By GREG RISLING
Associated Press Writer
LOS ANGELES—A native of Cambodia unleashed an attack to overthrow the government of that country, but the plot failed when only 200 supporters showed up to fight in the capitol city of Phnom Phen, a prosecutor told jurors Wednesday.
In his opening trial statement, Assistant U.S. Attorney Lamar Baker said defendant Yasith Chhun was willing to risk other people's lives as part of the effort in 2000 dubbed Operation Volcano.
Baker portrayed Chhun as callous, cowardly and incompetent and promised he would take jurors inside the conspiracy.
"Operation Volcano was a failure, it didn't succeed," he said.
Defense attorney Richard Callahan said his client, a U.S. citizen, was trying to save the country where he was born and raised.
"There was no intent for Mr. Chhun to murder anyone or injure anyone," Callahan said.
Chhun, 51, an accountant from Long Beach, has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to kill in a foreign country, conspiracy to damage or destroy property in a foreign country, conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction outside the United States, and engaging in a military expedition against a nation with which the United States is at peace.
He could face a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted.
The scheme crumbled in November 2000 when a late-night attack on government buildings led to the deaths of three of his troops and injuries to several police and military officers.
Prosecutors played a tape of FBI interviews with Chhun following the attempted coup. He told federal agents that he was in Thailand during the attack and was in contact with his commanders who were considering about 291 targets.
FBI Agent Donald Shannon testified that Chhun told him money raised in the United States was used to fund the attacks. Shannon also said Chhun showed no remorse over what had happened.
Prosecutors also showed jurors letters allegedly written by Chhun in the months leading to the attack that talked about plans to "burst the volcano."
"They cut turkeys, I cut their necks. Bye, my first lady," one letter said. Several notes were signed, "Mr. President."
In newly released court documents, federal prosecutors portray Chhun as a fervent adversary of Cambodia's government who had misguided political aspirations.
His trial was expected to last about three weeks.
Chhun is among a handful of so-called freedom fighters who have been arrested and charged in recent years with plotting to overthrow governments in Southeast Asia.
Last year, 11 men were arrested and accused of attempting to oust leaders of the communist government in Laos. One of the men was Vang Pao, a former general in the Royal Army of Laos who led thousands of Hmong mercenaries in a CIA-backed secret army during the Vietnam War.
Chhun's group, known as the Cambodian Freedom Fighters, accused Prime Minister Hun Sen of being a dictator and helping rig the elections so he could stay in power.
Hun Sen at one time was part of the communist-backed Khmer Rouge, which has been accused of atrocities that resulted in the deaths of some 1.7 million people in Cambodia between 1975 and 1979.
Starting in 1998, prosecutors said Chhun traveled to Southeast Asia to assemble opposition forces to take over Cambodia. He promised he would raise money for the operation and even held two fundraisers at the Queen Mary, which is permanently docked in Long Beach, according to court documents.
Yorn Soksan, a former member of Chhun's group, said in a deposition that he left the group about six months before the November 2000 attack. He estimated there were as many as 20,000 soldiers who were willing to fight with Chhun.
But many of those soldiers were part of Cambodia's military and ultimately kept their allegiance with the government, he said.
Prosecutors said rebel operatives launched small-scale "popcorn" attacks in Cambodia, including one in February 1999 when a grenade exploded in a bar that injured several people.
The attacks were necessary so "the government would believe that CFF was only capable of carrying out these small-scale attacks, and thus, would be unprepared for the scope of Operation Volcano," prosecutors said in court documents.
About 200 fighters wearing red headbands and armed with AK-47 rifles, grenades and rockets struck various government buildings in November 2000.
For more than two hours, government and rebel forces were involved in a gun battle near the Ministry of Defense and Council of Ministers as well as a military base.
Rebel soldiers retreated after government tanks arrived.
In his opening trial statement, Assistant U.S. Attorney Lamar Baker said defendant Yasith Chhun was willing to risk other people's lives as part of the effort in 2000 dubbed Operation Volcano.
Baker portrayed Chhun as callous, cowardly and incompetent and promised he would take jurors inside the conspiracy.
"Operation Volcano was a failure, it didn't succeed," he said.
Defense attorney Richard Callahan said his client, a U.S. citizen, was trying to save the country where he was born and raised.
"There was no intent for Mr. Chhun to murder anyone or injure anyone," Callahan said.
Chhun, 51, an accountant from Long Beach, has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to kill in a foreign country, conspiracy to damage or destroy property in a foreign country, conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction outside the United States, and engaging in a military expedition against a nation with which the United States is at peace.
He could face a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted.
The scheme crumbled in November 2000 when a late-night attack on government buildings led to the deaths of three of his troops and injuries to several police and military officers.
Prosecutors played a tape of FBI interviews with Chhun following the attempted coup. He told federal agents that he was in Thailand during the attack and was in contact with his commanders who were considering about 291 targets.
FBI Agent Donald Shannon testified that Chhun told him money raised in the United States was used to fund the attacks. Shannon also said Chhun showed no remorse over what had happened.
Prosecutors also showed jurors letters allegedly written by Chhun in the months leading to the attack that talked about plans to "burst the volcano."
"They cut turkeys, I cut their necks. Bye, my first lady," one letter said. Several notes were signed, "Mr. President."
In newly released court documents, federal prosecutors portray Chhun as a fervent adversary of Cambodia's government who had misguided political aspirations.
His trial was expected to last about three weeks.
Chhun is among a handful of so-called freedom fighters who have been arrested and charged in recent years with plotting to overthrow governments in Southeast Asia.
Last year, 11 men were arrested and accused of attempting to oust leaders of the communist government in Laos. One of the men was Vang Pao, a former general in the Royal Army of Laos who led thousands of Hmong mercenaries in a CIA-backed secret army during the Vietnam War.
Chhun's group, known as the Cambodian Freedom Fighters, accused Prime Minister Hun Sen of being a dictator and helping rig the elections so he could stay in power.
Hun Sen at one time was part of the communist-backed Khmer Rouge, which has been accused of atrocities that resulted in the deaths of some 1.7 million people in Cambodia between 1975 and 1979.
Starting in 1998, prosecutors said Chhun traveled to Southeast Asia to assemble opposition forces to take over Cambodia. He promised he would raise money for the operation and even held two fundraisers at the Queen Mary, which is permanently docked in Long Beach, according to court documents.
Yorn Soksan, a former member of Chhun's group, said in a deposition that he left the group about six months before the November 2000 attack. He estimated there were as many as 20,000 soldiers who were willing to fight with Chhun.
But many of those soldiers were part of Cambodia's military and ultimately kept their allegiance with the government, he said.
Prosecutors said rebel operatives launched small-scale "popcorn" attacks in Cambodia, including one in February 1999 when a grenade exploded in a bar that injured several people.
The attacks were necessary so "the government would believe that CFF was only capable of carrying out these small-scale attacks, and thus, would be unprepared for the scope of Operation Volcano," prosecutors said in court documents.
About 200 fighters wearing red headbands and armed with AK-47 rifles, grenades and rockets struck various government buildings in November 2000.
For more than two hours, government and rebel forces were involved in a gun battle near the Ministry of Defense and Council of Ministers as well as a military base.
Rebel soldiers retreated after government tanks arrived.
6 comments:
Just put the idiot out of his misery, and don't forget Ah vicious Killer Xam Rainxy too.
Hello there Viet pimp @5:31 AM,
What a freaking ugly looking Viet pimp like you doing on Khmer site/blog like KI-Media, lesjeuneskihmers.com, Khmer-network.com, khmerconnection.com eh?
First, you Viet pimp should learn to show some respect towards Khmer people dead or alive. But, again the world knows you Viet's true colors already. Need we say more?
Quit pretending to be Khmer giving Khmer a bad name and please don't bring more Viet prostitutes to Cambodia, okay?
You Viet pimp ought to leave Hun Xen alone, and the Cambodian people will take very good care of him. It's a promise from us Cambodian to you Viet pimp alright?
Yeah, it's time for you Viet pimp to pack up and leave Cambodia for good now!
Tail between your legs, Go Home Viet, go home!
Tail between your legs, Go Home Viet, go home!
The world knows you Viet's true colors already, not to worry!
5:31AM I want to put my kdor in kaduy and kdet youn especially 5:31AM.
Most youn born from a mama prostitute. So don't expect them to have any respect for other race, you need to place their game....as ruthless as you can.
Sit on it, Maggot Feeder!
Justice will be served! Crime does not pay!
The G-man prosecutors, make sure this terrorist is locked up for life without the posibility of parole. Further, by all means, to be sure that this son-of-bitch will never be exculpated.
AH HUN SEN is the next Pinochet!
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