By Ek Madra
PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Survivors of Cambodia's Khmer Rouge atrocities reacted with pain, anger and relief on Tuesday as they watched Pol Pot's chief torturer in the dock, 30 years after the fall of a regime blamed for 1.7 million deaths.
Nearly 800 people, including saffron-robed Buddhist monks who were persecuted during the 1975-79 Khmer Rouge era, flocked to see the first formal trial of a senior Pol Pot cadre by a U.N.-backed tribunal.
"When I see Duch, my anger comes back," Phok Khan, 56, told Reuters during a break in the trial being held on the outskirts of Phnom Penh.
Duch, also known as Kaing Guek Eav, has admitted to atrocities at S-21, the former school where up to 14,000 "enemies of the revolution" were tortured before being beaten to death in the Killing Fields outside the capital.
Vann Nath was among a handful who survived.
The 63-year-old, white-haired artist, who was beaten by S-21 guards but escaped death due to his talent for painting portraits of Pol Pot, said he had mixed emotions after seeing his former tormentor on trial.
"This is the day we have waited for 30 years. But I don't know if it will end my suffering," he told reporters during a break in the nationally televised hearing.
Duch sat impassively in the wood-paneled court wearing a blue, long-sleeved shirt and sipping water.
He occasionally donned reading glasses, an ironic twist since the Khmer Rouge targeted those who wore spectacles, seeing that as a mark of the intelligentsia and enemies of the revolution.
Duch, now a born-again Christian, has confessed to his crimes but says he was just following orders. The French-speaking teacher-turned-torturer did not address the court on Tuesday.
A court guard sat nearby as the frail ex-commandant wore headphones and took notes while the five-judge panel considered procedural motions.
Outside the glass-enclosed trial chamber, hundreds of Cambodians sat in the public gallery, some listening intently on headphones. A few dozed as Cambodian and international lawyers argued over procedural issues.
HEINOUS ACTS
Them Khean said he had traveled 240 kms (150 miles) from the province of Kompong Thom where Duch and Pol Pot were born.
"I want to see what Duch has to say about his past crimes," said Khean, 65, who lost 10 relatives to starvation and torture.
Va Boeurn, 66, said he wanted to see Duch's face to try to understand how a human being could commit such heinous acts.
"What does his face look like? Why was he so brutal?" asked Boeurn, who lost seven family members during Pol Pol's reign of terror, aimed at building an agrarian utopia.
Most Cambodians lost relatives during four years of killings, starvation and overwork before the Vietnamese army ousted Pol Pot in 1979. Pol Pot died in 1998 in the last Khmer Rouge stronghold of Anlong Veng on the Thai border.
"Duch is in front of the victims. That is all that matters today. It is a moment of importance," said Pierre Olivier-Sure, a lawyer for 15 victims.
(Editing by Darren Schuettler)
Nearly 800 people, including saffron-robed Buddhist monks who were persecuted during the 1975-79 Khmer Rouge era, flocked to see the first formal trial of a senior Pol Pot cadre by a U.N.-backed tribunal.
"When I see Duch, my anger comes back," Phok Khan, 56, told Reuters during a break in the trial being held on the outskirts of Phnom Penh.
Duch, also known as Kaing Guek Eav, has admitted to atrocities at S-21, the former school where up to 14,000 "enemies of the revolution" were tortured before being beaten to death in the Killing Fields outside the capital.
Vann Nath was among a handful who survived.
The 63-year-old, white-haired artist, who was beaten by S-21 guards but escaped death due to his talent for painting portraits of Pol Pot, said he had mixed emotions after seeing his former tormentor on trial.
"This is the day we have waited for 30 years. But I don't know if it will end my suffering," he told reporters during a break in the nationally televised hearing.
Duch sat impassively in the wood-paneled court wearing a blue, long-sleeved shirt and sipping water.
He occasionally donned reading glasses, an ironic twist since the Khmer Rouge targeted those who wore spectacles, seeing that as a mark of the intelligentsia and enemies of the revolution.
Duch, now a born-again Christian, has confessed to his crimes but says he was just following orders. The French-speaking teacher-turned-torturer did not address the court on Tuesday.
A court guard sat nearby as the frail ex-commandant wore headphones and took notes while the five-judge panel considered procedural motions.
Outside the glass-enclosed trial chamber, hundreds of Cambodians sat in the public gallery, some listening intently on headphones. A few dozed as Cambodian and international lawyers argued over procedural issues.
HEINOUS ACTS
Them Khean said he had traveled 240 kms (150 miles) from the province of Kompong Thom where Duch and Pol Pot were born.
"I want to see what Duch has to say about his past crimes," said Khean, 65, who lost 10 relatives to starvation and torture.
Va Boeurn, 66, said he wanted to see Duch's face to try to understand how a human being could commit such heinous acts.
"What does his face look like? Why was he so brutal?" asked Boeurn, who lost seven family members during Pol Pol's reign of terror, aimed at building an agrarian utopia.
Most Cambodians lost relatives during four years of killings, starvation and overwork before the Vietnamese army ousted Pol Pot in 1979. Pol Pot died in 1998 in the last Khmer Rouge stronghold of Anlong Veng on the Thai border.
"Duch is in front of the victims. That is all that matters today. It is a moment of importance," said Pierre Olivier-Sure, a lawyer for 15 victims.
(Editing by Darren Schuettler)
15 comments:
the girls you should escape from having sex
All about war between USA and Vietnam.
Actually, it was a race for millitary bases or strategy between the 3 superpowers: US, Russia, and China.
The show started, but not all the responsible (included US Army, Vietcong and Vietnam) are taking part.
Oh well, life is a bummer.
"War ends only when people love each other." -Buddha.
2 000 000 were killed ,it is enought.
We khmer leu,khmer surin,khmer phnom penh,khmer krom,we love each other,we respect the international law,the international Justice.
After the Killing Field,1975-1979...
Yuon-Hanoi had created another genocide against human being.It was called : " K5 " which was committed also by Hun Sen & his CPP who are the ruler of Cambodia today.
Will they have a fair trial for the innocent Khmers who were injured & killed by K5 ?
It estimated 250,000 to 800,000 Khmers were killed & injured during these evilly Operation,K5.
In man society, by and large, we humans can only do so much, and go so far, in pursuing justice anywhere for any reason.
And we can and will NEVER acquire a full truth from any case or story. We may ask endless questions and receive all answers and still a complete truth cannot be acquired. Why? Because we as humans have limitted capacity in dealing with the unknown.
Only the Divine record that is keeping track in all cases in humans affair, in all generations from the very beginning of the creation and up to this day.
No acts, good or evil, can or will be omitted from the Divine record. And this is true only if we can attest to the creation theory which is, I sincerely believe, 100%logical and truthful.
In the Khmer case of Heaven shaking horror that lasted from midst 1975 to the end of 1979 thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of evil men/women who had committed indescribable violence against the helpless men, women and even tiny infants who were grabbed by the legs and smashed against solid objects like the trunk of a large tree will not escape Divine Grand Justice even though many-many of them may have died or still alive like Duch but never been prosecuted and still live freely in Cambodia, or in foreign countries.
They can only live for so long and then they'll die and remain silent to await the grand and ominous Divine Judgment Day. Actual dreadful moments. Dire.
Of the KR era, the story of my family is no less painful. But I rather brush it off my mind and let the God do His will.
I encourage all who read my post to continue to do good, forget about the time-money wasting trials, and be at peace with your Creator God. It's a life grand insurance without premium. God bless Cambodia. Love you all. Thank you.
Quariam
This is again, you are using "The" with GOD. WITW got into you, Q?
Isn't the word "God" good enough for you? Must you use "The" with everything - Christ, GOD... Jesus Christ!
what went wrong in cambodia has a lot of people(countries) involved. i don't believe it only involved khmer people. i think the carpet bombing in cambodia during the vietnam war has contributed to this as well as the extreme, radical policy idea of the KR leaderships and so on. so, everything must be looked at for this important trial so, hopefully future occurrence can be prevented similar to this kind of atrocity in cambodia. the bottom line is khmer and cambodia was the victim and proper compensation should be given to all khmer people and cambodia for what happened!
QM
you are just another sicko. No wonder Khmer society will never heal. That is what hun Sen exactly does. Anything happening in Cambodian society is not a man- made, but something else, unforseen, beyond human to fix, but God.
You are playing into a killer's trap. Too much god nonsense only makes you a fool.
1:35 AM. I partially agree with you. I am glad some one in here like you is wise. Carpet bombing was from US air based called Utapao, Thailand. Many thousand Thais were killed but no story leaked to outside. Because the US intended to keep Thailand for its own purposes for its own economic empire in S. East Asia. Now the US became Vietnam friend.
Russian army are in Vietnam prepare to defend Vietnam from China attack, no news leaks to outside. Vietnam does not allow any activity inside its country.
China and US are no good for us Cambodians, but we have no way out, but to be friend with China for now.
Cambodia now is a pawn for this economics war between China vs. US.
another fucking idiot lop lop
5;39 AM. My post is 12:05 PM, but your reply to Quariam caught my eyes.
I agree with Quariam, because this KRT is a show for money. The trial located inside the country where the suspect killers are in power. It's only wasting time.
Why only Chinese KR stand trial and Viet KR don't?
I clearly see that US and Vietnam orchastrated this KRT to put the blame on China alone. Most sufferings in Cambodia caused by Viets not Chinese.
Ah kantorb 12:07 PM.
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