By Patrick Falby
AFP
PHNOM PENH — The chief of the Khmer Rouge's main prison told Cambodia's UN-backed war crimes trial Tuesday that he had his own sister's husband jailed and tortured after the man was accused of espionage.
Duch said he had his brother-in-law locked up at the notorious Tuol Sleng detention centre to protect himself and his family, adding that the man was later killed by the hardline communist movement.
"I vouched for my younger sister and I vouched to educate her, but I could not do that for my brother-in-law," said Duch, who acknowledges overseeing the extermination of some 15,000 people at the jail.
"As a principle, when the husband was arrested the wife was arrested as well. But my younger sister was not arrested and she is still alive today," he added.
The 66-year-old Duch said the brutal regime initially arrested his brother-in-law on spying charges but then released him and allowed to stay at Duch's house.
But Duch later had the man arrested again and sent to Tuol Sleng, a former high school in the capital Phnom Penh that was turned into a genocide museum after Vietnamese-backed forces toppled the Khmer Rouge in 1979.
Duch said that the man later confessed, apparently under interrogation, to being "a member of the enemy network" since before the Khmer Rouge had come to power and of marrying Duch's sister to spy on him.
He said that after his arrest, his brother-in-law tried to protect the rest of the family from the Khmer Rouge's spiralling paranoia, which involved witchhunts for suspected agents for the CIA, KGB and Vietnam and other groups.
"What he was afraid of was that when he was arrested and handcuffed, he wanted to know whether I would be arrested. Because if I was arrested, then the whole family would be gone," Duch said.
Duch, whose real name is Kaing Guek Eav, is the first Khmer Rouge cadre to face trial at the court but denies personally torturing or killing inmates and he insists that he was not a leading figure in the 1975-1979 regime.
Led by Pol Pot, who died in 1998, the Khmer Rouge emptied Cambodia's cities in a bid to forge a communist utopia, resulting in the deaths of up to two million people from starvation, overwork and torture.
Evangelical minister Christopher LaPel told the tribunal Tuesday that Duch was completely changed after the pastor baptised him in 1996 in a river in western Cambodia.
"After he got baptised I can see him as a completely different person... I can see that he (had been) a person that lived in darkness, sadness, with no joy, no love," said Cambodian-American LaPel.
LaPel told the court that although Duch was hiding his identity at the time, the conversion seemed genuine and the pair have prayed and held Bible study together in prison several times since the former cadre's 1999 arrest.
Former maths teacher Duch has regularly expressed remorse to victims and those who worked under him.
One-time Khmer Rouge ideologue Nuon Chea, head of state Khieu Samphan, foreign minister Ieng Sary and his wife, minister of social affairs Ieng Thirith, are also in detention awaiting trial at the court.
Duch said he had his brother-in-law locked up at the notorious Tuol Sleng detention centre to protect himself and his family, adding that the man was later killed by the hardline communist movement.
"I vouched for my younger sister and I vouched to educate her, but I could not do that for my brother-in-law," said Duch, who acknowledges overseeing the extermination of some 15,000 people at the jail.
"As a principle, when the husband was arrested the wife was arrested as well. But my younger sister was not arrested and she is still alive today," he added.
The 66-year-old Duch said the brutal regime initially arrested his brother-in-law on spying charges but then released him and allowed to stay at Duch's house.
But Duch later had the man arrested again and sent to Tuol Sleng, a former high school in the capital Phnom Penh that was turned into a genocide museum after Vietnamese-backed forces toppled the Khmer Rouge in 1979.
Duch said that the man later confessed, apparently under interrogation, to being "a member of the enemy network" since before the Khmer Rouge had come to power and of marrying Duch's sister to spy on him.
He said that after his arrest, his brother-in-law tried to protect the rest of the family from the Khmer Rouge's spiralling paranoia, which involved witchhunts for suspected agents for the CIA, KGB and Vietnam and other groups.
"What he was afraid of was that when he was arrested and handcuffed, he wanted to know whether I would be arrested. Because if I was arrested, then the whole family would be gone," Duch said.
Duch, whose real name is Kaing Guek Eav, is the first Khmer Rouge cadre to face trial at the court but denies personally torturing or killing inmates and he insists that he was not a leading figure in the 1975-1979 regime.
Led by Pol Pot, who died in 1998, the Khmer Rouge emptied Cambodia's cities in a bid to forge a communist utopia, resulting in the deaths of up to two million people from starvation, overwork and torture.
Evangelical minister Christopher LaPel told the tribunal Tuesday that Duch was completely changed after the pastor baptised him in 1996 in a river in western Cambodia.
"After he got baptised I can see him as a completely different person... I can see that he (had been) a person that lived in darkness, sadness, with no joy, no love," said Cambodian-American LaPel.
LaPel told the court that although Duch was hiding his identity at the time, the conversion seemed genuine and the pair have prayed and held Bible study together in prison several times since the former cadre's 1999 arrest.
Former maths teacher Duch has regularly expressed remorse to victims and those who worked under him.
One-time Khmer Rouge ideologue Nuon Chea, head of state Khieu Samphan, foreign minister Ieng Sary and his wife, minister of social affairs Ieng Thirith, are also in detention awaiting trial at the court.
4 comments:
នៅឆ្នាំ១៩៧៩
ពលរដ្ធកម្ពុជារាប់ម៉ឺននាក់បានចូលមកស្រុកសៀំមហើយពួកសៀមវាបានដឹកប្រជាជនកម្ពុជាយកចាក់ចោលនៅភ្នំដងរែកដោយអ្នកខ្លះបានដើរជាន់ម៉ីនអ្នកខ្លះអត់បាយអត់ទឹកគឺពិបាកវេតនាដួចនៅក្នុងជំនន់ពលពតឥញ្ចឹង។អ្នកខ្លះឆ្លងទន្លេ(កើតកូន)នៅក្នុងព្រៃគួរឲ្យអាសូរពលរដ្ធកម្ពុជាណាស់មិនដែលបានសុខទេលុះដល់ពាក់កណ្តាលឆ្នាំ១៩៧៩ប្រជាជនកម្ពុជាលោកបានទៅនៅតាមជុំរំទល់ដែនខ្មែរ-សៀមបានរស់នៅជាមួយពួកទាហ៊ានខ្មែរដែលប្រឆាំងជាមួយរដ្ធាភិបាលបច្ចុបន្បន៍ពួកទាហ៊ានទាំងនោះបានធ្វើបាបប្រជនខ្មែរយើងដួចគ្នាមិនចេះចប់ទេដោយអង្ករអង្ការសហប្រជាជាតិបញ្ចូនមកឲ្យពលរដ្ធខ្មែរពួកគេទាំងនោះយកអង្ករមកលក់ឲ្យពលរដ្ថខ្មែរយើងទៅវិញ។ដោយលំបាកក្នុងការរស់នៅជាមួយទាហ៊ាននៅតាមទល់ដែនពេកម្នាក់ៗក៏សម្រេចចិត្តចូលមករស់នៅក្នុងជុំរំខាវអ៊ីដាងប្រទេសសៀមដោយមានអង្ការសហប្រជាជាតិដឹក
ជញ្ជូនផងដែរ។ប៉ុន្តែជាអកុសល់ម្តងទៀតពលរដ្ធកម្ពុជាមករស់នៅប្រទេសសៀមពួកសៀមវាបាន
ធ្វើបាបធ្វើកម្មមិនចេះឈប់មិនចេះហើយ។នៅក្នុងជុំរំខាវអ៊ីដាងបើកុំមានអង្ការសហប្រជាជាតិពួក
សៀមវាសម្លាប់ពលរដ្ធខ្មែរមិនដឹងអស់ប៉ុន្មាននាក់ទេមើលទៅ។ខ្ញុំបាទបានឃើញពួកទាហ៊ានសៀម
វាវាយធ្វើបាបពលរដ្ធខ្មែររហូតដល់ស្លាប់ក៏មានដែរចំណែកអ្នកទទួលខុសត្រូវជុំរំគឺជាជនជាតិស្បែក
សហើយជាស្រីទៀតលោកស្រីម្នាក់ហ្នឹងខ្ញុំបាទពុំបានចាំឈ្មោះគាត់ទេជូនកាលគាត់យកទ្រូងពាំង
ដែលទាហ៊ានសៀមចង់សម្លាប់ប្រជាជនខ្មែរយើង(ដោយគាត់និយាយទៅទាហ៊ានសៀមវិញថាបើ
អ្នកឯងចង់សម្លាប់ប្រជាជនភាសខ្លួនទាំងអស់ហ្នឹងអ្នកឯងសម្លាប់គាត់មុនទៅ)នេះគឺជាទឹកចិត្តដ៏មុត
មាំរបស់លោកស្រីយើងខ្ញុំជាប្រជាពលរដ្ធកម្ពុជាមិនភ្លេចគុណបំណាច់របស់លោកស្រីទេសូមអរគុណ។ចំពោះអង្ការសហប្រជាជាតិមួយចំនួនមិនដែលនឹកឃើញជួយប្រជាជនកម្ពុជានៅស្រុកខ្មែរទេ
ប្រជាជនកម្ពុជាដែលលោករស់នៅកម្ពុជាមិនដែលបានធ្វីទាល់តែសោះអំពីអំណោយរបស់បរទេស
នៅឆ្នាំ១៩៧៩ដួចជាថ្នាំសង្កូវ,សម្លៀកបំពាក់,។ល។មិនដែលបានទាល់តែសោះគឺរស់បានតាមកម្លាំង
ញឺសឈាមរបស់គាត់តែប៉ុណ្ណឹងឯង។បើតាមខ្ញុំដឹងខ្លះៗប៉ុន្តែមិនពិតប្រាកដទេប្រហែលជាជឿនៅជន
មួយក្តាប់តួចបានញុះញង់មិនឲ្យអង្ការសហប្រជាជាតិចូលមកស្រុកខ្មែរគឺដោយសារឥញ្ចឹងបើតាម
ខ្ញុំគិត។
And we still stupid tolet ONE MAN controle every thing?
And the jackass is only ONE EYE too?
I love you guy my KHMER brothers/sisters out there all over the world. Keep on writing KHMER script and showed our KHMER people those who don't know how to read/write/speak. Believe me some of those kids that born abroad don't know not even 1 KHMER script. Most kids from abroad speak majority of English, French, German, nor Dutch.
I've learnt so fast every times open this up. I called my dad/mom read it for me. That how I learnt it very fast. GO to YOUTUBE and GOOGLE and you will learn alot more than you think. I taught myself from computer no class has taken.
I MISSED KHMER
ពួកសៀមវាមិនដែលសារភាពថាវាជាអ្នកធ្វើទេខ្ញុំមិនចង់និយាយឲ្យខ្មែរយើងទាស់ទែងគ្នារវាងប្រទេសកម្ពុជាជាមួយសៀមនោះទេប៉ុន្តែទង្វើររបស់សៀមមិនដែលចាត់ទុក្ខពលរដ្ធខ្មែរជាប្រទេសជិតខាងគ្នានឹងគ្នាទេ។នៅតាមជុំរំវាបានបាញ់ពលរដ្ធខ្មែរដែលគាត់មិនបានធ្វើអ្វីខុសសោះពលរដ្ធខ្មែរភេទស្រីមានចំណាស់បន្តិចទាហ៊ានសៀមវាបានបាញ់គាត់ពីក្រោយហើយពួកវាបាននាំគ្នាវាលើកគាត់បោះលើឡានរបស់វាហើយយកសាកសពគាត់ទៅបោះចោលនៅកន្លែងដាក់សពនៅមន្ទីពេទ្យធ្វើព្រងើយដោយគិតថាគ្មានធ្វើអ្វីមួយខុសសោះ។បន្ទាប់មកម៉ែឪបងប្អូននៃសពពុំហ៊ានធ្វើអ្វីជាមួយពួកវាទេមានតែទឹកភ្នែករាងៗខ្លួនប៉ុណ្ណោះខ្ញុំនិយាយនៅជុំរំខាវអ៊ីដាងស្រុកសៀមនៅឆ្នាំ១៩៧៩ខែដប់មួយឬដប់ពីរខ្ញុំចាំមិនច្បាស់ទេ។បើនិយាយនៅជុំរំកាំពុតស្រុកសៀមដដែលពួកទាហ៊ានសៀមវាបានធ្វើបាបពលរដ្ធខ្មែរយើងម្នាក់ទៀតដោយពួកវាចាប់បានបងប្អូនខ្មែរយើងដោយពុំមានធ្វើអ្វីឲ្យខុសនោះទេពួកវាបានវះពោះរបស់គាត់ហើយដាក់ស្មៅចូលនៅក្នុងពោះរបស់គាត់រហូតដល់ស្លាប់គឺនៅឆ្នាំ១៩៨០។ហើយវាតែងតែធ្វើបាប
ពលរដ្ធខ្មែរគ្មានថ្ងៃឈរឈប់ទេពីមួយថ្ងៃទៅមួយថ្ងៃរហូតមានថ្ងៃមួយពួកទាហ៊ានសៀមវាបានជិះម៉ូតូ
ឡើងផ្ទះអ្នកស្រុកហើយបានវាយពួកគាត់ដល់ក្នុងមុងទៀតពីព្រោះកាលពីថ្ងៃពួកគាត់អង្គុយនៅមាត់ជណ្តើរពុំបានពាក់ស្លាកនៅនឹងកហេតុដួច្នេះហើយបានជាពួកវាជិះម៉ូតូឡើងដល់ក្នុងផ្ទះហើយបានវាយដំពួកគាត់ទៅ។នេះហើយគឺជាទង្វើររបស់សៀមពួកវាមិនដែលចាត់ទុក្ខថាខ្មែរយើងជាប្រទេសជិតខាងគ្នាទេ។
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