Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Former Khmer Rouge government minister to appeal her detention by Cambodian tribunal

2008-05-20

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) - A former Khmer Rouge government minister facing charges of crimes against humanity will appeal for release from detention during a U.N.-assisted tribunal, a spokesman said Tuesday.

The tribunal, seeks justice for atrocities committed by the ultra-communist group when it ruled Cambodia in 1975-79.

Ieng Thirith, who was the Khmer Rouge social affairs minister, is among five suspects facing trial for their alleged roles in the regime's brutality. Its radical policies caused the deaths of about 1.7 million people from starvation, disease, overwork and execution.

Reach Sambath, a tribunal spokesman, said the 75-year-old Ieng Thirith will appeal at a hearing Wednesday for release from a detention facility during the proceedings.

The lawyer cited lack of evidence for detaining Ieng Thirith and said she «suffers from a number of debilitating and chronic conditions, both mental and physical» that require constant medical treatment.

The suspect is the wife of Ieng Sary, who was the regime's deputy prime minister and foreign minister and is also detained on charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Ieng Thirith is also the sister-in-law of to Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot, who died in 1998.

In a detention orders issued in November, the tribunal's investigating judges said Ieng Thirith is being tried for supporting Khmer Rouge policies and practices that were «characterized by murder, extermination, imprisonment, persecution on political grounds and other inhuman acts.

She has rejected the charges against her as «100 percent false,» according to the detention order.

She has denied responsibility for any criminal acts and said she worked at all times for the benefit of the people, according to an appeal filed in January by her lawyer, Phat Pouv Seang.

Ieng Thirith, who was among the first generation of female Cambodian intellectuals, studied English literature in Paris and worked as a professor after returning to Cambodia in 1957. Three years later she founded a private English school in the capital, Phnom Penh.

She followed her husband into the jungle to flee government repression in 1965. Their communist movement later became a guerrilla force that toppled the pro-American government in 1975, putting Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge into power and turning the country in a vast slave labor camp.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

"The deaths of about 1.7 million people from starvation, disease, overwork and execution" in your past experience, and you request to be freed????

Go to hell, bastard!!!

Anonymous said...

This witch do not care about million lives took away by her bloody hands,please stand up bitch ?No exuse all you have done to us only animal like you have the nerve to do that.
I wish my messages get to the fat bitch.

Anonymous said...

all KR stupid leadership should be asked by all cambodian victims as to why they choose to kill or hurt their own people so much under their stupid, idiot rule. why did they do what they do, then?????!!!!! what was the purpose or the benefit of killing your own people or turn society around backward, and then use modern conveniences like car, train, airplane,etc. apparently they did not follow in their leadership example if they were do backward. why not just go back to the stone age, when the world making a living by hunting and gathering lifestyle. is that they they wanted? how stupid can they get. i hope they all go to hell by the justice system.

Anonymous said...

It is very normal for a high ranking person of killing regime who have killed millions of their citizen to have confused mentality. They have lost their real human mentality and have adopted an evil mentality. These people are very instable. At present, even Sihanouk is also the same because he was the leader of that Khmer Rouge Movement from 1970. We cannot accept spychologist valuation on them at all as they were not the killer of one or two people. They have killed millions of people. It was not a mistake at all, but it was with a plan. Areak Prey

Anonymous said...

យួន ជាឃាដករ លើខ្មែរ!
Youn jea kheatakor!

កំហុសដ៏ធំបំផុត របស់ របបខ្មែរក្រហម គឺ ដាក់ខ្លួននៅឯកោ ផ្អែកលើតែចិន គ្មានទំនាក់ទំនង ជាមួយប្រទេស នានា លើសកលលោក
ម៉្លោះហើយ បរទេសនានា ជឿតែ ការឃោសនាផ្សព្វផ្សាយ របស់យួន អំពីសង្គ្រាម រវាងប៉ុលពត ជាមួយ យួន ប៉ុន្តែ បរទេសមិនដឹងថា នោះជាល្បិចកល របស់យួន បានបង្កើតឡើង ដើម្បីវាយចូលទឹកដីខ្មែរ លើកទី ១ ជាង ១០០គម ពីព្រំប្រទល់ ខ្មែរ-យួន (តាមបណ្តោយ នៃ ខេត្ត ស្ទឹងត្រែង រតនគីរី មណ្ឌលគីរី ក្រចេះ កំពង់ចាម) នៅខែកុម្ភៈ ១៩៧៨ ក្នុងគោលដៅ ត្រៀមយកកម្ពុជា ជាចំណុះ របស់ខ្លួន ក្នុងការវាយចូលខ្មែរ ជាលើកទី ២ នៅ ថ្អៃ ៧ ខែមករា ឆ្នាំ ១៩៧៩