By F.C.
Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Translated from French by Tola Ek
Click here to read the article in French
Translation problems have again delayed the ECCC work on 28 April, meanwhile the tribunal tried to examine the implication of Duch in the Communist Party of Kampuchea, as well as his responsibilities within S-21.
After the lunch break, at the return to the hearing, problems in the translation to French annoyed François Roux. Duch’s defense lawyer told Nil Nonn, the chamber president: “Do you realize about the dramatic consequences on the statements made by the accused or the witnesses when the translations are completely inverted?” In fact, [during these translations], it was first heard that the tribunal would suspend its hearing between 01 and 15 June, then it was changed to 01 to 05 June, finally a correction was made and that there would be no suspension in the hearing.
Later in the afternoon, the written translations were in turn the main subject of the debates. Alex Bates, the international co-prosecutor, presented documents translated by his office, which under closed reading, were visibly different from the direct translations. Duch’s lawyer underscored the fact that the co-prosecutors version contained both in French and in English the term: “reduce the enemies to piece,” whereas the Khmer version indicated more soberly: “tracking them endlessly.”
François Roux was concerned about the possibility that these translations were made by DC-Cam, to which the international co-prosecutor denied. One of the lawyers of the civil parties, Swiss lawyer Alain Werner, also entered into the polemic by stating the fact that DC-Cam and the Tribunal have concluded an agreement, and as such, these translations should be considered as internal translations.
After the lunch break, at the return to the hearing, problems in the translation to French annoyed François Roux. Duch’s defense lawyer told Nil Nonn, the chamber president: “Do you realize about the dramatic consequences on the statements made by the accused or the witnesses when the translations are completely inverted?” In fact, [during these translations], it was first heard that the tribunal would suspend its hearing between 01 and 15 June, then it was changed to 01 to 05 June, finally a correction was made and that there would be no suspension in the hearing.
Later in the afternoon, the written translations were in turn the main subject of the debates. Alex Bates, the international co-prosecutor, presented documents translated by his office, which under closed reading, were visibly different from the direct translations. Duch’s lawyer underscored the fact that the co-prosecutors version contained both in French and in English the term: “reduce the enemies to piece,” whereas the Khmer version indicated more soberly: “tracking them endlessly.”
François Roux was concerned about the possibility that these translations were made by DC-Cam, to which the international co-prosecutor denied. One of the lawyers of the civil parties, Swiss lawyer Alain Werner, also entered into the polemic by stating the fact that DC-Cam and the Tribunal have concluded an agreement, and as such, these translations should be considered as internal translations.
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