Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Father and daughter attend trial's opening

03/30/2009
By Albert J.Repicci
and Kelly Repicci
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS
Greenwich Time (Connecticut, USA)


Editor's note: Greenwich orthodontist Albert Repicci and his daughter Kelly are attending the genocide trial of former Khmer Rouge official Kaing Guek Eav as observers. They filed this dispatch from Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Phnom Penh, Cambodia­ -- Dith Pran is dead. The Cambodian photojournalist who coined the phrase "The Killing Fields" and introduced the world to the prism of terror wrought by the barbaric Khmer Rouge in the movie bearing the same name, died on March 30, 2008. How ironic that on this the one year anniversary of Pran's death, the seemingly impossible has happened. The trial of one of the Khmer Rouge's henchman Kaing Guek Eav, known by his revolutionary name "Duch," has begun.

Many Cambodians have tried to distance themselves from the horrors of that period and remain detached from the trial proceeding as they struggle with the day-to-day reality of scratching out a meager living. It is estimated that 85 percent of the population has a disconnect with the trial proceedings, in large part due to the 30-year delay in assigning culpability to the Khmer leadership and a suspicion of corruption in the judicial process.

That disconnect, however, was nowhere to be seen this morning as the first day of Duch's trial began and the courthouse was overrun with would be spectators nudging for a seat in the trial chamber or to at least gain entrance to the viewing room designed to accommodate the overflow crowd.

It was revealing to watch the assemblage gather for the long awaited moment of addressing justice denied and the hope that this national catharsis will lead to national reconciliation. Those granted entry fell into one of several categories, either as officials and ministers, representatives of NGOs, victims of the Khmer Rouge, the media and the general public. The auditorium-style spectator seating was separated by a glass shield from the seven-member judicial chamber, the participants in the trial and the accused.

To include the broadest possible viewership the trial is being broadcast in English, Khmer and French. As the assemblage began to swell, the foreign guests and ministers engaged each other much as they might have at a church service, extending cordialities and quiet smiles.

In stark contrast, however, are many of the Cambodians. Old enough to have lived through the decimation of 1.7 million members of their families, friends and communities they showed a much more somber countenance as they entered the courtroom forced, yet again, to relive the unimaginable horrors of the Khmer Rouge reign of terror. Their pensive faces betrayed an outward calm as the accused was ushered into the dock. Duch allegedly methodically sentenced every one of the 14,000 men, women and children in his prison to be systematically tortured and brutally murdered.

After the president of the judicial chambers gave opening comments, a court official was instructed to read the text and summary of the accusations against Duch.

The summation took four hours to complete with coded references made to those protected witnesses whose charges led to Duch's indictment for crimes against humanity and breaches of the Geneva Convention. The graphic nature of the witness description of the nature of the torture made the whole assemblage wince. Tears welled up in the eyes of the 45-year-old Cambodian seated next to me whose father was a victim of the Khmer carnage. The defense counsel then requested that sections of the charges be stricken from the record, a request that was denied by the panel of judges.

At the end of the day's proceeding, members of the media were scrambling outside the courtroom to interview victims of the atrocities, a task made much easier by the very fact that every Cambodian present was, in some fashion, a victim.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

If you voted for CPP (Cambodian People's Party):

Also known as:

Communist Party of Kampuchea
Khmer Revolution Party
Khmer Rouge Party
Khmer Krorhorm Party - គណបក្សខ្មែរក្រហម

You're support the killing of 1.7 million innocent Khmer peoples from 1975 to 1979 in Cambodia.

You're support the killing at least sixteen innocent men, women and children on March 30, 1997 Grenade Attack in Cambodia.

You're support assassination of journalists in Cambodia.

You're support political assassination and killing in Cambodia.

You're support attempted assassination and murder of leader of the free trade union in Cambodia.

You're support corruptions in Cambodia.

You're support murder of Piseth Pilika (Hun Sen's affaire).

You're support Hun Sen Regime burn poor people's house down to the ground and leave them homeless.


Hun Sen, Chea Sim and Heng Samrin was a former Khmer Rouge commanders.

Now, Hun Sen, Chea Sim and Heng Samrin are Khmer Rouge leaders, since their leader (Pol Pot) is dead.

From 1975 to 1979, these Khmer Rouge commanders responsible for killing 1.7 million innocent Khmer peoples in Cambodia.

From 1980 to present, these Khmer Rouge leaders responsible for killing innocent men, women and children on March 30, 1997, assassinated journalists, political assassination and killing, murder of Piseth Pilika (Hun Sen's affaire) and attempted assassinate and murder of leader of the free trade union in Cambodia.

When is the ECCC going to bring these three criminals to U.N. Khmer Rouge Tribunal?

Khmer Rouge Regime is a genocide organization.

Hun Sen Regime is a terrorist organization.
Hun Sen Bodyguards is a terrorist organization.
Hun Sen Death Squad is a terrorist organization.
Cambodian People's Party is a terrorist organization.

I have declare the current Cambodian government which is lead by the Cambodian People's Party as a terrorist organization.

Whoever associate with the current Cambodian government are associate with a terrorist organization.


Khmer Rouge Regime had committed:

Torture
Execution
Massacre
Atrocities
War Crimes
Crimes Against Humanity
Starvations
Overwork to Death
Slavery
Rapes
Abuses
Assault and Battery


Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Regime had committed:

Assassination
Murder
Killing
Grenade Attack
Terrorism
Drive by Shooting
Intimidation
Death Threat
Threatening
Human Rights Abuses
Human Trafficking
Drugs Trafficking
Under Age Child Sex
Mass Evictions
Land Grabbing
Corruptions
Illegal Firearms
Illegal Logging
Acid Attacks
Injustice
Steal Votes
Violate the Constitution


These are the Trade Marks of Hun Sen's Khmer Rouge Regime.

Under Hun Sen Regime, no criminals that has been committed murder and all other crimes within Hun Sen's government have ever been brought to justice.


THE MARCH 30, 1997 GRENADE ATTACK IN CAMBODIA
March 30, 1997
http://www.cambodiapolitic.org/doc_30_march_1997/30_march_97.htm

FBI investigation
http://www.cambodiapolitic.org/doc_30_march_1997/suspect.htm

U.S. Senate Investigation
http://www.cambodiapolitic.org/doc_30_march_1997/march_30_97_report.pdf

PISETH PILIKA ASSASSINATION
http://www.cambodiapolitic.org/New%20Piset%20Pilika/new_page_1.htm

CHEA VICHEA ASSASSINATION
http://www.cambodiapolitic.org/Chea%20Vichea%20Photos/index.htm

STATEMENT OF HENG PEOV
http://ia311543.us.archive.org/1/items/HengPoevStatementofHengPoev/Statement_of_Heng_Peov.pdf


I have a question for Hun Sen's government.
Since Hun Sen's government likes to assassinate innocent peoples.
Does Hun Sen's government have any plan to assassinate the U.N. Khmer Rouge Tribunal judges?

Information change without notice as it become available.