At times appearing confused, 76-year-old Ieng Thirith faced the Extraordinary Chambers on Wednesday to to ask for bail. (Chor Sokunthea/Pool) Thursday, 22 May 2008
Written by Cheang Sokha and Cat Barton
The Phnom Penh Post
Former Khmer Rouge minister Ieng Thirith, who was the regime's top-ranking female member, appeared publicly before Cambodia's genocide tribunal for the first time on May 21 as she appealed against her pre-trial detention at the UN-backed court.
Thirith, who served as social affairs minister during the regime's 1975-79 rule over Cambodia, is charged with crimes against humanity.
She is one of five former Khmer Rouge leaders, including her husband Ieng Sary, who have been arrested by the court, known as the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, or ECCC.
The diminutive, bespectacled 76-year-old appeared confused at times, failing once to remember how many children she had and refusing to make a final statement following the nearly nine hour hearing, telling the court that she was "unwell."
"I have high blood pressure and when I get angry it rises rapidly," said Thirith, who was seized by authorities from her Phnom Penh home in November.
Her lawyers argued that Thirith should not be judged by the alleged crimes of her husband, who served as the regime foreign minister and has been charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Thirith's relationship with Sary should "not be used to criminalize the charged party," said her foreign lawyer, British QC Diane Ellis.
The court must "consider position of charged person separately from that of the other four accused," Ellis said.
Thirith's Cambodian lawyer, Phat Pouv Seang, has earlier said that his client's deteriorating mental health should be grounds enough for her release, telling the Post that he had Thai-language medical documents proving that she was not fit to stand trial.
Both Thirith and her husband traveled frequently to Thailand for medical treatment before their arrest amid rumors that the pair had amassed vast wealth from deals made during the chaotic last days of the Khmer Rouge in the 1990s.
But her lawyers denied suggestions that Thirith and her husband had sacked away large amounts of money, telling the court that she did not own property in Cuba, and that her home in the capital belonged to a daughter.
Many Cambodians attending the hearing dismissed the defense's claims that Thirith should be treated differently from other regime leaders.
"I will not be happy if the court releases Thirith or other KR leaders ... because during their time in power they treated Cambodian people very badly like animals," said 60 year-old Sam Soeun, who traveled to the capital from Preah Vihear province.
"I came here in the hopes that the court will find justice for me and for all the other victims," he said.
Up to two million people died of starvation, disease and overwork, or were executed as the ultra-communist Khmer Rouge exiled the country's population into vast collective farms in a bid to forge an agrarian utopia in what was to become one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century.
Tribunal spokeswoman Helen Jarvis told the Post that the hearing had gone smoothly, despite repeated closed sessions that kept the participants in court into the evening.
"There was a lot to get through and remember we had five civil parties for this case," Jarvis said, explaining that the long hours "did not signal anything."
A decision on the appeal is expected in the coming weeks.
Thirith, who served as social affairs minister during the regime's 1975-79 rule over Cambodia, is charged with crimes against humanity.
She is one of five former Khmer Rouge leaders, including her husband Ieng Sary, who have been arrested by the court, known as the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, or ECCC.
The diminutive, bespectacled 76-year-old appeared confused at times, failing once to remember how many children she had and refusing to make a final statement following the nearly nine hour hearing, telling the court that she was "unwell."
"I have high blood pressure and when I get angry it rises rapidly," said Thirith, who was seized by authorities from her Phnom Penh home in November.
Her lawyers argued that Thirith should not be judged by the alleged crimes of her husband, who served as the regime foreign minister and has been charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Thirith's relationship with Sary should "not be used to criminalize the charged party," said her foreign lawyer, British QC Diane Ellis.
The court must "consider position of charged person separately from that of the other four accused," Ellis said.
Thirith's Cambodian lawyer, Phat Pouv Seang, has earlier said that his client's deteriorating mental health should be grounds enough for her release, telling the Post that he had Thai-language medical documents proving that she was not fit to stand trial.
Both Thirith and her husband traveled frequently to Thailand for medical treatment before their arrest amid rumors that the pair had amassed vast wealth from deals made during the chaotic last days of the Khmer Rouge in the 1990s.
But her lawyers denied suggestions that Thirith and her husband had sacked away large amounts of money, telling the court that she did not own property in Cuba, and that her home in the capital belonged to a daughter.
Many Cambodians attending the hearing dismissed the defense's claims that Thirith should be treated differently from other regime leaders.
"I will not be happy if the court releases Thirith or other KR leaders ... because during their time in power they treated Cambodian people very badly like animals," said 60 year-old Sam Soeun, who traveled to the capital from Preah Vihear province.
"I came here in the hopes that the court will find justice for me and for all the other victims," he said.
Up to two million people died of starvation, disease and overwork, or were executed as the ultra-communist Khmer Rouge exiled the country's population into vast collective farms in a bid to forge an agrarian utopia in what was to become one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century.
Tribunal spokeswoman Helen Jarvis told the Post that the hearing had gone smoothly, despite repeated closed sessions that kept the participants in court into the evening.
"There was a lot to get through and remember we had five civil parties for this case," Jarvis said, explaining that the long hours "did not signal anything."
A decision on the appeal is expected in the coming weeks.
6 comments:
I can understand Mrs Ieng feeling as her life draw to the end, however our leaders should learn to face the consequences of their action which ultimately affects other people's lives.
She should be brave to face trial and proves that whether she is or is not guilty as relevent to the killing took place. As social minister ,she ought to understand other social being and other life better.
Many of ministers who, one day have to face this reality. we are not asking her to repay life to life but accept her consequences of her action in civilised world.
Neang SA
It is wasting times and monies to discuss about this issue. They should start starving this evil at the same as she did to her fellow citizen. Areak Prey
Roum RITH Cette dame n'est nullement une KR elle partipait aux idées des KR et rallié ensuite à Samdach Ta c'était pas jalousie Tres vaniteuse méprisér des gens quand elle faisait des études en France elle agissait par vengeance il suffit de regarder une fois au pouvoir et une fois gouter les privilèges comme ses camarades Mme Thirith oubliaient toutes les théories Maoites elle mérite non pas la mort mais une condamnation à vie avec des peines non compressible Elle va récolter comme son mari les frits de sa semence
I personnaly experienced the Khmer Rouge atrocity, like other Khmer people. I noticed that in general Female KR were more cruel than male KR. And ot was the case of Ieng Thirith, this disgusting Mante Religieuse!.
Je pense que le tribunal international est très gentil avec Mme Thirith SORCIERE, il faut la faire la même chose, quand le peuple khmer était sous les jougs de Pol Pot et sa clique, la souffrance, la misère, la terreur, la torture psychologique et physique, etc.... Avec tout ça, Mme Thirith SORCIERE va peut être comprendre comment le peuple khmer était vraiment souffert avec ce régime sanguinaire, barbare, voyou, criminel, pas de mot qualifier ce régime.
Pour moi, Mme Thirith SORCIERE devrait être emprisonnée à VIE, et enterrée avec des grosses menottes dans sa tombe.
C'est tout pour l'instance.
why she wants freedom, too? how she thinks millions of the khmer victims under her stupid, idiot KR gov't think about their freedom? for most, they had no chance! hang them all!
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