Original report from Phnom Penh
31 July 2009
The Khmer Rouge tribunal on Wednesday rejected two segments of documentary film provided by the Vietnamese government from the regime’s 1979 ouster, claiming it had gathered enough evidence in the atrocity crimes trial for Duch.
Duch’s notorious Tuol Sleng prison was liberated by Vietnamese forces in January 1979, as combat camera crews recorded the conditions of the facility as they entered. Tribunal prosecutors had entered the films as evidence, but the Trial Chamber of the UN-backed court said Wednesday it would not use them.
“The Trial Chamber finds that the footage in question is likely to have little impact on the trial, as the information it is supposed to provide has already been established though other testimonies and evidence,” according to the court decision. “The Trial Chamber also finds that verification of the reliability of the footage is unlikely to be obtained within a reasonable time.”
The first segment of the footage depicts the overview scenes of the interior of the compound of S-21, including of various types of cells and restraints, as well as images of decapitated corpses chained to beds. The second shows Vietnamese troops helping surviving children leave the prison.
Duch, 66, whose real name is Kaing Kek Iev, is undergoing an atrocity crimes trial for his role as administrator of the prison and torture center, where prosecutors say 12,380 people were sent to the their deaths. He has been on trial for war crimes, crimes against humanity, trial and murder since March 30.
Long Panhavuth, a program officer of Justice Initiative in Cambodia, part of the Open Society Justice Initiative, said the court did not need to add evidence that could slow down the proceedings.
Duch’s notorious Tuol Sleng prison was liberated by Vietnamese forces in January 1979, as combat camera crews recorded the conditions of the facility as they entered. Tribunal prosecutors had entered the films as evidence, but the Trial Chamber of the UN-backed court said Wednesday it would not use them.
“The Trial Chamber finds that the footage in question is likely to have little impact on the trial, as the information it is supposed to provide has already been established though other testimonies and evidence,” according to the court decision. “The Trial Chamber also finds that verification of the reliability of the footage is unlikely to be obtained within a reasonable time.”
The first segment of the footage depicts the overview scenes of the interior of the compound of S-21, including of various types of cells and restraints, as well as images of decapitated corpses chained to beds. The second shows Vietnamese troops helping surviving children leave the prison.
Duch, 66, whose real name is Kaing Kek Iev, is undergoing an atrocity crimes trial for his role as administrator of the prison and torture center, where prosecutors say 12,380 people were sent to the their deaths. He has been on trial for war crimes, crimes against humanity, trial and murder since March 30.
Long Panhavuth, a program officer of Justice Initiative in Cambodia, part of the Open Society Justice Initiative, said the court did not need to add evidence that could slow down the proceedings.
5 comments:
សូមពួកអាយួនទាំងឡាយទាំងពួងឈប់បង្កររឿង
រ៉ាវឲ្យខ្មែរទៀតទៅ។-រាស្ត្រខ្មែរស្លាប់រាប់លាននាក់គឺ
ដោយសារពួកយួននៅពីក្រោយខ្នងទាំងអស់-រីឯ
ឃាតករពិតប្រាកដ់នៅរស់សព្វថ្ងៃគ្មានអ្នកណា
ហ៊ានប៉ះពាល់បានឡើយ។-ពេលនេះពួកយួនចង់
ទំលាក់កំហុសទាំងដល់ខ្មែរ-ធ្វើឲ្យខ្មែរឈ្លោះគ្នាឯង
សម្លាប់គ្នាឯងរហូតដល់អស់ខ្មែរ-សូមបងប្អូនខ្មែរ
ទាំងអស់ភ្ញាក់រលឹកឡើង-ក្រោកឈរតតាំងដេញ
ចោរយួនឲ្យឈប់បន្តសកម្មភាពធ្វើឲ្យខ្មែរសម្លាប់
គ្នាឯងតទៅទៀត។-សូមអរគុណ!!!!
The reason the khmer rouge came to power was due to vietnam war, u s bombing, and communist china support.
These three coutries should be excluded from khmer rouge tribunal.
vietnam engineered the killing field inside and behind Pol Pot regime and now is the time for them to run a show in the Tribunal.
It is interesting to find out whether films would re-inforce cambodian grattitude for Viet saving cambodians from the brink of extinct, or hides away the intention and its colonisation of Vietnam.
May be China should bring about the involvement as well.
Neang SA
they invaded, killed, and built Tuol Sleng Museum for political propaganda, and now they would like to offer prison footage.
When will these khmer people have any brain to think for themselves?
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