22/04/2008
AFP
Sihanouk, who abdicated in 2004, has faced allegations questioning his allegiances under the regime, but said last year he would not testify before the genocide court.Phnom Penh - Cambodia's former king Norodom Sihanouk has accused the Khmer Rouge of killing members of his family as "retribution" for his resignation as head of state under its regime.
Sihanouk, 85, said the killings were committed under the 1975-1979 regime despite pleas from Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong, according to a handwritten statement by the former monarch dated April 18, a copy of which was obtained by AFP on Tuesday.
Sihanouk was toppled while abroad in March 1970 in a US-backed coup led by Field Marshal Lon Nol, prompting him to flee to Beijing, where he established a relationship with the Khmer Rouge that he would come to regret.
The former king said he and his wife attended a September 1975 meeting in Beijing where Mao asked Khmer Rouge leaders Khieu Samphan and Ieng Thirith "to treat Prince N Sihanouk, Princess Monique his wife and their children well".
Grandchildren given to crocodiles
Sihanouk became the symbolic head of state under Pol Pot's ultra-communist regime, but wrote that he resigned in March 1976 because of the cruelty of the Khmer Rouge, which had seized power the previous year.
He was replaced as head of state by Khieu Samphan, who is currently detained by a UN-backed tribunal on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Khmer Rouge's rule and will appeal for bail on Wednesday.
"As retribution, the Khmer Rouge murdered in horrible circumstances five of my children and 14 of my grandchildren, cousins, and their respective wives," Sihanouk wrote in his statement made available before Khieu Samphan's court appearance.
In the statement, Sihanouk said he was told in Paris in 1980 by Cambodian exiles that "the Khmer Rouge had given some of my grandchildren to the crocodiles".
"Other grandchildren had their heads smashed against tree trunks," the former monarch wrote.
He spent the "Killing Fields" years under house arrest in the royal palace, but was not harmed thanks to his personal friendship with Mao.
Up to two million people died of starvation and overwork or were executed under the Khmer Rouge, which abolished religion, schools and currency, and exiled millions to vast collective farms.
Sihanouk, who abdicated in 2004, has faced allegations questioning his allegiances under the regime, but said last year he would not testify before the genocide court.
Five former Khmer Rouge leaders are under the custody of the court for their alleged role in the crimes, regarded as one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century.
8 comments:
Here again he comes out with something ridiculous. He must have lost his mind, forgetting he was the
mastermind of the massacre.
Come on, King, you got trappeed in your own trick. Why didn't he admit that it was his reckless decision that led the country deep into the mess that we have had today?
King should step forward to internation help to find the real killer .not say in local in the country ,now it is good time to find the truth of killing field.
we had alot witness and alot of fomer kr picture ,from friance to cambodia,and china can help also.
I truly believed China was not spot to kill khmer .
Gentleman
Please we do not have much to blame for anymore rather than be cautious and vigilent of what is and WILL be happening, to our mother land.
I am in fact very saddened by those who were only parent, once they lost their children/grand children they do not have much to live for anymore.
Neang SA
The real and big killer of about 1.7 million of Khmer people during 1975-1979 is ah Sihanouk in complicity with youns.
ah Sihanouk must be hanged at Khmer Rouge tribunal as soon as possible!
mais pardon moi, les majeste, everybody were also the victims of the KR. please speak for all the victims, si vous plait. merci beaucoup.
Dear compatriot people,
As your guy known very well about the past experience and history.
these leaders always say, pla.pla.....because of these or of those, especially accusing to each other in order to hide their fault in leading the country.however, the real is real that cannot hide or eliminate from the eye of people it at all. However, it is the past period, but now we should focusing on what is happening in the present and what will going on the in the future?, regarding to the real situation in our country recenltly under the control of Hun Cent and his cronies? under his control and management our country are going to impoverishe, they are selling all of resources (natural and human ) in many ways such as gas,oil, forest, fish,land, and furthermore, they are selling Cambodian young generation of human resource from high educated people to low educated people especially for cambodian woman to work or to do prostitute at abroad through migrant or marriage to the stupid people like Korean and Taiwanes man, and etc. Furthermnore in recenlty, the cambodian peoples are facing with the skyroketing of goods that affecting to the standard of living condition of people. based on these reasons, I would like to ask your guys to join with us to welcome any opposition parties to use people power to kick the Hun Sen's and his cronies out of the government. anyways, all the opposition parties should strongly and stricly focusing on the processing of NEC (National Election Committee), because HunCent, and his cronies like NEC are going to make something fraud relating to the resul of election. however,this concerted action should be done after the result of election.
Cheer!
People Power (Ps)
The Killing of the royal families can be from his own wife to eliminate all potential candiadtes for Kingship in Cambodia. His wife wanted her Son Sihamony to be the king with a very small education compare to others. Therefore a strategy to kill others with higher education is a must with the hands of the Khmer rouge.
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