PHNOM PENH (AFP) — A former Khmer Rouge government minister, known as the "first lady," appeared for the first time Wednesday before Cambodia's UN-backed genocide tribunal.
Ieng Thirith, the former social affairs minister, was arrested last November along with her husband, Ieng Sary, the ex-foreign minister in the murderous regime that unleashed widespread horror in Cambodia.
Her lawyers are expected to appeal for her release, arguing that the 76-year-old is mentally ill. Court officials, however, have said doctors have deemed Ieng Thirith fit to stand trial.
She has rejected the charges against her as "100 percent false," claiming she was helping to repair hospitals and produce medicines during the Khmer Rouge's 1975-79 rule.
The court has said its suspects she is a flight risk and her detention is necessary to protect her against possible revenge attacks from Khmer Rouge victims, along with concerns about pressure on witnesses.
The intelligent daughter of a well-off judge studied literature at the Sorbonne in Paris, where she met her future husband in a ballroom in 1951.
After returning to Cambodia, the pair, along with Pol Pot and his wife Khieu Ponnary -- Ieng Thirith's older sister -- became the ideological centre of the nascent communist movement that decades later would sweep through Cambodia.
Up to two million people died from overwork, starvation, torture or execution under the Khmer Rouge as it sought to create an agrarian utopia. The joint Cambodia-UN tribunal was established in 2006 after nearly a decade of haggling to try former Khmer Rouge senior officials for genocide and crimes against humanity. The trials of five surviving leaders detained by the court are expected to begin later this year.
Khmer Rouge head Pol Pot died in 1998.
Ieng Thirith, the former social affairs minister, was arrested last November along with her husband, Ieng Sary, the ex-foreign minister in the murderous regime that unleashed widespread horror in Cambodia.
Her lawyers are expected to appeal for her release, arguing that the 76-year-old is mentally ill. Court officials, however, have said doctors have deemed Ieng Thirith fit to stand trial.
She has rejected the charges against her as "100 percent false," claiming she was helping to repair hospitals and produce medicines during the Khmer Rouge's 1975-79 rule.
The court has said its suspects she is a flight risk and her detention is necessary to protect her against possible revenge attacks from Khmer Rouge victims, along with concerns about pressure on witnesses.
The intelligent daughter of a well-off judge studied literature at the Sorbonne in Paris, where she met her future husband in a ballroom in 1951.
After returning to Cambodia, the pair, along with Pol Pot and his wife Khieu Ponnary -- Ieng Thirith's older sister -- became the ideological centre of the nascent communist movement that decades later would sweep through Cambodia.
Up to two million people died from overwork, starvation, torture or execution under the Khmer Rouge as it sought to create an agrarian utopia. The joint Cambodia-UN tribunal was established in 2006 after nearly a decade of haggling to try former Khmer Rouge senior officials for genocide and crimes against humanity. The trials of five surviving leaders detained by the court are expected to begin later this year.
Khmer Rouge head Pol Pot died in 1998.
3 comments:
She is mentally ill since she was minister under the khmer rouge regime. So, she should be jailed at least in the psychiatric hospital since that period. To liberate her means only to cause a lot of trouble to the human community. Please jail her until her dead.
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
Any persson who committed crime had always claimed they are innocent and have done nothing worng until otherwise they are ample of evidences against them or being charged, they would be still claim innocent.
If doctore findings pointed that she is fit to stand trial then she should face the court. Should she is mental ill then shall be in an institution.
Post a Comment