Kambol (Phnom Penh, Cambodia). 20/08/2009: Chum Sirath, 68-year-old civil party, on a screen in the press room at the ECCC during his testimony on Day 62 in Duch’s trial (Photo: John Vink/ Magnum)22-08-2009
By Stéphanie Gée
Ka-set
Drama is an important component of justice. It helps write the key moments of a trial. Its impetus lies in eloquence, provocation, unsettling the opponent and historical perspective. To this day, this weapon – not to say this necessity – has mostly been the prerogative of the defence. During this week of powerful and moving testimonies, civil parties stole the show from Duch. Thursday August 20th, Mr Chum Sirath spoke to the court. Humourous, incisive, pertinent, sensitive, sometimes lawyer, sometimes prosecutor, he cornered Duch, who lost some of his eloquence. His performance crudely recalled the near-inexistence of the prosecution in Duch’s trial. Like Chum Sirath, Mr Ou Savrith, who testified from France, left no chance for any forgiveness to the accused.
A civil party at ease
Until the last minute, like all the other civil parties who preceded him, Mr Sirath, 68 years old, was not feeling too confident. Talking in public and in a trial about the suffering his relatives must have been through and the deep affliction cast on his family by this tragedy was a dauting challenge. Yet, as soon as he entered the courtroom, Mr Sirath managed to show a level of ease only Duch had demonstrated until then. With the difference that the civil party was on the right side of the courtroom. The director of an IT company in Cambodia, who has French and Cambodian nationality, was bereaved of two brothers, a sister-in-law and probably the latter’s baby, all eliminated at S-21.
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A civil party at ease
Until the last minute, like all the other civil parties who preceded him, Mr Sirath, 68 years old, was not feeling too confident. Talking in public and in a trial about the suffering his relatives must have been through and the deep affliction cast on his family by this tragedy was a dauting challenge. Yet, as soon as he entered the courtroom, Mr Sirath managed to show a level of ease only Duch had demonstrated until then. With the difference that the civil party was on the right side of the courtroom. The director of an IT company in Cambodia, who has French and Cambodian nationality, was bereaved of two brothers, a sister-in-law and probably the latter’s baby, all eliminated at S-21.
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1 comment:
Sirath's two brothers were a traitors.They were either Sihanoukist or khmer rouge sympathizer.They should stay with the republic and fought against the khmer rouge to the bitter end to save our republic but instead they decided to join the murderers clan or the KR in the jungle at the lure of the most traitor of all time who was no other but tmil Sihanouk.
My thank to DUCH who had slaughtered mercilessly most of the shorted sight khmer rouge cadres.They really deserved it.
The republican.
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