BBC News
Former Khmer Rouge prison chief Duch has shocked the UN-backed war crimes tribunal by asking to be released on the final day of the trial.
Duch, whose real name is Kaing Guek Eav, had admitted being responsible for overseeing the deaths of 15,000 people.
Duch commanded a prison from where thousands were killed in an orchard now known as the "Killing Fields".
His request for clemency cast doubt over the sincerity of his requests for forgiveness from the victims' families.
Duch, a former maths teacher, said he had co-operated fully with the tribunal and had been detained since 1999.
"I would ask the chamber to release me. Thank you very much," he said at the end of his closing statement to the court.
Tortured and killed
His lawyer confirmed he was asking to be acquitted on the grounds that he was not a senior member of the Khmer Rouge hierarchy.
The judges did not act on Duch's request and closed proceedings. They are expected to make a ruling on the verdict early next year.
Up to two million Cambodians died under Pol Pot's brutal Khmer Rouge rule in the 1970s.
As many as 17,000 inmates are thought to have passed through the gates of the prison which Duch controlled, known as S-21.
The vast majority were tortured, forced to "confess" to crimes against the regime and then put to death just outside Phnom Penh.
Duch is the first of five leading Khmer Rouge figures to face the UN-backed tribunal.
The joint trial of four other - more senior - Khmer Rouge leaders is expected to start in 2011.
Duch, whose real name is Kaing Guek Eav, had admitted being responsible for overseeing the deaths of 15,000 people.
Duch commanded a prison from where thousands were killed in an orchard now known as the "Killing Fields".
His request for clemency cast doubt over the sincerity of his requests for forgiveness from the victims' families.
Duch, a former maths teacher, said he had co-operated fully with the tribunal and had been detained since 1999.
"I would ask the chamber to release me. Thank you very much," he said at the end of his closing statement to the court.
Tortured and killed
His lawyer confirmed he was asking to be acquitted on the grounds that he was not a senior member of the Khmer Rouge hierarchy.
The judges did not act on Duch's request and closed proceedings. They are expected to make a ruling on the verdict early next year.
Up to two million Cambodians died under Pol Pot's brutal Khmer Rouge rule in the 1970s.
As many as 17,000 inmates are thought to have passed through the gates of the prison which Duch controlled, known as S-21.
The vast majority were tortured, forced to "confess" to crimes against the regime and then put to death just outside Phnom Penh.
Duch is the first of five leading Khmer Rouge figures to face the UN-backed tribunal.
The joint trial of four other - more senior - Khmer Rouge leaders is expected to start in 2011.
8 comments:
"The only real differences of condition are differences in knowledge of the highest truth."Buddha
This world!!!!!!!!!!
Sihanouk+Ho+Mao=Killer of people khmer and they have not Buddha.
I am not a KR and was not a former KR. I am not either pro the killing conducted by the terror regime.
I was born just after the KR regime fortunately.
Related to the recent decision of the ECCC on Duch's case, here i [in the name of an ordinary people] want to raise my ideas as following:
1. It is just that prosecutors demanded Duch a 40-year jail term? As his lawyer (Francois) mentioned that Duch had to "kill or be killed" and operate like an "obedient machine". That's logic! Can you all imagine how was that situation? If you were him, what would you do?_I would say i would act like him and you too!
Polt Pot also said "the ones who stuck with hands, hands will be lost, stuck with foot, foot will be lost, at the moment that the history cycle is running"
2. It is just to put him 40 years in prison? As he was only a prison's chief during the regime, when there were other hundreds of prisons where managed by many other KR who some are survided and live freely. Why they are not put to trial??? It exactly sounds that Duch had very small position, who executed his duties following orders from his leaders of revolution. I think everyone can understand about that.
3.According to the ECCC provisions/regulations [like the other international crimes], only the top official shall be prosecuted and how can just a prisoner head be the top official.Top officials would refer to the prime minister, president of the national assembly, cabinet head, and other national policy decision-makers.
4.According to a political integration of the government to forgively appeal for all the KR to join and work for the government, that the government would not condemn or without any imprisonment.
Due to my four above reasons, i would like to appeal to the ECCC court two points:
1.To jail him 40 years in prison, but it must be on parole [release him temporarily or permanently to stay at home with his family until the completion of his sentence, on recognition his remorse in the interests of national reconciliation. And anyway he is too old to stay alone in the prison.
Moreover in term of human resource, he is very qualified for the social interest. He will can do a lot of things for the nation both education and history! Why the court has to keep him in the prison?
2.To jail him only 3 years, 8 months and 20 days [the whole period when he was in power]. Remember that without Duch, the trial could not have unfolded if he, like others, had decided to remain in silence! He is not a major example of the killing who has to be seriously jailed as a compensation for that killing.
Yos Katank
(27/November/2009)
Katank,
If it was not for the ban of capital punishment,Duch is deserved a 12 gun firing squad not 40 year or life in prison.
You imagine,he killed children, infants, women,and pregnant women for the sake of his excuse killed or be killed???
That's evil for all Khmer Rouge including the one in Tuol Krarsaing.
This might be Khmer bad habit and beliefe. If your boss ask you to kill innocent people, you will kill so that you can live. If this continues, what will happen to future generaton? So I think Duch must be jailed to be example for next leaders or people to not follow bad order from their boss.
As you can see this happening every day in Cambodia. Hun Sen order police and military to destroy Sam Ransy demonstration. These men can not do anything except execute bad order.
I understand Duch is like police and Military today. Just listen and obey order. But he has a choice not to obey though mean his life.
If I am a judge ?
-Katank is not completly wrong. For At least Duch cooperate, and admitting remorse, he deserve to get some credit out of that.
-Also Duch could become a living exemple of people who take order from their boss. Like when one day when Hun Sen will be handcuffed for his selling of Khmer land and nation to Vietnam, all his followers can not claim they did thing just by following orders; YOU HAVE YOUR OWN BRAIN TO THINK OF THINGS YOU DO AND DON'T.
Duch will have to pay the price of his bad Karma. Well...give him some privilege as to visit falily, not to work him to hard etc...
The Judge
mr Duch must be sentenced to die, either by hanging or lethal injection. Any other prison terms will do injustice to the victims.
If you was there like me
you should khnow that
Duk was only an executionner.
He had no right to release any prisonner.
The real guilty persons are
Pol pot, Nuon Chea and Son Sen.
But I don't deny that, that time, Duk loved his job.
Everyone has the right to express his/her opinions but it is important to learn to be respectfull. Duch's decision to take the job as an executioner has consequences. To say the only few responsible for the whole holocaust is not right. No matter whether you are directly or indirectly involved by law of all nations you are as guilty as the one who pulled the trigger. Shame on all saying that Duch and all other followers of Khmer Rouge are not guilty. What right is right and what wrong is wrong.
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