AFP
PHNOM PENH — The Khmer Rouge's main jail chief on Tuesday admitted for the first time before Cambodia's UN-backed war crimes tribunal that he tortured a prisoner personally.
Duch, whose real name is Kaing Guek Eav, is on trial for overseeing the torture and execution of about 15,000 people at Tuol Sleng detention centre in the late 1970s.
Duch's confession came a day after a guard, Saom Meth, told the court that he saw his boss beat an inmate with a rattan stick.
"Regarding the testimony of comrade Meth, in general, it is true," Duch told the court.
"The point that I went to torture a prisoner at Tuy (an interrogator's) location, I would not deny it," the 66-year-old former maths teacher said.
But Duch said the most serious crime he committed was the "political indoctrination" of his staff at the prison, also known as S-21, to make them consider the inmates as enemies of the Khmer Rouge party.
"That was the most serious crime that I committed, and that I am responsible for more than 10,000 lives lost at S-21," he said, adding that he was also "the one who initiated" the arrest of many people.
"All the crimes committed at S-21, regardless of forms of torture used and regardless whether the special forces used or transported the prisoners to be executed somewhere else, they had to do it because of my instruction," he said.
"I do not deny all these crimes, I accept them," Duch said, adding that he also used to enter a room where a "very humble" Briton was being interrogated.
Earlier Tuesday, Saom Meth told the court that he heard an ex-colleague report to record-keepers that many foreign prisoners, including Americans, were burned on the street.
The prison in the capital Phnom Penh was at the centre of the Khmer Rouge's brutal campaign of repression and was later turned into a genocide museum after the movement was overthrown by forces backed by neighbouring Vietnam.
Led by Pol Pot, who died in 1998, the Khmer Rouge emptied Cambodia's cities in a bid to forge an agrarian utopia, resulting in the deaths of up to two million people from starvation, overwork and torture.
Duch, whose real name is Kaing Guek Eav, is on trial for overseeing the torture and execution of about 15,000 people at Tuol Sleng detention centre in the late 1970s.
Duch's confession came a day after a guard, Saom Meth, told the court that he saw his boss beat an inmate with a rattan stick.
"Regarding the testimony of comrade Meth, in general, it is true," Duch told the court.
"The point that I went to torture a prisoner at Tuy (an interrogator's) location, I would not deny it," the 66-year-old former maths teacher said.
But Duch said the most serious crime he committed was the "political indoctrination" of his staff at the prison, also known as S-21, to make them consider the inmates as enemies of the Khmer Rouge party.
"That was the most serious crime that I committed, and that I am responsible for more than 10,000 lives lost at S-21," he said, adding that he was also "the one who initiated" the arrest of many people.
"All the crimes committed at S-21, regardless of forms of torture used and regardless whether the special forces used or transported the prisoners to be executed somewhere else, they had to do it because of my instruction," he said.
"I do not deny all these crimes, I accept them," Duch said, adding that he also used to enter a room where a "very humble" Briton was being interrogated.
Earlier Tuesday, Saom Meth told the court that he heard an ex-colleague report to record-keepers that many foreign prisoners, including Americans, were burned on the street.
The prison in the capital Phnom Penh was at the centre of the Khmer Rouge's brutal campaign of repression and was later turned into a genocide museum after the movement was overthrown by forces backed by neighbouring Vietnam.
Led by Pol Pot, who died in 1998, the Khmer Rouge emptied Cambodia's cities in a bid to forge an agrarian utopia, resulting in the deaths of up to two million people from starvation, overwork and torture.
4 comments:
I am just sick and tired of that court.Why don't they just hang those criminals now to save time and money.Those criminals are DUCH,KHIEV SAMPHAN,IENG SARY,IENG THIRITH,NUON CHEA and SIHANOUK.
This is what I want to hear.
Do others KR leaders dear to admit their crime?
Be a coward or a criminal?
I am glad that he is willing to tell the truth of the hell but at least he reveals something that will help us and our children learn from our past mistakes. It is only he tells the truth for him to find a inner peace and sorrow of what he did to his own people. This is what you call a real man. Will Hun Sen and the rest of his evil friends willing to be the real men for the Cambodian people? For the rest of the KR leaders we will have to wait and see...they will be the real men or not...
Admit that he had committed the crime is the first step to spiritual healing. then he should ask for forgiveness and repentance. Without it, the criminal will repeat the same crime or worst.
How many Khmer rouge will have the courage /boldness ot admit the crime and ask for forgiveness from the wictims and from God.
If Duch is now a converted to Christian, God gives him courage and strength to admit publicly his crime. May Duch intercede in behalf of past and present Khmer Rouge for forgiveness from God. May the Lord God touch the hearty of these people to have the courage to and stenght for repentance and forgiveness.
May God heal this land and his people.
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