Ayinde O. Chase - AHN News Editor
Phnom Penh, Cambodia (AHN) - One of the most notorious executioners of the Khmer Rouge's regime will have the verdict in his war crimes trial issued on July 26. Kaing Guek Eav, whose revolutionary name was Comrade Duch, was in charge of S-21, the regime's main torture and execution center.
“Finally after 30 years, the first leading Khmer Rouge figure has been brought to justice,” said tribunal spokesman Lars Olsen.
“Hopefully this will be a landmark for the Cambodian people who have waited for more than 30 years to see someone brought to justice for the crimes committed by the Khmer Rouge.”
Duch is accused of crimes against humanity and war crimes, as well as crimes under Cambodian law. He is the first of five senior Khmer Rouge leaders to face trial at the United Nations-backed genocide special court in Phnom Penh. His trial began in February 2009.
The 67-year-old Duch spent the nine months of the trial apologizing and admitting to his role in the killing of thousands of people. However, on the last day of the trial he switched his plea to not guilty.
Duch ran Tuol Sleng prison (S-21), where as many as 17,000 people believed to be enemies of the Khmer Rouge were killed. Once there, they were tortured and then executed. Only a handful are known to have survived.
Four other surviving senior leaders of the Khmer Rouge are currently awaiting their trials and are being held in pre-trial detention. They are former Brother Number Two Nuon Chea, the movement's ideologue; former head of state Khieu Samphan; former foreign minister Ieng Sary; and his wife, the former social affairs minister Ieng Thirith.
Up to 2 million people died under the Khmer Rouge, which ruled Cambodia from 1975-1979. Most perished from overwork, starvation and murder during the ultra-Maoist regime’s reign of terror. The group emptied cities and enslaved the population on collective farms in an attempt to create a communist utopia.
“Finally after 30 years, the first leading Khmer Rouge figure has been brought to justice,” said tribunal spokesman Lars Olsen.
“Hopefully this will be a landmark for the Cambodian people who have waited for more than 30 years to see someone brought to justice for the crimes committed by the Khmer Rouge.”
Duch is accused of crimes against humanity and war crimes, as well as crimes under Cambodian law. He is the first of five senior Khmer Rouge leaders to face trial at the United Nations-backed genocide special court in Phnom Penh. His trial began in February 2009.
The 67-year-old Duch spent the nine months of the trial apologizing and admitting to his role in the killing of thousands of people. However, on the last day of the trial he switched his plea to not guilty.
Duch ran Tuol Sleng prison (S-21), where as many as 17,000 people believed to be enemies of the Khmer Rouge were killed. Once there, they were tortured and then executed. Only a handful are known to have survived.
Four other surviving senior leaders of the Khmer Rouge are currently awaiting their trials and are being held in pre-trial detention. They are former Brother Number Two Nuon Chea, the movement's ideologue; former head of state Khieu Samphan; former foreign minister Ieng Sary; and his wife, the former social affairs minister Ieng Thirith.
Up to 2 million people died under the Khmer Rouge, which ruled Cambodia from 1975-1979. Most perished from overwork, starvation and murder during the ultra-Maoist regime’s reign of terror. The group emptied cities and enslaved the population on collective farms in an attempt to create a communist utopia.
1 comment:
Guilty of all charges! Sir Duch will be punished by lethal injection or hanging. Crime against humanity will not be tolerated. Let's put an end to the khmer rouge comrade.
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