Originally posted online
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SUBJECT: International Co-Prosecutor Robert Petit’s Resignation
On 23 June 2009, Mr. Robert Petit (Canada), the international Co-Prosecutor of the United Nations-backed tribunal in Cambodia trying Khmer Rouge leaders accused of mass killings and other crimes three decades ago announced his resignation.
Robert Petit has stepped down on 1 September for personal and family reasons.
“I remain convinced that Cambodia’s hopes for a better future lie, in part, on true accountability for crimes, said Robert Petit.”
Robert Petit’s resignation was a big surprise for all observers. It was unwelcomed by all NGO’s community.
Mr. Robert Petit has significant experience in international criminal law. He served as a Legal Officer in the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda, 1996-1999; Regional Legal Advisor United Nations Mission in Kosovo in Mitrovica, Kosovo from 1999-2000; Prosecutor, Serious Crimes Unit, United Nations Mission of Assistance to East Timor in 2002; Senior Trial Attorney, Office of the Prosecutor, Special Court for Sierra Leone in Freetown, Sierra Leone from 2003-2004.
The following is the chronology of the events.
December 2008, April 2009, Co-Prosecutor Robert Petit, indeed, had taken two very important decisions (1) forward the names of six more people (NORODOM SIHANOUK, HENG SAMRIN, CHEA SIM, HUN SEN, HOR NAM HONG and KEAT CHHON) to trial by the ECCC and (2) denounce the meddling of Hun Sen in ECCC. Robert Petit had a copy letter of Prime Minister Hun Sen addressed to Co-Prosecutor Chea Leang ordering Co-Prosecutor Chea Leang to stop Co-Prosecutor Robert Petit to put more people on trial.
Cambodian people applauded these two courageous and just Robert Petit decisions. But one month later, after having taken these two very important decisions, Co-Prosecutor Robert Petit resigned. It seems that something very grave was happened to Robert Petit which forced Co-Prosecutor Robert Petit abandon his very interesting mission to render justice to the victim’s families, the weak and without voice ones and forward Cambodia toward freedom and democracy through justice.
One month before his resignation it seems that Mr. Petit was pleased with his Co-Prosecutor job because he invited his wife and daughter to visit Cambodia by themselves as tourist and specially Siemreap, the city of Angkor.
Some witnesses stated that, once, Robert Petit’s wife and daughter arrived at Siemreap’s airport, they were held against their will in Siemreap city by Hun Sen’s Police agents. And rumors said, Police agent called Robert Petit to Siemreap and told him: You (Robert Petit) must stop put more people on trial. You must resign. If you don’t we will harm your wife and daughter’s life.
It started by these rumors. But some witnesses, among Hun Sen’s agents, would agree to testify if some security measures were met. Hence, it needs an investigation. The ECCC must investigate. To start, the UNAKRT or an international court or the FBI must subpoena the “witnesses” who saw Hun Sen police agents hold Robert Petit’s wife and daughter against their wills in the four-stars SOKHA Hotel (SOK KONG's Hotel) in Siemreap.
So the question is: Is-it true that Co-Prosecutor Robert Petit was threatened to resign by Hun Sen police?
The ECCC must investigate the affair of resignation of Co-Prosecutor Robert Petit.
The ECCC should build a case about Robert Petit’s resignation.
Only the ECCC or an international court, but not a Cambodian court is habilitated to judge the Robert Petit’s resignation’s case. It is a very very important issue.
If it is true that the resignation of Co-Prosecutor Robert Petit was the result of the deliberate threat on Robert Petit’s wife and daughter’s life by Hun Sen henchmen, then, the consequences on the ECCC were extremely grave. The ECCC cannot be independent because international judges, investigators, secretaries, and staff personals were all afraid of Hun Sen’s wrath. Without doubt, under these extreme Hun Sen’s menaces, the ECCC cannot deliver justice to the family’s victims. The ECCC’s verdicts would be biased in favor of Hun Sen’s policy. Especially, the local staff personals (judges, investigators, defenders, and secretaries, witnesses) will have no body to protect them when the ECCC closes its doors at the end of trial.
When the ECCC was created on June 2003 by the Royal Government of Cambodia and the UN but it will be independent of them to judge for the Prosecution of Crimes Committed during the Period of Democratic Kampuchea, Cambodian people places all their hope in international judges because it was evident that all Cambodian ECCC’S judges, investigators and staff members would be at Hun Sen’s whim.
Cambodian people place all their hope on the expertise and the courage of the ten international co-prosecutors, judges, investigators and defender to renderer justice to the 2.7 million people who died during Kampuchea Democratic regime.
By and through the ECCC, Cambodian people even dare to hope that Cambodia would restore its sovereignty, independence and freedom.
Cambodia hopes that the ECCC will not be used as an international instance to legitimate the swallowing of Cambodia by the Republic Socialist of Vietnam because since then to these days the People Army of Vietnam (PAVN) still occupied Cambodia.
It was the PAVN which defeated the pro-occidental Lon Nol Army and not the Khmer Rouge Army as the Khmer Rouge and Vietnamese propaganda would like the world to believe.
Since PAVN has crushed Lon Nol Army, therefore, it was PAVN which appointed Pol Pot government. Therefore, PAVN infiltrated at ease in ever y echelon of Pot Pot administration their Vietnamese cadres.
For this reason, Vietnam had a big responsibility in the death of the 2.7 million Cambodian people. Pol Pot government and Hun Sen government were all appointed by Hanoi. There were so many similarities in the ways they run the country because they were trained by the same school of thoughts under Vietnamese guidance. At the end, they served all the same master Hanoi.
The ECCC must investigate the authenticity of TOUL SLENG/S21 Prison’s documents, publicly known as the DC-CAM documents of YOUK CHANG. Sure, any ECCC’s verdicts will base on documents and witnesses. So the question is: All the documents and the witnesses that the ECCC will use to base its verdicts are-they authentic/true?
The DC-CAM documents of TUOL SLENG/S21 Prison were all fabricated by Hanoi. We have witnesses. We hope that the ECCC will subpoena these witnesses once the security measures for them and their families were met.
Therefore, the ECCC cannot use the DC-CAM documents or books based on DC-CAM documents, or scholar’s researches which were based on DC-CAM documents, or Hanoi Khmer Rouge documents to determine the ECCC’s verdicts.
To render justice to the 2.7 million people who died during 1975-1979 the ECCC needs absolutely a strong leadership to stop Hun Sen government to meddle in the ECCC so that the ECCC’s verdicts would be just. The real criminals must be punished and not got free and still powerful and untouchable in Hun Sen’s administration as they are today.
In April, a senior UN legal official underscored the need to address allegations of corruption surrounding the ECCC.
Assistant-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs Peter Taksoe-Jensen has submitted a provisional ethics monitoring mechanism to Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An for his consideration.
Hun Sen did nothing seriously to fight the corruption surrounding the ECCC.
The ECCC needs a new leadership, change and hope.
Baphuon
Baphuon@aol.com
- Honorable, International Co-Prosecutor Robert Petit (Canada),
- Honorable, International Co-Investigating Judge Marcel Lemonde (France),
- Honorable, International Pre-Trial Chamber Judges: Katinka Lahuis (Netherlands), Rowan Downing QC (Australia),
- Honorable, International Trial Court C hamber Judges: Dame Silvia Cartwright (New Zealand), Jean- Marc Lavergne (France),
- Honorable, International Supreme Court Chamber Judges: Mr. Motoo Noguchi (Japan), Agnieszka Klonowiecka-Milart (Poland), Mr. Chandra Nihal Jayasinghe (Sri Lanka), and
- Honorable, Head of Defense Support Section: Richard J. Rogers (United Kingdom).
SUBJECT: International Co-Prosecutor Robert Petit’s Resignation
On 23 June 2009, Mr. Robert Petit (Canada), the international Co-Prosecutor of the United Nations-backed tribunal in Cambodia trying Khmer Rouge leaders accused of mass killings and other crimes three decades ago announced his resignation.
Robert Petit has stepped down on 1 September for personal and family reasons.
“I remain convinced that Cambodia’s hopes for a better future lie, in part, on true accountability for crimes, said Robert Petit.”
Robert Petit’s resignation was a big surprise for all observers. It was unwelcomed by all NGO’s community.
Mr. Robert Petit has significant experience in international criminal law. He served as a Legal Officer in the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda, 1996-1999; Regional Legal Advisor United Nations Mission in Kosovo in Mitrovica, Kosovo from 1999-2000; Prosecutor, Serious Crimes Unit, United Nations Mission of Assistance to East Timor in 2002; Senior Trial Attorney, Office of the Prosecutor, Special Court for Sierra Leone in Freetown, Sierra Leone from 2003-2004.
The following is the chronology of the events.
December 2008, April 2009, Co-Prosecutor Robert Petit, indeed, had taken two very important decisions (1) forward the names of six more people (NORODOM SIHANOUK, HENG SAMRIN, CHEA SIM, HUN SEN, HOR NAM HONG and KEAT CHHON) to trial by the ECCC and (2) denounce the meddling of Hun Sen in ECCC. Robert Petit had a copy letter of Prime Minister Hun Sen addressed to Co-Prosecutor Chea Leang ordering Co-Prosecutor Chea Leang to stop Co-Prosecutor Robert Petit to put more people on trial.
Cambodian people applauded these two courageous and just Robert Petit decisions. But one month later, after having taken these two very important decisions, Co-Prosecutor Robert Petit resigned. It seems that something very grave was happened to Robert Petit which forced Co-Prosecutor Robert Petit abandon his very interesting mission to render justice to the victim’s families, the weak and without voice ones and forward Cambodia toward freedom and democracy through justice.
One month before his resignation it seems that Mr. Petit was pleased with his Co-Prosecutor job because he invited his wife and daughter to visit Cambodia by themselves as tourist and specially Siemreap, the city of Angkor.
Some witnesses stated that, once, Robert Petit’s wife and daughter arrived at Siemreap’s airport, they were held against their will in Siemreap city by Hun Sen’s Police agents. And rumors said, Police agent called Robert Petit to Siemreap and told him: You (Robert Petit) must stop put more people on trial. You must resign. If you don’t we will harm your wife and daughter’s life.
It started by these rumors. But some witnesses, among Hun Sen’s agents, would agree to testify if some security measures were met. Hence, it needs an investigation. The ECCC must investigate. To start, the UNAKRT or an international court or the FBI must subpoena the “witnesses” who saw Hun Sen police agents hold Robert Petit’s wife and daughter against their wills in the four-stars SOKHA Hotel (SOK KONG's Hotel) in Siemreap.
So the question is: Is-it true that Co-Prosecutor Robert Petit was threatened to resign by Hun Sen police?
The ECCC must investigate the affair of resignation of Co-Prosecutor Robert Petit.
The ECCC should build a case about Robert Petit’s resignation.
Only the ECCC or an international court, but not a Cambodian court is habilitated to judge the Robert Petit’s resignation’s case. It is a very very important issue.
If it is true that the resignation of Co-Prosecutor Robert Petit was the result of the deliberate threat on Robert Petit’s wife and daughter’s life by Hun Sen henchmen, then, the consequences on the ECCC were extremely grave. The ECCC cannot be independent because international judges, investigators, secretaries, and staff personals were all afraid of Hun Sen’s wrath. Without doubt, under these extreme Hun Sen’s menaces, the ECCC cannot deliver justice to the family’s victims. The ECCC’s verdicts would be biased in favor of Hun Sen’s policy. Especially, the local staff personals (judges, investigators, defenders, and secretaries, witnesses) will have no body to protect them when the ECCC closes its doors at the end of trial.
When the ECCC was created on June 2003 by the Royal Government of Cambodia and the UN but it will be independent of them to judge for the Prosecution of Crimes Committed during the Period of Democratic Kampuchea, Cambodian people places all their hope in international judges because it was evident that all Cambodian ECCC’S judges, investigators and staff members would be at Hun Sen’s whim.
Cambodian people place all their hope on the expertise and the courage of the ten international co-prosecutors, judges, investigators and defender to renderer justice to the 2.7 million people who died during Kampuchea Democratic regime.
By and through the ECCC, Cambodian people even dare to hope that Cambodia would restore its sovereignty, independence and freedom.
Cambodia hopes that the ECCC will not be used as an international instance to legitimate the swallowing of Cambodia by the Republic Socialist of Vietnam because since then to these days the People Army of Vietnam (PAVN) still occupied Cambodia.
It was the PAVN which defeated the pro-occidental Lon Nol Army and not the Khmer Rouge Army as the Khmer Rouge and Vietnamese propaganda would like the world to believe.
Since PAVN has crushed Lon Nol Army, therefore, it was PAVN which appointed Pol Pot government. Therefore, PAVN infiltrated at ease in ever y echelon of Pot Pot administration their Vietnamese cadres.
For this reason, Vietnam had a big responsibility in the death of the 2.7 million Cambodian people. Pol Pot government and Hun Sen government were all appointed by Hanoi. There were so many similarities in the ways they run the country because they were trained by the same school of thoughts under Vietnamese guidance. At the end, they served all the same master Hanoi.
DC-CAM documents of YOUK CHANG are all fake.
The ECCC must investigate the authenticity of TOUL SLENG/S21 Prison’s documents, publicly known as the DC-CAM documents of YOUK CHANG. Sure, any ECCC’s verdicts will base on documents and witnesses. So the question is: All the documents and the witnesses that the ECCC will use to base its verdicts are-they authentic/true?
The DC-CAM documents of TUOL SLENG/S21 Prison were all fabricated by Hanoi. We have witnesses. We hope that the ECCC will subpoena these witnesses once the security measures for them and their families were met.
Therefore, the ECCC cannot use the DC-CAM documents or books based on DC-CAM documents, or scholar’s researches which were based on DC-CAM documents, or Hanoi Khmer Rouge documents to determine the ECCC’s verdicts.
To render justice to the 2.7 million people who died during 1975-1979 the ECCC needs absolutely a strong leadership to stop Hun Sen government to meddle in the ECCC so that the ECCC’s verdicts would be just. The real criminals must be punished and not got free and still powerful and untouchable in Hun Sen’s administration as they are today.
In April, a senior UN legal official underscored the need to address allegations of corruption surrounding the ECCC.
Assistant-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs Peter Taksoe-Jensen has submitted a provisional ethics monitoring mechanism to Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An for his consideration.
Hun Sen did nothing seriously to fight the corruption surrounding the ECCC.
The ECCC needs a new leadership, change and hope.
Baphuon
Baphuon@aol.com
13 comments:
I have always suspected the connection between pol pot regime and the viet invasion of cambodia.
If it's true that the PAVN had a hand in the killing fields, then the khmer rouge regime was just a killing machine that the the PAVN has been using since the beginning of conflict. History tells us that pol pot joined the communist party in France and later he went to Vietnam and china. When the Lon Nol regime collapsed in 1975, mr pol pot was installed as head of state of Democratic Kampuchea. then in 1979 the khmer rouge regime was defeated by the viet invasion. The khmer rouge regrouped along the cambodian-thai border and continued to fight hun sen's and the viet army till the paris agreement to end the conflict in 1993.
It will be an eye opener for all khmer people to learn about the atrocity between 75-79. The PAVN might have a role in the khmer rouge regime, and the viet made it look like they came to help save khmers lives from the khmer rouge.
To 10:00 AM,
No dought about VN, it was and is 100% the Vietnamese involvement in Khmer Killing Fields.
Hanoi gave birth to Khmer Rouge since 1930.
Hanoi endoctrinated KR and armed KR to murder khmer people by Sun T'zu's principle as, Use enemies to kill enemies, is the smart commander of great army.
Hanoi invaded Cambodia in Pretext to liberate Cambodians from KR, but
what is going on in Cambodia since the Viet invasion; a Process of Vietnamisation of Cambodia to make a Viet Federation of Indochina.
Who to blame first ???
Evidence held by DC-CAM is not made up of entirely "fabricated" documents from Hanoi. The vast majority are primary documents which were left over by the Khmer Rough themselves when they left in a hurry. Photography, handwritings, etc. can still be verified by Duch himself and the former KR Toul Sleng photographer who is still alive and well.
Other sources of DC-CAM includes contributions from foreign journalist, and universities archives from different countries including France, U.S.A, and Australia.
So, I think your tone is a bit extreme and paranoid and comes off as a bit of a conspiracy theorist crazy person who makes any truth to the subject seem like a mere fantasy.
I think you should take time to do actual research and present undeniable proof of your claims before you make them, else you risk everything that can be true be watered as extremist and nationalism.
When we want to write something we must think of a challenge for our writings for our evidences and our documentations to support our belief. many people have written a lot of stories ut from their mind without thinking of other who knew also these same stories.
Until now we should have clear information already from Khmer Rouge tribunal and especially from admission of Duch. Therefore we shouldn't waste our times to think of any foreigners again.
Sihanouk was the top leader of the Khmer Rouge ( He was the most paramount leader. At present he is the Paramount King for Hun Sen ). Pol Pot was the second in command and then Nuon Chea, Khiev Samplann, Ieng Sary, his wife, Kiet Chhon, Chea Sim Heng Sarin , Hun sen etc.. Their ultimatum aim during that time was to kill all opposition of their regime so that their dynasty can last for ever.
Each of them should play a role model by coming to take their responsibility at the khmer rouge tribunal and stop blaming others. We knew very well about their cunning behavious.Areak Prey
There is a saying " pride before the falls ". Cambodian leader have too much pride, they rather not take the falls or faults but instead let their people and coutry fall in suffering and horror.
They rather avoid their fault and serves their master vietnam, and dies with their mistake and wrong doing without un-doing their wrong or confession.
From Thana:
Dear, all local and oversea Cambodians,
As we are all Cambodians, pls do not waste our time anymore to criticise each other and fight only with our own people perself.
As Cambodians, we all must be proud and optimistic due to the fact that Camboida is one of the wonderful nation in the world in terms of culture, tradition, honest, patience, hard work, bravery, ....etc.
Therefore, if you agreed with me, pls let me say that from now on, we should put our interests in front firs and clearly classify them into priorities as best idea/suggestion/recommondation options for taking considerations as referent inputs in the agenda of current and future policy spaces:
1- As Khmer/Cambodians, we should unite as one voice to fight against foreign encrouchment/agression/interests;
2- As Khmer/Cambodians, we should stop criticise individual person, we should not name and colour each other;
3- As Khmer/Cambodians, we should express opinions in a manner of morality, respect to the press code. And judgement/assessment shoud be besed on data collection, survey, research, proof......etc.
Of course, even some circumstances, prerogative way of thinking may be used. However, sometime I would suggest that it should not be used and based too much on what we think perself rather than what we present as a majority/common think or perecption;
From Thana: Continue…………
4- As Khmer/Cambodians, we should only publish or disseminate information that would deem to be not useful and valuable to the interests of public, local, oversea patriots, and foreingers. Information provided should not be a such of felse or exxagerated information that would lead to conflict of interests between supporters and oppositors. Aand especially; as the result, it also misleads to the public and perceptions of foreigners because such wrong news may turn out into foreiners's wrong judgements, then lead to exsposure of bad images about Cambodia (we made and created ourself). Consequency, we lose opportunities, chances, interests, and ......etc., and then foreign countries may look down us and take opportunities/chances from our weekness; and
5- As Khmer/Cambodians, we must commit ourself and ready to devote our resouces (capital, finance, material, intellecual/brain, encouragement, motivation....etc)., and sacrify of our lifes to our nation and people. Frankly speaking, I am very impressive as I seen some of friends have done very good comments and suggestion about how to improve domecracy, defend the country's interests, deal with poverty alliviation such as ideas of transfering money back home to help families, relatives or country, express opinions to defend our nation from foreign aggression, and advise the government,......etc. However, I am very sad, while I see only small number of people always have negative and black or dark views about Cambodia that those will never be helpful to our country and people at all.By the way, since I rarely seen, may I suggest and encourage all of u to provide or share your encoutered experience about how to improve economy, trade, negotiation skills, social issues....etc, in which those ideas,sugguestions/recommondations/inputs would help Cambodia alot in general.
In conlusion, as we are now living in this modernized society, hi-technololy, free and fair trade/competition,nondiscrimination,....etc., we should stop expessing unimportant, felse, exxagerated and useless news/information that would mislead and then indirect or direct impacts to people and society, in particularly; our current chilrend or next young generation or even our Cambodian people as a whole. Incorrect news/information leads to big misleadings or misunderstandings. Therefore, negative impacts will be as follows:
- Conflict of interests;
- Creating gap, diversion, then it becomes difficulty/burdensome to break difference;
- Less chance to achieve common interest/goal/vision, then hard to get win-win solution; and
- Increase expusure of bad images about our country, then our people and country is in the position of losing, not foreign countries.
From Thana
Sorry, due to the technical problem and time constraint, u may see one of my previous posting is missing some words. However, the above text is came with an edition.
In the end Thailand will reunite with Cambodia as real good friend rather than with Vietnam.
Vietnam tried too hard and it doesn't matter. When the time comes Virtnam just have to admit that he ( Viet) is the very bad guy.
Thanks for this letter to educate us all. As Khmer person, I always suspect the Vietcongs' involvement in the killing fields. At that time, the Vietcongs had the upper hand in Southeast Asia realm led by Ho Chi Minh. The killings by Ho Chi Minh started in Vietnam first when Ho Chi Minh arrived in Hanoi from the old Soviet Union. The Polpot regime and the today Hun Sen regime both were created by Ho Chi Minh, and both are the killing machines in Cambodia, therefore the Vietcongs regime must be brought to the ECCC as suggested.
When it comes to Khmer Rouge trial, the Pol Pot regime, the Hun Sen regime + Norodom Sihanouk, the Hanoi regime, the China regime are all responsible for the crimes.
Hun Sen knows that he himself and his friends such as Chea Sim, Heng Samrin, Ho 5 Hong, and Keat Chon are part of the bad hence agreed to this trial with the hope to bury their bad deeds, the hope the world would legitimize their rogue regime, and to cheat their ways for the donor money (e.g the ECCC corruption case).
Hun Sen is nervous when people talking about his involvement in the KR regime, however if Hun Sen is a true Strongman of Cambodia then Hun Sen must face the law to clear his name if proven innocent as he and his associates claimed so many instances in the past.
WE KHMER PEOPLE CHALLENGE MR. HUN SEN TO COME OUT AND CLEAR HIS NAME UNDER THE WORLD LEGAL BODY (ECCC) IF MR HUN SEN IS TRULY A STRONGMAN OF CAMBODIA AND HAS NOTHING TO HIDE FROM THE NATION.
Khmer Angkor.
The civil war will ignite in the country, is groundless. Why? because it's the UN's tribunal. This is the United Nation trying to bring justice to people and to put bad leader on notice. It beyonds Cambodia and beyond any leader of any group to do anything. What is it that have to do with the civil war? Please anyone ask Mr. Hun Sen to explain. It just looks so lame.
Baphoun - Thank you for your courage to try to shed light on the power behind the scene of the PAVN for all Pol Pot regime's critical actions.
History will confirm your pivotal work on Cambodia.
May Truth set us free!
7:16am
YOu dont have to ask mr hunsen to explain why he said what he said about the civil war. From what mr hunsen said we can infer that he's paranoid about the KR tribunil as the UN is seeking to drag more former khmer cadre into the tribunal. mr hunsen is a big fish in a small pond; he doesn't know how big the ocean is.
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