Former Khmer Rouge official Kaing Guek Eav has admitted to condemning thousands of people to death as head of the Khmer Rouge's torture center, Tuol Sleng.
Former Chief of State Khieu Samphan claims that he was not directly responsible for atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge.March 27, 2009
Compiled by Kate Stanton for NewsHour Extra
National Public Radio (USA)
The first of five Khmer Rouge leaders will appear before a tribunal next week for committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979.
In an attempt to establish an extreme form of communism based on peasant labor, the Khmer Rouge is considered responsible for the deaths of at least 1.7 million people through torture, starvation and execution.
The first trial will begin next week for Kaing Guek Eav, former leader of the Khmer Rouge’s largest torture center Tuol Sleng, where at least 14,000 people were killed. Four other senior Khmer Rouge officials are currently detained and under investigation.
Former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in 2006 that the crimes committed by the Khmer Rouge “were of a character and scale that it was still almost impossible to comprehend."
“The victims of those horrific crimes have waited too long for justice,” he added.
A classless society?
The Cambodian communist party Khmer Rouge rose to power in 1975 by positioning themselves as defenders of the peasant class and in opposition to American involvement in Southeast Asia and Vietnamese occupation of parts of Cambodia.
Under the leadership of Pol Pot, the Khmer Rouge extolled the virtues of the rural farming classes while objecting to any group that they associated with capitalist class ideology – including people from the cities, teachers, and working professionals.
Dreaming of a utopian farming society, the Khmer Rouge moved much of Cambodia’s urban population to the countryside to work in agricultural labor camps where many people died from exhaustion, starvation and sickness.
Although most of the Khmer Rouge leaders were middle-class graduates of foreign universities, they hoped to turn Cambodia into a classless society by eliminating private property and forcing people to work on farming communes.
They made a distinction between “old people,” the preexisting farming class, and “new people,” former city-dwellers. The “new people” were subject to much harsher treatment, living and working in the most laborious, unsanitary and dangerous conditions.
The 'Killing Fields'
The Khmer Rouge leadership tortured and executed many people for sympathizing with suspected “enemy” groups like foreign governments, religious institutions and intellectuals.
After interrogation and torture at a prison like Tuol Sleng, the accused and their families were often brought to so-called “Killing Fields,” sites where mass executions took place.
One of the most infamous sites is Choeung Ek, where thousands of people were executed with pickaxes and buried together in large graves. After the fall of the Khmer Rouge, almost 9,000 bodies were discovered at Choeung Ek and today, around 5,000 skulls of the executed are on display at the site as a memorial to the dead.
Delayed justice
Former Chief of State Khieu Samphan claims that he was not directly responsible for atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge.
Following an invasion from the Vietnamese in 1979, the Khmer Rouge lost power but remained in tact as a fringe group until 1996, when Pol Pot formally disbanded the group.
Economic troubles and political wrangling delayed the arrangement of a court to try the perpetrators of the Cambodian genocide. The Cambodian government finally approved a mix of local and United Nations judges to oversee the tribunal in 2006, three decades after the Khmer Rouge’s crimes took place.
Called the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, the court will try the officials under both Cambodian and international criminal law.
Along with Kaing Guek Eav – commonly known as Duch – the court will also try 82 year-old second-in-command Nuon Chea, and former Chief of State, Khieu Samphan, who recently suffered a stroke.
Former Foreign Minister Ieng Sary and his wife former Deputy Prime Minister Ieng Thirith will also appear before the tribunal.
Human rights groups have criticized the length of time it has taken to prosecute the accused, worrying that the Khmer Rouge officials will die before they can be brought to justice. The Khmer Rouge’s most notorious leader, Pol Pot, died in 1998.
In an attempt to establish an extreme form of communism based on peasant labor, the Khmer Rouge is considered responsible for the deaths of at least 1.7 million people through torture, starvation and execution.
The first trial will begin next week for Kaing Guek Eav, former leader of the Khmer Rouge’s largest torture center Tuol Sleng, where at least 14,000 people were killed. Four other senior Khmer Rouge officials are currently detained and under investigation.
Former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in 2006 that the crimes committed by the Khmer Rouge “were of a character and scale that it was still almost impossible to comprehend."
“The victims of those horrific crimes have waited too long for justice,” he added.
A classless society?
The Cambodian communist party Khmer Rouge rose to power in 1975 by positioning themselves as defenders of the peasant class and in opposition to American involvement in Southeast Asia and Vietnamese occupation of parts of Cambodia.
Under the leadership of Pol Pot, the Khmer Rouge extolled the virtues of the rural farming classes while objecting to any group that they associated with capitalist class ideology – including people from the cities, teachers, and working professionals.
Dreaming of a utopian farming society, the Khmer Rouge moved much of Cambodia’s urban population to the countryside to work in agricultural labor camps where many people died from exhaustion, starvation and sickness.
Although most of the Khmer Rouge leaders were middle-class graduates of foreign universities, they hoped to turn Cambodia into a classless society by eliminating private property and forcing people to work on farming communes.
They made a distinction between “old people,” the preexisting farming class, and “new people,” former city-dwellers. The “new people” were subject to much harsher treatment, living and working in the most laborious, unsanitary and dangerous conditions.
The 'Killing Fields'
The Khmer Rouge leadership tortured and executed many people for sympathizing with suspected “enemy” groups like foreign governments, religious institutions and intellectuals.
After interrogation and torture at a prison like Tuol Sleng, the accused and their families were often brought to so-called “Killing Fields,” sites where mass executions took place.
One of the most infamous sites is Choeung Ek, where thousands of people were executed with pickaxes and buried together in large graves. After the fall of the Khmer Rouge, almost 9,000 bodies were discovered at Choeung Ek and today, around 5,000 skulls of the executed are on display at the site as a memorial to the dead.
Delayed justice
Former Chief of State Khieu Samphan claims that he was not directly responsible for atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge.
Following an invasion from the Vietnamese in 1979, the Khmer Rouge lost power but remained in tact as a fringe group until 1996, when Pol Pot formally disbanded the group.
Economic troubles and political wrangling delayed the arrangement of a court to try the perpetrators of the Cambodian genocide. The Cambodian government finally approved a mix of local and United Nations judges to oversee the tribunal in 2006, three decades after the Khmer Rouge’s crimes took place.
Called the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, the court will try the officials under both Cambodian and international criminal law.
Along with Kaing Guek Eav – commonly known as Duch – the court will also try 82 year-old second-in-command Nuon Chea, and former Chief of State, Khieu Samphan, who recently suffered a stroke.
Former Foreign Minister Ieng Sary and his wife former Deputy Prime Minister Ieng Thirith will also appear before the tribunal.
Human rights groups have criticized the length of time it has taken to prosecute the accused, worrying that the Khmer Rouge officials will die before they can be brought to justice. The Khmer Rouge’s most notorious leader, Pol Pot, died in 1998.
19 comments:
If anyone claims that "all religion is good," that person is the most dumb one on this planet earth.
This idiot leader must fully responsible for his regime to kill millions of People. Regardless, he has killed directly or not was not important. But his regime was so cruel from day one. If he was a good man he should joint this bloody regime at all. HIs regime was full of revenge and full of nonsense policy. He must be charged to the most heavy punishement on earth for killing his own people of three and half millions people. He should be cut by guilotine inch by inch for medical research. Areak Prey
And what's the difference between Khieu Sam Phan and N. Sihanouk, as both were the former Khmer Rouge leaders, Presidents of Democratic Kampuchea ???
ECCC must brink N.Sihanouk to testify for his involvement in the Crime Agains Humanity, the Khmer Killing Fields of his own subjects.
Otherwise there will be no JUSTICE
for Khmer Victims.
The author of Norna Chea Kheatakors
Reas Khmers ?
Hin Sithan
Pritheacha(s) Hin Sithan and Areak Prey!!
Were you both former Khmer Rouge?
Many knew Pritheacah Hin Sithan was a former Khmer Rouge, though he denied.
Can ECCC summond Pritheacha Hin Sithan to testify? He also associates with Ly Ngoc Dinh a fake KK.
New generation want to know.
You two are too extreme and lack of real substances real sources.
Your generation sucked big time.
Hin Sithan was a former KK, don't know about Areak Prey.
His book posted in his friend fake KK news paper paid by Viet who knows? He is on his way to divide Khmers for Vietnamese/Thais. Hin Sithan is a monster.
Look at the two generations:
Areak Prey/Hin Sithan generation is extreme, cold like ice, merciless, close mind, and chopped the film to promote hate and division, generation of self extermination.
New generation is more open mind and they understand the problems from French colony to cold war to KR regime 'til this regime.
KSamphan was a Chinese spy sent to infiltrate in Vietnamese KR who are now in power, Vietnamese caught them and now they stand trial.
Vietnamese the mastermind of the killings but their win-win stategy is too good to be true.
How about VietKR Hor Nam Hong? He was a director of the prison that Duch killed.
To 9:10
Areak Prey is NOT Khmer Rouge okay.
Hun Sen, Chea Sim and Heng Samrin are former Khmer Rouge commanders, they are responsible for killing 1.7 million innocent Khmer peoples in Cambodia.
I think we should torture these old bastard Khmers Rouge in Toul Sleng or Cheung Ek just like they did to 2 million innocent souls.
Therefore, we don't have to waste times and moneys. Keep the money for poor Cambodian people.
Forget about the stupit court that is control by Hun Sen.
Khmer/NY
OK build the torture chamber in your house like Saddam Hussen's sons did, and do it fast.
You just told the world that Buddhists and Islams are the same.
Calm down 1008am.
Khmer/NY is learning from Chinese Mafia and torturing like eating pork chop.
Buddhists now scared me. Thai Buddhists tortured the Burmese Islams, Khmer Buddhists talking of torturing people with guilotine.
Man from now on I must run for my life if I am told by some people they are Buddhists.
7:45 AM,
Not all religions are good, but major religions are good, just that people failed to practice.
Buddha was an advanced soul, he was here to finish his duty teaching humans to avoid Bab, but humans do the opposite.
Christ was here to teach humans to love one another, feed the poor and to lay down weapons from hurting people, to know God.
In the old day the christianity was killer opposite to Christ taught.
Muhammed I really don't know, but the killing of infidels keeps continuing. They said the infidels are us who are not Muslims.
Two Buddhist Nations that now scared the world are: Cambodia and Thailand.
Today the foreigners aren't really trusting Khmer/Thai Buddhists although they love and respect Dala Lama.
I was surprised to hear a young body in Europe asked me "Do Monks have a lot of guns in Buddhist Temples?"
10:57 AM
What you mean about Buddhist in Thailan/Cambodia ?
Dalai Lama is just a Big Puppet of some Caucasians. The reason not go back to Tibet, because he is not able to reintegrate with his own citizen. He don't like to live with Chinese or with his Tibetanese, but loves to dance around with the white friends. Buddha was not a king, but Dalai Lama is a king behind the mask of Buddha. He wanted to take part at the Football congress in South Africa. All just the bad idea from the craze Caucasians.
Thai Buddhists killed at least 50000 Hmong by chemical warfare, killed about 3000 Khmers and killed Bumese, Laos and Malaysians. Khmer Buddhists were brainwashed by Communist doctrine fashioned to revenge against the educated and the rich. This message was powerful that's why millions were killed by the peasants.
Khmer/Thai Buddhists don't understand the concept of Buddhism taught by Buddha.
You are right Khmer/Thai Buddhists are 2nd Islamists.
Hin Sithan kann Thailands SPION sein. Thailand und Vietnamesen arbeiten zusammen, um Kambodschaner zu abschaffen.
Sein Freund ist Le Diep, ein vietnamesischer Spion. Kein Wunder, welches die zwei versuchen, unseren König für Vietnamesisch-Thailand zu abschaffen.
My loving Khmer people.
We must observe and be careful how we commit ourselves. Let tyrants fear but we must behave ourselves as noble people of Khmer Varaman Kings, under God, and place our strengths and safeguard in the loyal hearts and goodwill of our good loving people.
We all together at this time not for our "disunity" but being resolved in the middle of our battle against our enemyy who have deeply invaded inside our Kingdom for centuries.
To live or die among us all, to lay down for our God for our Kingdom and for our people, our honors and our blood even in the dust, we must unite and leave the past behind.
We now have a small Kingdom left for us but we have the hearts and stomach of great warriors, and the tyrants should dare not to invade the borders of our Kingdom.
Multiple souls of Varaman Kings are in ours.
Agree with your comments above! we must come together, all of my brother and sister khmer around the globe...
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