Photo released by the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, show Kaing Guek Eav, (R), the former chief of the Khmer Rouge's notorious S-21 prison, in the court room of the U.N.-backed tribunal in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 25 Nov 2009 (Photo: AP)In the last minutes of his trial, the man accused of running a Khmer Rouge death camp Friday asked for an acquittal. The three Cambodian and two international judges ignored the request and ended the trial.
Luke Hunt, VOA News
Phnom Penh 27 November 2009
In Cambodia, the trial of a prison commandant who ruled over the deaths of at least 12,000 people has wrapped up. But, it will be months before a verdict and sentence are issued.
In the last minutes of his trial, the man accused of running a Khmer Rouge death camp Friday asked for an acquittal. The three Cambodian and two international judges ignored the request and ended the trial.
In summing up the trial of Kang Guek Eav, also known as Duch, his lawyers downplayed the role of the S-21 death camp he ran. S-21 was housed in a Phnom Penh school when the Khmer Rouge ruled from 1975 to 1979.
Duch has admitted running the prison and has apologized for his role. But his lawyers have argued he was not a senior official in the Khmer Rouge and he acted to protect himself and his family.
Helen Jarvis is head of the court's victims unit and says many will be relieved that the court has wrapped up the trial, which began in February.
"For the last seven months they have been here almost every single day, and have been following the ups and downs, they've been on the edge of their seats, crying, angry, upset, worried, everything," said Helen Jarvis. "Their emotions have been absolute high pitched for seven months.
She says victims of the Khmer Rouge now will wait for a verdict and sentence. The prosecutors have asked for 40 years in prison, although many victims want Duch to serve a life sentence.
A verdict is expected early next year.
About 1.7 million people died under the ultra-Maoists, from murder, starvation and illness caused by forced migration around the country as the Khmer Rouge attempted to establish an agrarian Utopia.
Defense lawyer Francois Roux told the court that Duch was full of remorse and drew comparisons with Albert Spear, Adolf Hitler's defense minister in World War II who was sentenced to 20 years in jail at the Nuremberg war crimes trials.
Roux said Duch had "shed tears over the graves of the children" who were processed at S-21 before being transported to the Killing Fields on the outskirts of town where, like their parents, they were bludgeoned to death.
The Khmer Rouge established 196 such camps around the country based on a prototype Duch established in 1971.
The court heard S-21 held top rank among the camps and Duch was central to Khmer Rouge policies of purging potential enemies of the state.
Because of international politics and Cambodia's own civil war, Duch is the first Khmer Rouge leader to face trial The trials of former Foreign Minister Ieng Sary and his wife Ieng Thirith, former head of state Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea are not expected to begin until late next year.
Many other Khmer Rouge leaders have died without ever facing justice, including the head of the group, Pol Pot.
Luke Hunt, VOA News
Phnom Penh 27 November 2009
In Cambodia, the trial of a prison commandant who ruled over the deaths of at least 12,000 people has wrapped up. But, it will be months before a verdict and sentence are issued.
In the last minutes of his trial, the man accused of running a Khmer Rouge death camp Friday asked for an acquittal. The three Cambodian and two international judges ignored the request and ended the trial.
In summing up the trial of Kang Guek Eav, also known as Duch, his lawyers downplayed the role of the S-21 death camp he ran. S-21 was housed in a Phnom Penh school when the Khmer Rouge ruled from 1975 to 1979.
Duch has admitted running the prison and has apologized for his role. But his lawyers have argued he was not a senior official in the Khmer Rouge and he acted to protect himself and his family.
Helen Jarvis is head of the court's victims unit and says many will be relieved that the court has wrapped up the trial, which began in February.
"For the last seven months they have been here almost every single day, and have been following the ups and downs, they've been on the edge of their seats, crying, angry, upset, worried, everything," said Helen Jarvis. "Their emotions have been absolute high pitched for seven months.
She says victims of the Khmer Rouge now will wait for a verdict and sentence. The prosecutors have asked for 40 years in prison, although many victims want Duch to serve a life sentence.
A verdict is expected early next year.
About 1.7 million people died under the ultra-Maoists, from murder, starvation and illness caused by forced migration around the country as the Khmer Rouge attempted to establish an agrarian Utopia.
Defense lawyer Francois Roux told the court that Duch was full of remorse and drew comparisons with Albert Spear, Adolf Hitler's defense minister in World War II who was sentenced to 20 years in jail at the Nuremberg war crimes trials.
Roux said Duch had "shed tears over the graves of the children" who were processed at S-21 before being transported to the Killing Fields on the outskirts of town where, like their parents, they were bludgeoned to death.
The Khmer Rouge established 196 such camps around the country based on a prototype Duch established in 1971.
The court heard S-21 held top rank among the camps and Duch was central to Khmer Rouge policies of purging potential enemies of the state.
Because of international politics and Cambodia's own civil war, Duch is the first Khmer Rouge leader to face trial The trials of former Foreign Minister Ieng Sary and his wife Ieng Thirith, former head of state Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea are not expected to begin until late next year.
Many other Khmer Rouge leaders have died without ever facing justice, including the head of the group, Pol Pot.
8 comments:
The question is this:
1- Did Duch act out of his own free will or to do his duties as prisoner camp his is responsible for?
2- Did a soldier who out of his duty killed the enemies is criminally responsible for their death?
3- Did Duch still alive if he did not do his duty?
4- Did Duch is the one of the policy maker of the Khmer Rouge regime?
5- who are leaders responsible for the KR regime?
6- Did all the facts are available to the judges to give the verdict?
7- What will be a fair sentence if the accused had repented even before the sentence is given?
8- What will be a fair sentence if the accused had never acknowledged his responsibility and never show any remorse?
9- In which context the accused is living and raised? In a society with high morality or ethics?
10- Will the sentence serve the purpose of an example for the current society in which all khmers are living now?
Im looking forwards to the day that Duch will be hung. That is the only way that justice will be served. History will be different when Duch dies and cambodian people move on to the new chapter of their lives.
Duch was a executioner.
Duch was a pawn.
Duch had no right to free any prisoner.
Any Khmer will do exactly as Duch did if he was at Duch position.
90% of Duch victims was Khmers rouges.
Duch deserves to be released.
Nuon Chea, Kiev Samphan, Ieng Sary, Ieng thyrith are guilty.
Do Khmers learn from the killing ?
NO
Duch must executed or life in jail...
The end of the trial of the criminal and the murderer of the Khmer people, Chinese-Khmer Kaing Guek Eav ended " in Chinese " and at least that we can say that is ambiguous: 2 defenders of the accused did not agree on the on the sentence wanted and for Kaing Guek Eav, he laughed again completely at the International Justice and at the memory of his victims by asking simply his discharge, and nothing less. And almost at the same moment, stands in the kingdom of Cambodia
a congress of the overseas Chinese coming especially from countries of Asia of the South with in support the presence of the diplomatic representative of the China PR.
Pure coincidence due to a accident of calendar or deliberate show of the support to one of theirs (Kaing Guek Eav is of Chinese origin and faithful servant of Pol Pot unconditional ally of Communist China)? In any case, it is not trivial and has to marke all the true Khmers ( true Khmers patriots) reflect .
Duch pants must stop angry at the female judge...
The last time he had sex was in 18th century...
Ah Duch dick about to stand up against people of cambodia...
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