PHNOM PENH (AFP) — The Khmer Rouge's prisons chief told Cambodia's UN-backed war crimes court that he had "sacrificed everything" for the revolution that ultimately killed up to two million people.
Duch, whose real name is Kaing Guek Eav, last week apologised at his trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity, saying he accepted blame for the extermination of thousands of people at the movement's notorious main prison, Tuol Sleng.
On Monday the grey-haired 66-year-old stood, arms folded across his chest, to tell how he left his job as a maths teacher to join the communist movement which became the Khmer Rouge.
"I believed my decision was proper at the time. I sacrificed everything for the revolution, sincerely and absolutely," Duch said.
"I will write a document about the crimes I did to my people at the time and recall the names involved. Where there was cruel activity by myself, I will reveal it," he added.
Hearings are scheduled this week to focus on M-13 prison, a secret centre which Duch ran from 1971 to 1975 during the Khmer Rouge insurgency against the then US-backed government.
The Khmer Rouge were later in power from 1975 to 1979, the period when Duch is accused of supervising Tuol Sleng prison, where 15,000 people were tortured before being sent to their deaths.
Judge Nil Nonn said it was necessary to hear about M-13 to undertand Tuol Sleng's organising structure, the personality of Duch and the relevance of his role to the Khmer Rouge leadership.
Duch has denied assertions by prosecutors that he played a central role in the Khmer Rouge regime's iron-fisted rule.
He faces life in jail at the court, which does not have the power to impose the death penalty.
Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot died under house arrest in 1998, and many people in Cambodia believe the UN-sponsored tribunal is the last chance to bring those regime figures still alive to justice.
The tribunal was formed in 2006 after nearly a decade of wrangling between the United Nations and Cambodian government, although it has faced controversy over allegations of corruption and political interference.
The court is scheduled to try four other senior Khmer Rouge leaders after Duch's trial.
Duch, whose real name is Kaing Guek Eav, last week apologised at his trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity, saying he accepted blame for the extermination of thousands of people at the movement's notorious main prison, Tuol Sleng.
On Monday the grey-haired 66-year-old stood, arms folded across his chest, to tell how he left his job as a maths teacher to join the communist movement which became the Khmer Rouge.
"I believed my decision was proper at the time. I sacrificed everything for the revolution, sincerely and absolutely," Duch said.
"I will write a document about the crimes I did to my people at the time and recall the names involved. Where there was cruel activity by myself, I will reveal it," he added.
Hearings are scheduled this week to focus on M-13 prison, a secret centre which Duch ran from 1971 to 1975 during the Khmer Rouge insurgency against the then US-backed government.
The Khmer Rouge were later in power from 1975 to 1979, the period when Duch is accused of supervising Tuol Sleng prison, where 15,000 people were tortured before being sent to their deaths.
Judge Nil Nonn said it was necessary to hear about M-13 to undertand Tuol Sleng's organising structure, the personality of Duch and the relevance of his role to the Khmer Rouge leadership.
Duch has denied assertions by prosecutors that he played a central role in the Khmer Rouge regime's iron-fisted rule.
He faces life in jail at the court, which does not have the power to impose the death penalty.
Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot died under house arrest in 1998, and many people in Cambodia believe the UN-sponsored tribunal is the last chance to bring those regime figures still alive to justice.
The tribunal was formed in 2006 after nearly a decade of wrangling between the United Nations and Cambodian government, although it has faced controversy over allegations of corruption and political interference.
The court is scheduled to try four other senior Khmer Rouge leaders after Duch's trial.
4 comments:
Duch, I admire you, not the matter of being service to your organisation, the Khmer Rouge, but your gut to confess and to write the book about the truth you have experienced with the Khmer Rouge. You are very welcomed with the idea. This would lead you an example in Khmer modern history. I just cannot wait for book release.
Wishing you well in the prison!
The international community have to research into WHY there were the genocides in Cambodia before and during the KR rule (1975-79)and in other parts of our planet.
World War II was over in 1945. It caused immense devastation, BUT the COLD WAR was more destructive.
Since the start and until the end of Cold War, the number of the world population killed is not less than those killed during the WW2.And, the negative effects of the COLD WAR and its aftermath are still existing.
Because of their divided ideology, people took up arms and killed one another in all part of the world. The world superpowers (Western Bloc (the US) and Eastern Bloc ( The USSR) and China)were playing and testing the world with their political ambitions to control the world by means of waging the COLD WAR.
They provided weapons, money and military support to the divided nations to fight for their ideology that hopefully in the end those nations might fall into their political Blocs.
Cambodia and her people have always been the victims of the COLD WAR, even today.
The Communist China supplied military equipment to the KR and the US backed its satellite regime of Lon Nol to make war with the KR. They set Khmers against Khmers, killing Khmers. The US even bombarded Cambodia, using B-52warplane.
Several thousands of tons of bombs were dropped to kill KRouges, however only every few KR soldiers were destroyed, but large number was the innocent Khmers. The US bombardment was not any winning, but it was just a shameful setback as KR at that time became stronger and more solid militarily, politically and ideologically despite untold hardship they suffered from the air attacks .
Finally the US acts of aggressions were nothing but putting the fuel to the flame of the KR's anger and revenge.
When KR took power in 1975 they start the massacre in retaliation. As the US moved out of Cambodia, the only target of the KR's retaliation was the Pro-Lon Nol Regime Khmer people.
China, Vietnam, the US, the USSR all participated directly and indirectly in the massacre of Khmers.
Reader in Phnom Penh
2:53pm Almost all of us are aware of that story, and what is your point related to that?
The bottom line is the educated people used their knowledge to manipulate uneducated one. That's what the KR leaders did to the innocent farmers in Cambodia. They killed all the educated one except themself ( Don't forget the method was copied from China). One thing that I never heard of is Who was the commender of King Sihanouk troope ??? Any body know ??? What was the change of command when the KR joint with the King forces and how the foreign aid flow through their territory ???
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