April 24, 2009Media News International
In a groundbreaking new documentary CNN’s Dan Rivers goes on the hunt for Ta Chan, the chief interrogator of the Khmer Rouge’s notorious S-21 prison camp. For the program, CNN obtained exclusive and previously unseen footage of Ta Chan giving a tour of another Khmer Rouge jungle prison. CNN’s Rivers also details corruption allegations at the Phnom Penh trial of Khmer Rouge leaders, reporting on prosecution and defense fears that the trial will be tainted by the allegations.
As S-21 commandant Comrade Duch and four Khmer Rouge colleagues currently face justice in the UN-backed trial, Ta Chan (left) continues to live in a remote Cambodian village. While he has not been charged with any crime, survivors say Ta Chan played a key role at S21. Rivers talks with Chan’s family as the alleged former torture chief hides from cameras. In exclusive footage from 1996, uncovered by the program’s editorial team, Ta Chan gives a guided tour of what he said at the time was a recently closed Khmer Rouge prison in the jungle. The documentary chronicles in painful detail how torture was part of S-21’s daily regime, resulting in up to 14,000 deaths.
Among the program’s extraordinary moments, a survivor of S21 sees himself on film shot the day he was rescued. At the time, Norng Champhal was a young child, whose mother was among those executed. More than 30 years later, he breaks down in tears, (left) as he sees the images and recounts the horror of the death camp, describing how he survived by hiding in a pile of discarded clothes.
This program also features rarely seen footage from 1998 of the last known TV interview with ailing Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot (left) who led the country into the horrors of genocide. The Khmer Rouge killed a greater proportion of their own people - more than 1.7 million men, women and children - than any other regime in the twentieth century.
Thirty years on, five Khmer Rouge leaders are in court facing the most serious charges imaginable, but both defence and prosecution lawyers tell Rivers that the credibility of the UN-backed war crimes tribunal is being jeopardized by the corruption allegations.
While there are no suggestions the judges or lawyers are involved, employees of the court’s Office of Administration described pressure to to provide kickbacks to supervisors to keep their jobs. The employees say the combined amounts of the kickbacks were large: “Thousand dollars. 30 or 40 thousand US dollars a month.”
The Chief of Defence Section of the trial, Richard Rogers, adds: “It (the trial collapsing) is becoming a real possibility…the victims who’ve been waiting for 30 years for these trials deserve justice…peace…closure.” The UN’s internal affairs body confirmed to CNN it has investigated the alleged corruption in the court administration, but would not share the results of the investigation. The Cambodian government also confirmed an investigation, but says no evidence of corruption was found.
Airtimes:
Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Singapore and Taipei
Friday, May 1 at 1100
Sunday, May 3 at 0100, 0630 & 2230
Monday, May 4 at 1030
Bangkok and Jakarta
Saturday, May 2 at 1000 & 1530
Sunday, May 3 at 0000, 0530 & 2130
Monday, May 4 at 0930
As S-21 commandant Comrade Duch and four Khmer Rouge colleagues currently face justice in the UN-backed trial, Ta Chan (left) continues to live in a remote Cambodian village. While he has not been charged with any crime, survivors say Ta Chan played a key role at S21. Rivers talks with Chan’s family as the alleged former torture chief hides from cameras. In exclusive footage from 1996, uncovered by the program’s editorial team, Ta Chan gives a guided tour of what he said at the time was a recently closed Khmer Rouge prison in the jungle. The documentary chronicles in painful detail how torture was part of S-21’s daily regime, resulting in up to 14,000 deaths.
Among the program’s extraordinary moments, a survivor of S21 sees himself on film shot the day he was rescued. At the time, Norng Champhal was a young child, whose mother was among those executed. More than 30 years later, he breaks down in tears, (left) as he sees the images and recounts the horror of the death camp, describing how he survived by hiding in a pile of discarded clothes.
This program also features rarely seen footage from 1998 of the last known TV interview with ailing Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot (left) who led the country into the horrors of genocide. The Khmer Rouge killed a greater proportion of their own people - more than 1.7 million men, women and children - than any other regime in the twentieth century.
Thirty years on, five Khmer Rouge leaders are in court facing the most serious charges imaginable, but both defence and prosecution lawyers tell Rivers that the credibility of the UN-backed war crimes tribunal is being jeopardized by the corruption allegations.
While there are no suggestions the judges or lawyers are involved, employees of the court’s Office of Administration described pressure to to provide kickbacks to supervisors to keep their jobs. The employees say the combined amounts of the kickbacks were large: “Thousand dollars. 30 or 40 thousand US dollars a month.”
The Chief of Defence Section of the trial, Richard Rogers, adds: “It (the trial collapsing) is becoming a real possibility…the victims who’ve been waiting for 30 years for these trials deserve justice…peace…closure.” The UN’s internal affairs body confirmed to CNN it has investigated the alleged corruption in the court administration, but would not share the results of the investigation. The Cambodian government also confirmed an investigation, but says no evidence of corruption was found.
Airtimes:
Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Singapore and Taipei
Friday, May 1 at 1100
Sunday, May 3 at 0100, 0630 & 2230
Monday, May 4 at 1030
Bangkok and Jakarta
Saturday, May 2 at 1000 & 1530
Sunday, May 3 at 0000, 0530 & 2130
Monday, May 4 at 0930
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