Voice of America
Editorials Reflecting the Views of the United States Government
Thirty years after the fall of a dictatorship believed to have killed almost 2 million people, prosecutors with a special tribunal in Cambodia are preparing the first trial for one of the regime’s key leaders.
While the crimes committed by the Khmer Rouge in the late 1970s were enormous, with the prosecution of Kaing Khek Iev a measure of justice will begin returning to the former killing fields.
Robert Petit, with the Extraordinary Chambers of the Courts of Cambodia, said Kaing will be tried for genocide and other crimes beginning in March. Known as Duch, he commanded the Tuol Sleng prison in Phnom Penh where at least 15,000 people are believed to have been tortured or killed in the regime’s campaign to totally remake Cambodian society.
Four other Khmer Rouge leaders also tied to crimes against humanity have also been detained and face trial after Kaing. The announcement came on Remembrance Day, the anniversary marking the regime’s removal in 1979.
The United States supports the efforts of Cambodia and the international community to bring to justice those most responsible for serious violations of international humanitarian law under the Khmer Rouge regime.
While the crimes committed by the Khmer Rouge in the late 1970s were enormous, with the prosecution of Kaing Khek Iev a measure of justice will begin returning to the former killing fields.
Robert Petit, with the Extraordinary Chambers of the Courts of Cambodia, said Kaing will be tried for genocide and other crimes beginning in March. Known as Duch, he commanded the Tuol Sleng prison in Phnom Penh where at least 15,000 people are believed to have been tortured or killed in the regime’s campaign to totally remake Cambodian society.
Four other Khmer Rouge leaders also tied to crimes against humanity have also been detained and face trial after Kaing. The announcement came on Remembrance Day, the anniversary marking the regime’s removal in 1979.
The United States supports the efforts of Cambodia and the international community to bring to justice those most responsible for serious violations of international humanitarian law under the Khmer Rouge regime.
4 comments:
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Does "justice" exist in Cambodia where Hun Sen pees on the laws?
Ah Jkout (Heng Soy) is on drug to think the US is the world's judge or something. They may bark, but they won't dare.
well, i think it is finding overall justice for all cambodians. please understand that we all have to learn from past history in order to facilatate or help to set a strong foundation for the future because it we ignore the past, we will never learn to better the future. so, the KR trial is important because it makes us understand the root of the problem in the first place in order to prevent such problems, mistakes, etc. from reoccurring or happening again. so, we cannot ignore this part of history by thinking that it is unimportant or people would called it "let bygone be bygone" or whatever because that is not learning from history; instead, it is prone to repeat the same old, same old injustice over and over again. please understand the importance of having a KR trial. not everyone is educated enough to understand this, thus we must educate people about it so we all can have an understanding of what's going on. thank you.
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