S-21 victim (Photo: EPA)
Former Khmer Rouge prison chief, Kaing Guek Eav (right), talks with his defence lawyer, Francois Roux Photo: AFP/ GETTY IMAGES The Khmer Rouge's chief torturer has finally faced a court more than 30 years after he is said to have overseen the murder and torture of more than 15,000 Cambodians.
17 Feb 2009
By Thomas Bell in Phnom Penh
The Telegraph (UK)
Kaing Guek Eav, 66, better known as Comrade Duch, was executioner for the ultra-Maoist regime which devastated Cambodia in the late 1970s.
The former maths teacher is accused of torturing and then murdering thousands of men, women and children incarcerated at the prison he ran in a former Phnom Penh high school.
Chief judge Nil Nonn told the court and a packed public gallery of 500 witnesses: "This first hearing represents the realisation of significant efforts in establishing a fair and independent tribunal to try those in senior leadership positions."
The trial is the result of a decade of strained negotiations between Cambodia and the United Nations and three years of faltering preparations.
The opening exchanges of a day of dry legal argument were broadcast live on national television and radio. Witness testimony, and Duch's own highly anticipated account of events, are not expected until next month.
At least 1.7 million Cambodians, equivalent to almost a quarter of the population, are believed to have been killed or died of starvation and overwork during a reign of terror that lasted little over three years.
Only around a dozen prisoners are known to have survived Duch's torture centre, known as S-21.
One of the survivors, Vann Nath, who entered the court with two other former inmates, said: "This is the day we have waited for, for 30 years. But I don't know if it will end my suffering."
Yet although Duch answered to the party's central committee he was not one of the regime's top leaders.
Pol Pot, the Khmer Rouge's 'Brother Number One' died in 1998. The four most senior surviving leaders are all in custody awaiting trial, although many fear that the process is running so slowly that some of them may also die before facing justice.
Many observers believe the Cambodian government is deliberately slowing the process to prevent sensitive history from being raked over in court. Many powerful people in Cambodia have dubious histories they may prefer to forget.
The latest controversy to effect the court is over how many people to prosecute – with the international prosecutor recommending six more suspects while his Cambodian colleague has opposed fresh cases, drawing allegations of political interference.
According to Brad Adams of Human Rights Watch: "There are dozens of people with thousands of deaths on their hands running around out there still. They deserve their day in court."
Nevertheless, for the first time Cambodians are now looking forward to hearing from at least one of the perpetrators why the genocide took place. "Today is very important for me. I will listen very clearly for the reasons that the Khmer Rouge killed people," said Oum Yon, whose father and two brothers were killed.
17 Feb 2009
By Thomas Bell in Phnom Penh
The Telegraph (UK)
Kaing Guek Eav, 66, better known as Comrade Duch, was executioner for the ultra-Maoist regime which devastated Cambodia in the late 1970s.
The former maths teacher is accused of torturing and then murdering thousands of men, women and children incarcerated at the prison he ran in a former Phnom Penh high school.
Chief judge Nil Nonn told the court and a packed public gallery of 500 witnesses: "This first hearing represents the realisation of significant efforts in establishing a fair and independent tribunal to try those in senior leadership positions."
The trial is the result of a decade of strained negotiations between Cambodia and the United Nations and three years of faltering preparations.
The opening exchanges of a day of dry legal argument were broadcast live on national television and radio. Witness testimony, and Duch's own highly anticipated account of events, are not expected until next month.
At least 1.7 million Cambodians, equivalent to almost a quarter of the population, are believed to have been killed or died of starvation and overwork during a reign of terror that lasted little over three years.
Only around a dozen prisoners are known to have survived Duch's torture centre, known as S-21.
One of the survivors, Vann Nath, who entered the court with two other former inmates, said: "This is the day we have waited for, for 30 years. But I don't know if it will end my suffering."
Yet although Duch answered to the party's central committee he was not one of the regime's top leaders.
Pol Pot, the Khmer Rouge's 'Brother Number One' died in 1998. The four most senior surviving leaders are all in custody awaiting trial, although many fear that the process is running so slowly that some of them may also die before facing justice.
Many observers believe the Cambodian government is deliberately slowing the process to prevent sensitive history from being raked over in court. Many powerful people in Cambodia have dubious histories they may prefer to forget.
The latest controversy to effect the court is over how many people to prosecute – with the international prosecutor recommending six more suspects while his Cambodian colleague has opposed fresh cases, drawing allegations of political interference.
According to Brad Adams of Human Rights Watch: "There are dozens of people with thousands of deaths on their hands running around out there still. They deserve their day in court."
Nevertheless, for the first time Cambodians are now looking forward to hearing from at least one of the perpetrators why the genocide took place. "Today is very important for me. I will listen very clearly for the reasons that the Khmer Rouge killed people," said Oum Yon, whose father and two brothers were killed.
10 comments:
It's not fair to put Duch to stand trail as chief of S 21.
How about Ah Hor Namhong chief of B 32 or head of administration of Boeng Trabek ? He killed and tortured my families, And Ah Hor Namhong had killed and tortured as many Cambodians as Duch.
And how about all chief in the whole country?
all khmer victimes urge the court to put Ah Hor Namhong to stand trial too, otherwise, this court is serving bias between khmer rouge and Khmer vietcong-vietminh.
What about ah Hun Sen and this freaking king known as Sihanouk???
Hey ah Duch,
Notes bien que quelques lyceens de ta promotion du Lycee de Kompong Thom sont encore vivants...
Ah shinaouk! hun Sen! ho nam hong! the the rest of ccp need to go to jail!
Mother fucker 8;17 AM.
Leave King Sihanouk out.
motives for killing are various:
1)since pol pot regime gripped tight over its people, this ruling could very possibly murder its people by just accusing and framing others just as "cia" or any other prominent figures that could potentially destabilize the regime.
2)pol pot the leader copied exactly the leading styles from Moa Se Tong then-leader during that time. however, compared with capacity of leading machines and brains with china, cambodia during pol pot was just an infant and could hardly protect itself from rough long-time enermies like siam and especially vietnam. this point is in agreement with the points raised by those who are not in favor with Jan. 7th celebration.
and it is worth raising the polices of vn back during Ho chi Minch, the policies targeting to moving to occupy the east, which is Cambodia in the present day. Vn strategically occupies khmer territories bit by bit by indoctrinate and poison khmer leaders, by following exact pattern of claiming Kampuchea Krom.
Vn would not want khmer to have political stability and would not want khmer to be united. by somehow, someway some means, vn would conquer in khmer spirits, in khmer leadership, which serves their long term planned policy: moving toward the east!
To 7:11 AM
Yes, I absolutely agree with you, why only Duch?? why Duch not Hong? why not many others who were holding higher positions than Duch during KR?? I believe they deserve the court, too!!
That is one of reasons that Hun Sen keeps delaying the process!!!
Oh,,, sorry everyone I forgot that Hun Sen and his men are untouchable!!! How money government heads even Bush or Obama ever dare to criticize Sen?? But Sen is a man who has everything that many others need!!!
- 7:11 AM
- 11:09 AM
Shut up why not just do one by one ? you wanna get em all at one time ?
get this fool first and the rest when times come ok ?
now STFU
8:17 I agree with 1000%.
Nuv mane teat, Usa, China, Youn(Vietnam), and Ussr.
Sama sam puttu.
Ah Youn dai dol jeang ke.
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