Original report from Phnom Penh
01 April 2009
Entering the third day of his trial, Duch agreed to accept all the charges against him as chief of Tuol Sleng prison, known to the Khmer Rouge as S-21, as prosecutors read through their entire indictment.
Duch’s indictment includes 260 crimes committed when he was head of S-21, the nearby prison of Prey Sar, and the Choeng Ek execution ground, where as many as 16,000 Cambodians were killed and dumped into mass graves.
All of them relate to charges he faces for war crimes, crimes against humanity, torture and murder.
Duch, 66, spent nearly three hours before Trial Chamber judges, reading along as prosecutor Robert Petit announced the charges against him. Step by step, Duch agreed through his lawyers to every charge.
He disagreed with only one phrase. He requested that the words “Tuol Sleng” be removed from the terminology. The prison was called S-21 when he was its director, he said, and was only called Tuol Sleng after the regime fell.
Aside from that, Duch had no disagreements with any of the indictments, and his acceptance of responsibility for each crime was well met by those who had come to see the trial.
“The confession to the crimes and acceptance of the indictment by Duch is the right thing,
Ouy Poch, 39, who watched the proceedings Wednesay, said.
This was the first time he heard Khmer Rouge cadre publicly accept responsibility for individual crimes, he said.
“Duch expressed loyalty for the court, for the witnesses and the souls of the dead in Tuol Sleng, but it is not enough for Duch,” he said. “The court should punish him according to the law.”
Var Reena, 45, said Duch’s case was important for “all the Cambodian people.”
“Especially, he knows his mistakes, and his taking responsibility for his mistakes is not a bad thing,” she said.
On April 6, Duch will face questions from prosecutors and judges.
Duch’s indictment includes 260 crimes committed when he was head of S-21, the nearby prison of Prey Sar, and the Choeng Ek execution ground, where as many as 16,000 Cambodians were killed and dumped into mass graves.
All of them relate to charges he faces for war crimes, crimes against humanity, torture and murder.
Duch, 66, spent nearly three hours before Trial Chamber judges, reading along as prosecutor Robert Petit announced the charges against him. Step by step, Duch agreed through his lawyers to every charge.
He disagreed with only one phrase. He requested that the words “Tuol Sleng” be removed from the terminology. The prison was called S-21 when he was its director, he said, and was only called Tuol Sleng after the regime fell.
Aside from that, Duch had no disagreements with any of the indictments, and his acceptance of responsibility for each crime was well met by those who had come to see the trial.
“The confession to the crimes and acceptance of the indictment by Duch is the right thing,
Ouy Poch, 39, who watched the proceedings Wednesay, said.
This was the first time he heard Khmer Rouge cadre publicly accept responsibility for individual crimes, he said.
“Duch expressed loyalty for the court, for the witnesses and the souls of the dead in Tuol Sleng, but it is not enough for Duch,” he said. “The court should punish him according to the law.”
Var Reena, 45, said Duch’s case was important for “all the Cambodian people.”
“Especially, he knows his mistakes, and his taking responsibility for his mistakes is not a bad thing,” she said.
On April 6, Duch will face questions from prosecutors and judges.
10 comments:
Duch should be indicted with 260 time 100=26,000 crimes.
Let's burn this animal alive with gasoline.
This man finally admitted to his crimes...at least he's not denying the fact that he killed a lot of khmer people at the Toulsleng prison. All other khmer rouge cadre such as hun sen, king sihanook, Ieang Sary, Ieng Tirith should take Duch's as example. They should come forward to admit their crimes. If not, they should be put on trial as soon as possible.
this is a good sample to all Khmer rouge Leaders Incude Hun Sen , Sihanuk , Heng Samrin , Hea Sim ... to come forward and accept all the responsibility that they did to all 1.7 million Khmer people .
we all know that most Khmer leaders are very coward when it comes to accept their misleaded responsibility .
Kmenh Khmer nov Canada .
7:20 AM
"we all know that most Khmer leaders are very coward when it comes to accept their misleaded responsibility ."
You are very wrong. This problem of not accepting you're wrong isn't exclusive to Khmer leaders. It's the number one rule of politics. No politicians would admit they are wrong. Doing so is the end of their career.
Did any of the US presidents admitted to the crimes that their foreign policies create? Bush, Reagan, Nixon, etc...?
This man finally admitted to his crimes...at least he's not denying the fact that he killed a lot of khmer people at the Toulsleng prison. All other khmer rouge cadre such as hun sen, king sihanook, Ieang Sary, Ieng Tirith should take Duch's as example. They should come forward to admit their crimes. If not, they should be put on trial as soon as possible.
6:59 AM
I agree with you!
Sihanouk never admit his mistakes.
Coward!
king Sihanouk shall admit what he done.Duch much more better than him..
Duch must paid for his crimes! a few words of an apology does not bring back those who torture and killed, Noun Chea is next! that piece of shit is the one who giving an order torture and killed khmer people througout cambodia, he's advisor to pol pot too, all order came from him!
Noun Chea had been ran a way all his life from the law, he' finally find safe haven with Brother#1, i think it all started from him, because he's Pol Pot advisor that time...yep, you are right!
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