Cambodia's U.N.-backed war crimes tribunal has charged the Khmer Rouge's former head of state with genocide, the third such charge this week against a former leader of the brutal regime.
18 December 2009
VOA News
A court spokesman says Khieu Samphan was brought before investigating judges of the U.N.-assisted tribunal Friday and charged.
On Wednesday, the tribunal charged two other defendants with genocide for the first time: Nuon Chea, the group's top ideologist and former foreign minister Ieng Sary.
All three have been charged with involvement in the deaths of members of the country's ethnic Cham and Vietnamese communities.
Some Chams, who are mostly Muslims, were among the few Cambodians to actively resist Khmer Rouge rule. The Khmer Rouge brutally suppressed the rebellions in several villages.
All three are also facing charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, as well as homicide and torture for their involvement in the deaths of 1.7 million Cambodians between 1975 and 1979.
Although many Cambodians feel their people suffered a genocide, it is difficult for prosecutors to apply the charge to the mass killing.
The United Nations defines genocide as "acts committed with intent to destroy a national, ethnical, racial or religious group."
So far, three of five former senior Khmer Rouge members facing prosecution for their involvement in the brutal ultra-communist regime have been formally charged in court.
Prison chief Kaing Guek Eav, known as Duch, was the first defendant to be tried. He faces life imprisonment if found guilty of crimes against humanity, war crimes, torture and murder. A verdict is expected some time early next year.
Duch commanded the S-21 prison in Phnom Penh, where about 16,000 people were tortured and taken away to be killed.
The Khmer Rouge aimed to wipe out Cambodia's social classes and create a self-sustaining, agrarian society.
They emptied Cambodia's cities, killed anyone who appeared educated or elite, and forced the rest of the population to work in rural labor camps. Vietnamese forces pushed the group from power in 1979.
18 December 2009
VOA News
A court spokesman says Khieu Samphan was brought before investigating judges of the U.N.-assisted tribunal Friday and charged.
On Wednesday, the tribunal charged two other defendants with genocide for the first time: Nuon Chea, the group's top ideologist and former foreign minister Ieng Sary.
All three have been charged with involvement in the deaths of members of the country's ethnic Cham and Vietnamese communities.
Some Chams, who are mostly Muslims, were among the few Cambodians to actively resist Khmer Rouge rule. The Khmer Rouge brutally suppressed the rebellions in several villages.
All three are also facing charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, as well as homicide and torture for their involvement in the deaths of 1.7 million Cambodians between 1975 and 1979.
Although many Cambodians feel their people suffered a genocide, it is difficult for prosecutors to apply the charge to the mass killing.
The United Nations defines genocide as "acts committed with intent to destroy a national, ethnical, racial or religious group."
So far, three of five former senior Khmer Rouge members facing prosecution for their involvement in the brutal ultra-communist regime have been formally charged in court.
Prison chief Kaing Guek Eav, known as Duch, was the first defendant to be tried. He faces life imprisonment if found guilty of crimes against humanity, war crimes, torture and murder. A verdict is expected some time early next year.
Duch commanded the S-21 prison in Phnom Penh, where about 16,000 people were tortured and taken away to be killed.
The Khmer Rouge aimed to wipe out Cambodia's social classes and create a self-sustaining, agrarian society.
They emptied Cambodia's cities, killed anyone who appeared educated or elite, and forced the rest of the population to work in rural labor camps. Vietnamese forces pushed the group from power in 1979.
2 comments:
How about Hun Sen, Heng Samrin and Chea Sim? Don't they be brought to question too? They have killed so many Khmer people too. Now they are still killing Khmer people who are politically against them throug using their police, one eye court and many other means. They are the ones who ordered K-5 to dig trench and river along Thai border and destroy forest. Many Khmer people died from it.
And even worse Hun Sen and his group threatened the Khmer Rough court. He wanted to see the court fail. By saying this, he should be brought to question.
Khmer Rough court is a bad dream for Hun Sen and his group. He is afraid that soon or later he and his group will have luck like Khmer Rough leaders. By then he might say "No justice for him like many Khmer Rough leaders are saying. Of course, he does some good things to develop Cambodia. People recognize that. But he also does many bad things. He order to kill many Khmer people who are against them. He uses his personal bodyguard and secret police to arrest people and kill them. He use his one eyes court - the court that sees and listens one side of the problem to jail many innocent people. When he has no power, he will have luck Khiev Samphon, Sary and Chea.
Hun Sen overstays his welcome. He stays for too long. Now Cambodia belongs to him, his family and his group.
He is on top of the tree. Now he is afraid to come down. We need to make him come down. If he does not come down, we need to throw him out. Let cut his tree.
If he quit or resign now, he might e considered a stateman like Nelson Mendala, South Africa president. It is not too late. But he waits till he is pushed out, then he will have nothing. He will have luck like Khmer ROugh leaders. He has involved in many crimes.
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