Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Comrade Duch and the Killing Fields

"Should this Cambodian government make Comrade Duch the sole scapegoat by obstructing the start and completion of Case 002, the tribunal will be considered a failure for the millions of dollars wasted and the irreversible cynicism it has embedded in a society already fractured by fear. If that is the case, let the record show that we survivors have registered our deep disappointment."
When will justice come to more senior leaders of the Khmer Rouge?

AUGUST 17, 2010

By THEARY SENG
OPINION
The Wall Street Journal (USA)


Late last month in Cambodia, Kaing Guek Eav—the killer known to all Cambodians as Comrade Duch—was finally convicted. The former commandant was found guilty by a U.N.-backed tribunal of crimes against humanity in the sadistic murders of at least 14,000 of his countrymen. He was sentenced to 35 years in prison.

Though his conviction was a milestone for Cambodians who have waited years for some form of credible justice, many genocide survivors, including me, felt the punishment was far too soft given the severity of his crimes. After the Extraordinary Chambers—as the tribunal is formally known—deducted five years to redress violations of his rights when he was held illegally in prior military detention, and 11 years for the time he's already served, Comrade Duch would only serve 19 years behind bars: 11 hours of imprisonment for each person he slaughtered.

Yesterday came the welcome news that the prosecutors are appealing his sentence on the grounds that it's too lenient. Cambodians are heartened by the appeal but hope that it will not cause undue delays to the more pressing matter: the case against the "senior" Khmer Rouge leaders, the core of the Extraordinary Chambers's mission.

Since Vietnam invaded Cambodia and ended the Khmer Rouge regime in January 1979, these killers wandered the country with impunity thanks to Cold War rivalries among various communist regimes. Beijing supported the Khmer Rouge, its satellite, financially and militarily. But the Soviet Union, sworn enemy of China, supported Vietnam's occupation of Cambodia. Meanwhile, still smarting from the Vietnam War and viewing China as an indispensable ally, the U.S. backed a coalition government of Khmer Rouge and non-Communist Cambodian forces with Prince Norodom Sihanouk as its nominal head.

The collapse of the Soviet Union brought about a peace agreement in 1991 with the participation of all Cambodian factions—including the Khmer Rouge. It would take until June 2003 for the U.N. and the government to establish the Extraordinary Chambers. It was just four years ago that it began to try the mass murderers of 1975-1979.

Comrade Duch was the commandant of only one Khmer Rouge detention center (Tuol Sleng) and only one killing field (Choeung Ek). There were at least 200 detention centers and thousands of killing fields spread across the country. Phnom Penh was not the only crime scene: Almost every rice field, pagoda and school in the country became a site for slaughter.

The Khmer Rouge rounded up their victims—mainly fellow Cambodians evacuated from the capital and major towns—on the grounds that they were tainted by Western imperialism. They gathered them in the middle of the night for mass execution into graves usually dug by the victims the day before.

Bullets were saved for the war against Vietnam. Instead the Khmer Rouge butchered and whacked their own people from behind at the stem of the neck with crude farm instruments like hoes. Those who didn't die immediately were asphyxiated under the bodies piled on top of them in mass graves.

Other detention centers resulted in more deaths than the 14,000 carried out by Comrade Duch at Tuol Sleng. For example, in the Boeung Rai detention center in the heart of the "Eastern Zone" where I was detained as a 7-year-old child, the Khmer Rouge killed 30,000 people including my mother. Every night the guards chained the ankles of all the prisoners. They tried to chain my ankles, but they were too bony and I could slip in and out of the shackles. My job at night was to bring the toilet bucket to other immobile prisoners. One night, a crazy woman in our cell screamed "I'm thirsty! I'm thirsty!" and drank from the bucket. Later, the guards murdered her by squeezing her head with a coconut cruncher to pass the time.

Comrade Duch is "most responsible," according to the Tribunal, for the 14,000 lives stamped out at Tuol Sleng and Choeung Ek. But he was not a "senior" Khmer Rouge leader and should not be made the sole scapegoat of this genocidal regime that murdered 1.7 million people.

The heart of the Extraordinary Chambers is the highly anticipated Case 002, the trial of senior Khmer Rouge leaders. (Comrade Duch's was Case 001.) We must press forward to ensure that Case 002 goes to trial as soon as possible.

Should this Cambodian government make Comrade Duch the sole scapegoat by obstructing the start and completion of Case 002, the tribunal will be considered a failure for the millions of dollars wasted and the irreversible cynicism it has embedded in a society already fractured by fear. If that is the case, let the record show that we survivors have registered our deep disappointment.

Ms. Seng, a lawyer, is the author of "Daughter of the Killing Fields" forthcoming from Seven Stories Press.

14 comments:

A friend of Israel said...

This is an unjust world; let go and quit wasting money on the past. I find no solace with international court system. Look like the new generation will eventually destroy themselves with loose moral. This world as the Super Titanic ship is heading straight for an ice berg, disaster is awaiting again. Most will be asleep and will eventually drown in the depths of hopelessness.

Anonymous said...

Man-made justice will never be fair nor just. we can strive or struggle to get justice from man. It will never be just. But God justice will prevail on it all. Let pray and let God administer to the one who commit crime and injustice to be punished to a just measure. Be aware also that God justice will not be limited to the time the person lives but beyond that and also extended to the the descendants. This mean that no one will escape from the consequence of one's wrong doing that harm others. So we should know and obey his commands and practice justice in our lifetime so that future generation will not reap the consequences of the parents present generation.

Anonymous said...

រឿងតាឌុចដែលគាត់បានគ្រប់គ្រងគុកទួលស្លែងហើយបានបញ្ជាឲ្យគេសម្លាប់មនុស្សអស់
រាប់ពាន់នាក់នោះ កំហុសផុនគាត់ គឺមកពីគាត់
ហ្នឹង វង្វេងមួយគ្រា ទៅជឿរតាមអាទ្រិស្តីបដិវត្តឆ្កួតលីលា
រប់សប៉ុលពត ។ មិនថាតែឌុចម្នាក់ទេ ដែលបាន
វង្វេងស៊ីជោសម្លាប់មនុស្សអស់ប៉ុណ្ណឹង មានពួកខ្មែរក្រហមច្រើនម៉ីននាក់ទៀត​បានប្រព្រឹត្ត
អំពើសហាវយង់ឃ្នងរបៀបនេះ ​។
ដឹងអីថា! បើសិនជាជំនាន់ហ្នុង អោយមាដាម ធារីអឹងម្នាក់នេះ បានក្លាយជាមិត្តនារីបដិវត្ត
ស្មោះត្រង់ជាមួយអង្គការ ហើយដាច់ខាត ដូចពួកអាពតនោះ មិនស្រួលបានទៅសម្លាប់មនុស្សដូចតែតាឌុចនេះ
ផងក៏មិនដឹង ?
ជំនាន់ហ្នុង អាណាបានស្លៀកពាក់អាវខ្មៅខោខ្មៅ ហើយស្ពាយ អាកា៤៧ គឺលយសម្បើមណាស់។



សរុបមក!!!!!
សម្លាប់១នាក់ក្ដី សម្លាប់២ម៉ឺននាក់ក្ដី គឺវាមិនខុសគ្នាឡើយ សំខាន់តើមានចតនា
សម្លាប់ដែរឬអត់ ​? រឿងតាឌុចនេះវាល្មម
គ្រប់គ្រាន់ហើយ ទុកឲ្យតុលាការសន្សំថវិកា
សម្រាប់កាត់ទោស មេគ្រាក់ៗបួននាក់នោះទៀត
ទើបវាប្រសើជាង ។

Anonymous said...

last month this woman made a convenient peace with this ultimate murderer with the forgive and forget drama. while the rest of the victims cried foul of the rediculously light sentense for the hedious crime. now she is back milking about duch and phony disappointment. this woman is farce and shameless. this woman is representing the victims in any degree. if she did she had failed miserably.

Anonymous said...

12:14pm, meant to say "not representing the victims.."

Anonymous said...

Who killed 1.7 million innocent Khmer peoples?

a) Pol Pot
b) Nuon Chea
c) Ta Mok 
d) Khieu Samphan 
e) Son Sen 
f) Kaing Guek Eav aka Samak Mith Duch
g) Ieng Sary 
h) Ieng Thearith
i) Chea Sim
j) Heng Samrin
k) Hor Namhong aka Samak Mith Yaem
l) Keat Chhon
m) Ouk Bunchhoeun
n) Sim Ka aka Samak Mith Muth
o) Hun Sen...
p) all of above

Source:
DC-CAM
Document Center of Cambodia


On October 7, 2009 Chea Sim, Heng Samrin, Hor Namhong, Keat Chhon, Ouk Bunchhoeun and Sim Ka has been summoned by the UN backed Khmer Rouge Tribunal court (ECCC).

Anonymous said...

Democratic Kampuchea Pol Pot Khmer Rouge Regime's leaders and members:
Pol Pot
Nuon Chea
Ieng Sary
Ta Mok
Khieu Samphan
Son Sen
Ieng Thearith
Kaing Guek Eav aka Samak Mith Duch
Chea Sim
Heng Samrin
Hor Namhong aka Samak Mith Yaem
Keat Chhon
Ouk Bunchhoeun
Sim Ka aka Samak Mith Muth
Hun Sen...

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's leaders and members:
Hun Sen
Chea Sim
Heng Samrin
Hor Namhong aka Samak Mith Yaem
Keat Chhon
Ouk Bunchhoeun
Sim Ka aka Samak Mith Muth...

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. 

Anonymous said...

Which one of these Khmer Rouge(s) list below is a prison chief of Boeung Trabek prison B32?

a) Pol Pot
b) Nuon Chea
c) Ta Mok 
d) Khieu Samphan 
e) Son Sen 
f) Kaing Guek Eav aka Samak Mith Duch
g) Ieng Sary 
h) Ieng Thearith
i) Chea Sim
j) Heng Samrin
k) Hor Namhong aka Samak Mith Yaem
l) Keat Chhon
m) Ouk Bunchhoeun
n) Sim Ka aka Samak Mith Muth
o) Hun Sen

Source:
DC-CAM
Document Center of Cambodia

Fact:
During the Democratic Kampuchea Pol Pot Khmer Rouge Regime;
There are 196 prisons.
There are 196 prison chiefs.
There are 1.7 million innocent Khmer peoples killed by the Democratic Kampuchea Pol Pot Khmer Rouge Regime.

Democratic Kampuchea Pol Pot Khmer Rouge Regime's leaders and members:
Pol Pot
Nuon Chea
Ieng Sary
Ta Mok
Khieu Samphan
Son Sen
Ieng Thearith
Kaing Guek Eav aka Samak Mith Duch
Chea Sim
Heng Samrin
Hor Namhong aka Samak Mith Yaem
Keat Chhon
Ouk Bunchhoeun
Sim Ka aka Samak Mith Muth
Hun Sen...

Kaing Guek Eav is a prison chief of Toul Sleng prison S21.
Source:
DC-CAM
Document Center of Cambodia

The UN backed Khmer Rouge Tribunal court (ECCC) must indict 195 other prison chiefs.

"I will not allow the UN backed Khmer Rouge Tribunal court (ECCC) to indict more Khmer Rouge Regime leaders, I rather let the court (KRT ECCC) fail.  Indict more Khmer Rouge Regime's leaders will lead the country into a civil war."
Samak Mith Hun Sen
Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime's leader

Samak Mith Hun Sen will not allow the UN backed Khmer Rouge Tribunal court (ECCC) to indict more Khmer Rouge Regime leaders who is responsible for killing 1.7 million innocent Khmer peoples.

Samak Mith Hun Sen threaten to turn Cambodia back into the Killing Fields all over again.

War with whom?
War with innocent Khmer peoples without weapon?

Once a Khmer Rouge, always a Khmer Rouge.

A good Khmer Rouge(s) is a dead Khmer Rouge(s).

Khmer Rouge(s) continue to kill innocent Khmer peoples.

Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime's leaders and members:
Hun Sen
Chea Sim
Heng Samrin
Hor Namhong aka Samak Mith Yaem
Keat Chhon
Ouk Bunchhoeun
Sim Ka aka Samak Mith Muth...

"(Samak Mith) Duch (Kaing Guek Eav) 19 years sentence is too short and doesn't fit his crimes."
Samak Mith Yaem (Hor Namhong)
Prison Chief of Boeung Trabek prison B32

Hor Namhong want the whole world to know that he is not a Khmer Rouge and a prison chief of Boeung Trabek prison B32.

Hor Namhong is a prison chief of Boeung Trabek prison B32.
Source:
"A CAMP CALLED BOENG TRABEK"
PHNOM PENH POST, JANUARY 19 - FEBRUARY 1, 2001

Keo Bunthouk who was detained with her husband, former diplomat Ieng Kounsaky, at the Boeng Trabek camp (Section B32 presided over by Hor Namhong) from 1977 to 1979.

Q: Who should be held responsible for the murders of Boeng Trabek inmates?
A: Now you repeat this question and maybe Hor Namhong will want to assassinate me, what will happen to me? I've heard that Hor Namhong wants to sue the newspaper that said he was Khmer Rouge.

Keo Bunthouk died under suspicious circumstances in 2001, shortly after she gave interview to the Phnom Penh Post.

Keo Bunthouk was a survivor of Boeng Trabek prison B32.

Keo Bunthouk was a member of the Cambodian Parliament from FUNCINPEC Party.

Hor Namhong said to the French judge that he is not a prison chief of Boeung Trabek prison B32, in fact members of his family was killed by Khmer Rouge(s).

Hor Namhong can lies all he want, at the end, he got summoned and will get indict, prosecute, convict and sentence.

Criminals likes to lies.

The place where criminals lies the most is inside the court room in front of the judge(s).

On October 7, 2009 Chea Sim, Heng Samrin, Hor Namhong, Keat Chhon, Ouk Bunchhoeun and Sim Ka has been summoned by the UN backed Khmer Rouge Tribunal court (ECCC).

Anonymous said...

12:44 PM

What the fu@#$%^&*)o(

Too much repetitions....fu@#$%^&*er

(___o___)

Anonymous said...

last article,Theary Seng asked God forgiveness Kaing Quek Eav called Comrade Duch. August 17,2010;she said,"we,survivors,have registered our deep disappointment".Theary,your tongue has no bone;you twist it what you want.Will you ask God for forgiveness,too ? God help someone who help him/herself. God can not help Duch, right now he must go to jail,after his life ending,he is going to hell.And you,Theary,next article,should apologize to the readers.

Anonymous said...

It's nonesense to say "let God justice..." We are living in the real world, not the dreaming one; therefore, costitutional laws must be fairly enforced to punish the criminals. Even in America, they enforce the constitutional laws, not God's laws. Stop dreaming, will ya?

Anonymous said...

Ignore 12:44 PM, he is a Yuon, he came here just to trouble us only.

Anonymous said...

Halauya! to the top statement of this article.

Anonymous said...

Well said, Theary.