By PATRICK BARTA
The Wall Street Journal
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia—A U.N.- backed tribunal found a key leader of Cambodia's notorious Khmer Rouge regime guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced him to 35 years in prison, marking its first successful prosecution after more than a decade of work to bring the group's top officials to justice.
The court found that Kaing Guek Eav, better known as Duch, was at least partly responsible for the deaths of some 14,000 or more Cambodians who were brought to the Tuol Sleng prison he ran in Phnom Penh during the brutal years of Khmer Rouge rule from 1975 to 1979. The prisoners were brought there by Khmer Rouge officials who accused them of disloyalty to the regime; once inside, they were often electrocuted or beaten with metal bars before being hauled away to their deaths.
The court is still deciding whether to take other, more senior Khmer Rouge officials to trial, including several former government ministers and other members of the group's central planning organization who are now in their 70s and 80s. The court is expected to decide whether to proceed with further cases by September.
Monday's sentence was a lighter than expected. Mr. Kaing Guek Eav, who is 67 years old, acknowledged his role in overseeing the prison but denied personally killing or torturing any victims and argued he was only following orders in running the jail. He asked for leniency partly on the basis that he had cooperated with prosecutors and had already served several years in jail.
The Khmer Rouge were a radical Communist rebel group that rose to power during the Vietnam War and outlawed money and private property in a failed bid to turn Cambodia into a nation of agricultural collectives. Some 1.7 million people died of starvation, illness or were killed before the regime was toppled by invading Vietnamese forces in 1979.
The country, which is peaceful now, has spent much of the past 30 years trying to come to terms with the genocide. The tribunal itself was beset with numerous setbacks, including funding shortfalls and allegations of political interference from Cambodian authorities that delayed its work.
Legal experts said that completing the first trial marked a watershed moment in Cambodian history and raised hopes the tribunal would be able to bring more Khmer Rouge leaders justice before they die.
Tens of thousands of Cambodians attended parts of the Kaing Guek Eav trial after it began last March, and millions more followed its progress on television.
A former math teacher who joined the Khmer Rouge in the 1960s, Mr. Kaing Guek Eav is the only major figure to admit some responsibility for the group's crimes. Only a handful of people survived incarceration at his prison, in a converted elementary school that is now is a museum.
The Khmer Rouge's senior-most leader, Pol Pot, died in 1998.
Write to Patrick Barta at patrick.barta@wsj.com
The court found that Kaing Guek Eav, better known as Duch, was at least partly responsible for the deaths of some 14,000 or more Cambodians who were brought to the Tuol Sleng prison he ran in Phnom Penh during the brutal years of Khmer Rouge rule from 1975 to 1979. The prisoners were brought there by Khmer Rouge officials who accused them of disloyalty to the regime; once inside, they were often electrocuted or beaten with metal bars before being hauled away to their deaths.
The court is still deciding whether to take other, more senior Khmer Rouge officials to trial, including several former government ministers and other members of the group's central planning organization who are now in their 70s and 80s. The court is expected to decide whether to proceed with further cases by September.
Monday's sentence was a lighter than expected. Mr. Kaing Guek Eav, who is 67 years old, acknowledged his role in overseeing the prison but denied personally killing or torturing any victims and argued he was only following orders in running the jail. He asked for leniency partly on the basis that he had cooperated with prosecutors and had already served several years in jail.
The Khmer Rouge were a radical Communist rebel group that rose to power during the Vietnam War and outlawed money and private property in a failed bid to turn Cambodia into a nation of agricultural collectives. Some 1.7 million people died of starvation, illness or were killed before the regime was toppled by invading Vietnamese forces in 1979.
The country, which is peaceful now, has spent much of the past 30 years trying to come to terms with the genocide. The tribunal itself was beset with numerous setbacks, including funding shortfalls and allegations of political interference from Cambodian authorities that delayed its work.
Legal experts said that completing the first trial marked a watershed moment in Cambodian history and raised hopes the tribunal would be able to bring more Khmer Rouge leaders justice before they die.
Tens of thousands of Cambodians attended parts of the Kaing Guek Eav trial after it began last March, and millions more followed its progress on television.
A former math teacher who joined the Khmer Rouge in the 1960s, Mr. Kaing Guek Eav is the only major figure to admit some responsibility for the group's crimes. Only a handful of people survived incarceration at his prison, in a converted elementary school that is now is a museum.
The Khmer Rouge's senior-most leader, Pol Pot, died in 1998.
Write to Patrick Barta at patrick.barta@wsj.com
8 comments:
Rectangular Strategy
Legal and Judicial Reform
The Royal Government has improved legal and judicial systems by focusing on the development of a sound legal framework and modernization of the laws, as well as by laying out necessary strategies and measures to enhance the competence, independence and impartiality of the judiciary, which are crucial to strengthening the rule of law. In the third legislature, a total of 140 laws were promulgated including three major codes- the Criminal Procedure Code, the Civil Procedure Code and the Civil Code. The Royal Government has focused on improving the judiciary by enhancing the competency and accountability of judges through initial and continual training and the adoption of the Codes of Ethics for Judges and Prosecutors. Disciplinary measures have been carried out by the Supreme Council of the Magistracy. The Royal Government has also established centers for legal services in the number of the district in order to institutionalize dispute resolution mechanisms outside the court system in Cambodia in order to reduce the backlog at the courts.
The Royal Government will continue implementing the legal and judicial reform strategy in order to achieve its seven strategic objectives. It will also focus more on the early adoption of major fundamental laws such as the Penal Code, the Anti-Corruption Law, the Law on the Statutes of Judges and Prosecutors, the Law on the Organization and Functioning of the Courts and the Law on the Amendment of the Law on the Organization and Functioning of the Supreme Council of the Magistracy. At the same time, the Royal Government will continue to organize programs to disseminate knowledge of laws and procedures to the public and provide legal training to law-enforcement officials with the aim of improving awareness and proper enforcement of the laws. In the fourth legislature, the Royal Government will continue to address the following priorities: (1) enhancement of the competency of Judges and Prosecutors through continued high quality training and initial professional training, and enhancing the accountability of judges and prosecutors by promulgating the statutes for Judges and Prosecutors, and by taking strict disciplinary actions in close cooperation with the Supreme Council of the Magistracy; (2) development of the support mechanisms to serve the judicial sector- including the introduction of the statutes for the court clerks, the notaries and the bailiffs; and the operational functioning of professional training schools for the above officials in order to ensure their proper qualifications and professionalism; (3) provision of legal aid- especially through provision of lawyers to poor citizens to help protect their rights and interests at court; and, (4) further promotion of the mechanisms for dispute resolution outside of the court system in order to improve and strengthen the culture of harmonious co-existence of people in peace and solidarity.
35 years in jail is not nearly enough for his crime. UN-back tribunal must be scared to jail Hun Sen's former friend for some reason.
Justice has NOT been served !
Justice has NOT been served !
Justice has NOT been served !
Justice has NOT been served !
Justice has NOT been served !
Justice has NOT been served !
Justice has NOT been served !
Justice has NOT been served !
Justice has NOT been served !
The case #1 is done and the case #2, #3, and so on are much more important so they should be done in the shorter period of time. To me Duch should received death sentence.
That is nice but what is up with Camerade Hun Xen?
Democratic Kampuchea Pol Pot Khmer Rouge Regime
Members:
Pol Pot
Nuon Chea
Ieng Sary
Ta Mok
Khieu Samphan
Son Sen
Ieng Thearith
Kaing Kek Iev
Hun Sen
Chea Sim
Heng Samrin
Hor Namhong
Keat Chhon
Ouk Bunchhoeun
Sim Ka...
Committed:
Tortures
Brutality
Executions
Massacres
Mass Murder
Genocide
Atrocities
Crimes Against Humanity
Starvations
Slavery
Force Labour
Overwork to Death
Human Abuses
Persecution
Unlawful Detention
Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime
Members:
Hun Sen
Chea Sim
Heng Samrin
Hor Namhong
Keat Chhon
Ouk Bunchhoeun
Sim Ka...
Committed:
Attempted Murders
Attempted Murder on Chea Vichea
Attempted Assassinations
Attempted Assassination on Sam Rainsy
Assassinations
Assassinated Journalists
Assassinated Political Opponents
Assassinated Leaders of the Free Trade Union
Assassinated over 80 members of Sam Rainsy Party.
Sam Rainsy LIC 31 October 2009 - Cairo, Egypt
"As of today, over eighty members of my party have been assassinated. Countless others have been injured, arrested, jailed, or forced to go into hiding or into exile."
Executions
Executed over 100 members of FUNCINPEC Party
Murders
Murdered 3 Leaders of the Free Trade Union
Murdered Chea Vichea
Murdered Ros Sovannareth
Murdered Hy Vuthy
Murdered 10 Journalists
Murdered Khim Sambo
Murdered Khim Sambo's son
Murdered members of Sam Rainsy Party.
Murdered activists of Sam Rainsy Party
Murdered Innocent Men
Murdered Innocent Women
Murdered Innocent Children
Killed Innocent Khmer Peoples.
Extrajudicial Execution
Grenade Attack
Terrorism
Drive by Shooting
Brutalities
Police Brutality Against Monks
Police Brutality Against Evictees
Tortures
Intimidations
Death Threats
Threatening
Human Abductions
Human Abuses
Human Rights Abuses
Human Trafficking
Drugs Trafficking
Under Age Child Sex
Corruptions
Bribery
Embezzlement
Treason
Border Encroachment, allow Vietnam to encroaching into Cambodia.
Signed away our territories to Vietnam; Koh Tral, almost half of our ocean territory oil field and others.
Illegal Arrest
Illegal Mass Evictions
Illegal Land Grabbing
Illegal Firearms
Illegal Logging
Illegal Deforestation
Illegally use of remote detonate bomb on Sokha Helicopter, while Hok Lundy and other military officials were on board.
Lightning strike many airplanes, but did not fall from the sky. Lightning strike out side of airplane and discharge electricity to ground.
Source: Lightning, Discovery Channel
Illegally Sold State Properties
Illegally Removed Parliamentary Immunity of Parliament Members
Plunder National Resources
Acid Attacks
Turn Cambodia into a Lawless Country.
Oppression
Injustice
Steal Votes
Bring Foreigners from Vietnam to vote in Cambodia for Cambodian People's Party.
Use Dead people's names to vote for Cambodian People's Party.
Disqualified potential Sam Rainsy Party's voters.
Abuse the Court as a tools for CPP to send political opponents and journalists to jail.
Abuse of Power
Abuse the Laws
Abuse the National Election Committee
Abuse the National Assembly
Violate the Laws
Violate the Constitution
Violate the Paris Accords
Impunity
Persecution
Unlawful Detention
Death in custody.
Under the Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime, no criminals that has been committed crimes against journalists, political opponents, leaders of the Free Trade Union, innocent men, women and children have ever been brought to justice.
Who killed 1.7 million innocent Khmer peoples?
a) Pol Pot
b) Nuon Chea
c) Ta Mok
d) Khieu Samphan
e) Son Sen
f) Kang Guek Eav
g) Ieng Sary
h) Ieng Thearith
i) Chea Sim
j) Heng Samrin
k) Hor Namhong
l) Keat Chhon
m) Ouk Bunchhoeun
n) Sim Ka
o) Hun Sen...
p) all of above
Source:
DC-CAM
Which one of these Khmer Rouge(s) list below is the current Khmer Rouge Regime's leader?
a) Pol Pot
b) Nuon Chea
c) Ta Mok
d) Khieu Samphan
e) Son Sen
f) Kang Guek Eav
g) Ieng Sary
h) Ieng Thearith
i) Chea Sim
j) Heng Samrin
k) Hor Namhong
l) Keat Chhon
m) Ouk Bunchhoeun
n) Sim Ka
o) HUN SEN
Fact:
Pol Pot is a Khmer Rouge leader of the Democratic Kampuchea Khmer Rouge Regime.
Hun Sen was a Khmer Rouge commander of the Democratic Kampuchea Khmer Rouge Regime and now, a Khmer Rouge leader of the Cambodian People's Party Khmer Rouge Regime.
Chea Sim, Heng Samrin, Hor Namhong, Keat Chhon, Ouk Bunchhoeun and Sim Ka has been summon by the UN back Khmer Rouge Tribunal court (EEEC).
Which one of these Khmer Rouge(s) list below is chief of Boeung Trabek prison?
a) Pol Pot
b) Nuon Chea
c) Ta Mok
d) Khieu Samphan
e) Son Sen
f) Kang Guek Eav
g) Ieng Sary
h) Ieng Thearith
i) Chea Sim
j) Heng Samrin
k) HOR NAMHONG
l) Keat Chhon
m) Ouk Bunchhoeun
n) Sim Ka
o) Hun Sen
Source:
DC-CAM
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