelan terrorist Carlos the Jackal.
He will join Khieu Samphan when he appeals on Wednesday against his pre-trial detention by the UN-backed genocide tribunal in Cambodia.
The Khmer Rouge exercised a reign of terror in Cambodia in 1975-79.
They are blamed for more than one million deaths, many of them in the notorious "killing fields", where Cambodians endured brutal slave labour conditions.
Five senior Khmer Rouge officials are now in the custody of the tribunal.
Khieu Samphan, the former Khmer Rouge head of state, has repeatedly denied involvement in the radical communist group's atrocities.
Mr Verges declined to comment on the case when he arrived in the capital Phnom Penh on Monday.
9 comments:
The fundamental concept of democracy in Cambodia was first formulated in
the 1940' s. Then, it was dead along with its originator. The UNTAC
1990' s
democracy has been threatened in two quite different ways:
1. by the deliberate attempt of the current communist Khmer Rouge in power
. to replace the true democracy with their own form of government that
looks
. and sounds similar to the Western democracy.
2. by the Yuon tendency of totalitarian control over Cambodia to narrow the
. meaning of true democracy to just the institutional patterns of a
particular
. time and place that looks and sounds acceptable by the Western
democracy.
The current government of Cambodia which is composed mostly by the Khmer
Rouges wrapped outside by oversea opportunists have no other knowledge but
to interpret Khmer society in terms of the needs of an "Elite Class", or a
single
"Powerful Party", rather in terms of the needs of Khmer people. The
Khmer
Rouge CPP's survival relies on the sole idea of replacing societal progress
with
social stability. The government rules by fear - as they supplant majority
rule
with the dominance of a superior and irresponsible minority. They
substitute
conformity for freedom.
The Khmer Rouge CPP's practice of seizing power is evidently more than
enough
to demn communist totalitarian ruling. But this characteristic seems to
have little
effect on the attitudes of the majority of Khmer people especially those who
have
never experienced self-government.
For the Poor,
santhor
Look at the face of one of the fools in modern Khmer history. He looks as if he was scared of the truth. As I said before and I say it again: a fool is not an illeterate, and anyone can be a fool regardless of levels of edication or classes, a PhD, an illiterate, a royal family, a peasant', a Buddhist monk, a layman, etc., if he he acts foolishly.
Thank you 1:43AM
We all appear to know enough to be a fool ones. Please tell us HOW not to be a fool, and as if you ARE never fool. If so I will worship you instead.
Neang SA
A fool is the one who causes harm to his own people, and denies of having done what he did. I think the defintion gave above is enough to be understood by the decent.
...oh and you are very welcome to include yourself into that category.
You don't need to worship an ordinary man like me. I am not omiscient as gods. I only know that throughout my life I HAVE NO remorse of having done anything to harm or to revenge my compatriots. My mind is serene, pure from having evil intention of harming anyone. I believe in Buddhism, but am not superstitious.
Thank you for you sensible response, but I wish to hear more than that.
our society is more confused in How to lead for better and peace of mind. LEADING role is a fine balance of series of acts result in positive and negative outcome, and it is a very fine line.
One frame of reference can be irrelevent to reality.And I am also happily say that buddhism teaches me a lot to.
Thank you
Neang SA
Mr. Jacques Verges, l'Avocat du Diable,
C'est bien un plaisir de vous voir ici, au Cambodge, pour defendre un monstre (pire qu'un diable), un monstre a visage humain!!!
Nous savons tous que vous venez faire votre travail ni plus ni moins, un sale boulot comme dirait-on de defendre quelqu'un qui ressemble a un cannibale pour avoir provoque (par son idee,savoir ...) la mort des millions de Cambodgiens.
Nous vous disons "Bienvenu au Cambodge", Mr. Jacques Verges !
De quelqu'un qui vous admire.
Gee buddy! ( buttom picture man )You look so stupid then, now and as always! How come you didn't know anything?!!!!!!!During the period of 1975-1979, your motherf*cker let almost all of your officers commited the killing right under your nose and you bastard said you know nothing? Your motherf*cker!!!!!!! you deserve to die in hell!!!!!!and that bastard up top too needs to die in hell!!!!!!! Your motherf*cker didn't need to be born to defend the criminal. You bastard needs to go to hell is better!!!!!!!!MF
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